I enjoyed my time with Bus Bound, as I was looking forward to becoming a bus driver and this game certainly scratches the itch. It’s not the ultimate simulator, and that’s to its benefit, because it’s more approachable and the larger public can have fun with it. Driving around Emberville is a lot of fun, as the city is detailed, not to mention it brings its fair share of challenges for a bus driver. With that in mind, Bus Bound’s experience becomes repetitive after a while, since the core loop forces you to do the same routes over and over. You know, just like a real bus driver would. If repetition is not a problem for you, then I am sure you will have a ton of fun with Bus Bound. There are many different buses to unlock, plenty of customization options, a good coop experience to be had and a vibrant city to explore. It’s not perfect, but it’s as close as most of us will get to driving a bus in a modern city.

Folks, there is so much to this game. There is a time limit given for each bus stop but it's not a problem to meet once you become a proficient bus driver and follow the speed limit. Every aspect of the game from the buses to the bus stops to the districts the stops are in need to be unlocked. You need to plan out your routes and then gain the experience necessary to continue unlocking everything. Each bus and stop needs to be levelled up in order to be able to unlock the perks and modifiers contained in each. The unlocked bus items can be both perks and additional customization possibilities such as colors and designs that can be applied to busses. After saying all of that, the city council will be so happy after each district is levelled up that they will provide you with a new bus to drive along with an opportunity to take a special drive through the newly enhanced district in the new bus. The beautiful and expansive city of Emberville loves the fact that you personally provided great bus service to the cities various districts that the city council beautifies each city district right after it is upgraded. Everything certainly is bound to look beautiful!

Bus Bound delivers some decent driving mechanics with excellent traffic AI, although the game struggles with the nuanced mechanics that make other simulator titles from Saber stand out. There is no career mode, and immersive mechanics are limited, but if you want to drive a bus along a route, you can certainly find a good, albeit short, time here.