Today marks the release of RollerCoaster Tycoon Story, the latest addition to the highly acclaimed RollerCoaster Tycoon series. However, it’s worth noting that this is not your traditional RCT experience, as it’s more of a match-3 puzzler than a management simulator like other games in the series. Check out its trailer below:
If you check the comment section of the trailer above on YouTube, you’ll find many criticisms, most of which are directed at Atari and how the company has been handling the franchise in recent years. This is understandable and perhaps expected, as people will generally not be happy when a recognized series is “made casual” and brought to mobile – as the backlash against Diablo Immortal has proven.
The premise of the game is that the Eagleland theme park is now in bad shape. Naturally, it falls to you to fix things up. You'll achieve this goal by playing through tons of match-3 puzzles to progress through the story. For your efforts, you will be rewarded with new rides and more zones to expand to.
The game features what it calls a 'rail match system' that allows you to complete various tasks around the park. These include establishing new shops, repairing rides, and generally just keeping things going. Assisted by the mechanic Sam, you will gradually restore the park to its former glory and uncover hidden secrets as you do. Along the way, there are also several characters to meet.
In addition to the puzzles, you can expect the typical stuff such as leaderboards to climb or daily challenges to complete for rewards. All things considered, this seems like a pretty cliché free-to-play match-3 puzzle.
In any case, if you are looking to take a break from the likes of Candy Crush, RollerCoaster Tycoon Story might be able to provide a breath of fresh air, at least for a little while. You can find it available for download right now on both Google Play and the App Store.