Where to get it

2015 · Port · Frontier Developments · Business simulation · Simulation

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

Port

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 is a mobile adaptation of the PC theme park management and construction simulation for iPhone and iPad. It retains the original's core gameplay while adding a touch-based interface designed for mobile devices.

Released: 12 August 2015
Platforms: Nintendo Switch PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S iOS macOS
Genres: Business simulation Simulation Strategy
Developers: Frontier Developments
Publishers: Frontier Developments
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Business Sandbox

About

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 is a 2004 construction and management simulation video game. It is the third installment in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series, and was developed by Frontier Developments and published by Atari, Inc. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 places players in charge of managing amusement parks; rides can be built or demolished, terrain and scenery can be adjusted, and prices can be controlled to balance visitor engagement and profitability.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 features two methods of gameplay. In career mode, players must complete predetermined objectives in predesigned scenarios. In the newly added sandbox mode, players have unlimited time and money to create their own custom parks and rides. Features introduced in the series include the ability to import and export custom attractions, design custom scenarios and peeps, as well as design an in-game roller coaster and a fully three-dimensional world players can view from all angles.

Keywords

tycoon
amusement park
building
artificial intelligence
financial
capitalism
day/night cycle
digital distribution
tooltips
content editor
fireworks
god complex

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Like the previous games in the series, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 is a strategy and simulation game in which players manage all aspects of an amusement park by building or removing the rides, scenery and amenities, placing shops and facilities, adjusting the park's finances, hiring staff, and keeping the park visitors, known as "peeps", happy. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 features two main game modes. The career mode features scenarios where players must accomplish goals, such as impressing a visiting celebrity or attaining a certain park rating. Each scenario has three levels of objectives, which are ranked as Apprentice, Entrepreneur, and Tycoon; the higher the level, the more challenging the goal is to complete.

A third of the scenarios are playable from the start, with the rest unlocked as the player completes the objectives at each level. The second mode of play is the sandbox mode. In sandbox mode, players are given a large, empty plot of land and unlimited funds with which to build their own custom parks. However, the land given in this mode is limited as it cannot be expanded.

Development

Although the core features of Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 are based on the previous games, Chris Sawyer, the developer of the first two games, acted only as a consultant, as the game was instead developed by Frontier Developments, since Sawyer was developing Chris Sawyer's Locomotion at the time. It is powered by the Cobra engine.

Two expansion packs for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 were released – Soaked! and Wild!. A bundle, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Gold, was also released, including the original game and the Soaked! expansion pack; this was followed by RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Platinum (Deluxe for the EU version of the game), including both expansion packs and the original game.

Reception

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 received mostly positive reviews. The game has an average rating of 81/100 at Metacritic and 84% at GameRankings.

Publications such as GameSpot and Computer Gaming World were overall positive about the game citing its many new features. However, fans of the first two games in the series tended to be more critical. Several other criticisms stemmed from bugs and technical issues, such as the game crashing, the camera freezing, staff getting stuck on railings, low framerates and graphical glitches mainly caused when adjusting the landscape.