Most expensive game in the galaxy?

Do you like trains? Do you have R20,000 to spare? Then you are going to love this…

That’s a trailer for the latest Train Simulator 2013 standalone package – the London-Faversham High Speed Route Featuring Class 395 “Javelin”. We’re particularly enamoured with the breath-taking editing techniques and haunting orchestral soundtrack that really conveys the grandeur and epic stakes of the game.

You’ll ride the full 51 mile route from London St. Pancras to Faversham, including the high speed OHLE from London St Pancras to Ebbsfleet, and ‘classic’ third rail from Ebbsfleet to Faversham.

The route features highly detailed recreations of some of London and Kent’s most recognised landmarks, including London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet International Station, Rochester Castle and Cathedral, and the QEII Bridge at Dartford, as well as accurate an overhead catenary system on the high speed section of the route and TVM430 track-to-train signalling.

The Class 395 is equally as detailed, including full start-up procedure, in-cab lighting, passenger view, roof detailing with working fans, driver vigilance system, accurate overheard catenary, trackside detailing including AWS boxes and ramps, and up to the minute signalling on the ‘classic’ route.

This is on-rails gameplay in its purest form – and yes, there is a point to this article.

Train Simulator has become a bit of a running joke around the MyGaming office; but we’ll admit that we are uneducated cretins when it comes to the detailed workings and history of the world’s rail systems, and are unable to find the appeal in this super realistic simulator.

We also can’t think of a more expensive game out there (if you are inclined to expand your virtual train-set with all of the available DLC). There are currently 102 pieces of DLC for the game base game, expanding the title with an array of content such as new trains, famous sections of track, and entire routes recreated in 3D.

Altogether, over on Steam at its standard pricing, the DLC costs a whopping US$2,194, about R19,500 at the current exchange rate. Don’t forget you’ll need the base game for US$55 (±R490) and you’ve nearly cracked the R20,000 mark.

Do you like trains, and if so, is your passion borderline creepy? What sort of weird games do you play that you might not be willing to confess in person? Let us know in the comments below and on the MyGaming forum.

Check out some more of the exciting gameplay.