Promising an unconventional approach to rollercoaster building as players design the theme park of their dreams, Limbic Entertainment’s Park Beyond is another business-building simulator that attempts to blend “limitless” creativity with financial responsibility. . A familiar pitch with some quirky set dressing, you’ll create your own custom coasters, drag-and-drop shops, and hire employees to create a successful enterprise that’s profitable and exciting – but most importantly, profitable.
Despite being a feature-length tutorial in custom coaster building, Parks Beyond’s campaign starts off strong by allowing you to tinker with exciting new mechanics constantly, letting you unleash your wildest creations across dusty deserts and lush alpine forests. empowers to do. But as I began to balance my building around the proposed financial and spatial limits, I found that my creativity was quickly stifled by the forcibly imposed goals.
Simulation is always a balancing act between resources and imagination. However, the finesse and hyper-complexity of some of Park Beyond’s functions was made for play sessions where, more often than not, I’d be sitting at my desk fast-forwarding through months of dull, non-skippable engagement tasks Was. Surprisingly, making my toilets profitable wasn’t in my “Build Your Dream Theme Park” bingo card.
Not all building systems in Park Beyond are created equal, with different types of customization coming with different rules. Where prefab buildings and custom coaster builds use a modular placement system and require specific amounts of space, a variety of decorative items such as trees and rocks can be placed freeform on your structures. It made manipulating the space an accessible process and encouraged me to create organic and engaging environments. A nice addition was the ability to fully customize the shops by building extensions around the base structure which, with significant effort, could result in a truly exclusive build. However, this method comes with a few caveats, as it can be a bit tricky and time-consuming when you get into the weeds of roofing and signage.
The success of your park depends on three main requirements: money, fun, and awe. Each ride, shop, toilet and staff member contributes different amounts, which means you’ll be flipping plates to keep the lights on. Awe is the most compelling currency, as it allows you to “impossible” your rides, stores, and employees, adding visual flair and increasing their efficiency. This lets you meaningfully grow and personalize your setup, but the slow pace of filling up the meter eventually became a chore.
Despite its speed constraints, Park Beyond succeeds with its enjoyable animations and dramatic ride designs that made my stomach twist and turn. There’s also a wonderful lit atmosphere in the evenings, and it sometimes gives me a chance to step out of my financial insecurities to enjoy the strange world I’ve created in peace. However, it’s all gone when the sun comes up the next morning, and you find that your margin isn’t enough to cover your latest silly endeavor.
Sandbox mode turned out to be a refreshing alternative, where I could focus on my own design dreams without constant interference. Here you can set an initial budget and location and set specific goals while addressing your challenges. While you still have to manage your dreams, I finally felt like I was my own boss. I can build and experiment with greater depth while admitting financial defeat – that sounds like a better distillation of the game’s ambitions.
Even despite its wry take on nostalgic ride design and copious whimsical fanfare, I left feeling disappointed by Park Beyond’s business-oriented aims and lack of investment in unbridled player creativity. For a sport that strives to push the limits of your imagination, it’s concerned with little more than whether you’re tall enough to ride.