Transport Fever 3 (PC) Hands-On Preview: A Freight-enriching Experience

Preview Event Highlights: Transport Fever 3

At a recent preview event, attendees got an exclusive glimpse into the latest campaign for Transport Fever 3 along with firsthand experience of the revamped Free Game mode.

A virtual desert landscape with cacti and rugged mesas under a partly cloudy sky, resembling a setting from a video game

Urban Games: The Journey to Transport Fever 3

Urban Games provided an insightful overview of their studio’s history, highlighting their journey with Transport Fever 3, a project that has been in development for nearly six years. This latest installment marks the first time the team has taken on self-publishing for their flagship franchise—previously, Transport Fever 2 was published by Good Shepherd Entertainment for PC and by Nacon for console versions. Impressively, Transport Fever 2 emerged as the best-selling title in the transport management simulation genre, moving two million copies.

Innovations and Features in Transport Fever 3

This new entry aims to deepen engagement with both the Tycoon mode and late-game features, responding to community feedback. Players will find new mid-game objectives, which go beyond merely achieving capital thresholds. For those preferring a more relaxed gameplay style, the revamped sandbox mode offers a limitless building experience without financial concerns.

A simulation in a city-building game shows a suburban intersection with highlighted purple, blue, and red overlay paths,

In terms of scale, Transport Fever 3 is ambitious, featuring over 300 vehicles, 35 industries, and more than 40 types of cargo. Unlike its predecessor, this title promotes earlier integration of ships in gameplay, with new sub-arctic and offshore industries encouraging their usage within logistics operations.

Gameplay Experience

During the preview, participants could choose between two of the eight campaign missions, such as exploring Mardi Gras in 1906 New Orleans or the Woodstock Summer of Love festival in the mid-1960s. I opted for the sandbox mode, experimenting with various elements to create a vibrant 1980s Japan set against desert biomes and resource constraints. Other teased missions included narratives centered on Norway’s oil rush in the 1970s, the urban landscape of Manila at the dawn of the new millennium, and a futuristic scenario set in the early 2030s that remains under wraps.

A busy urban intersection with several cars, buses, and a tram, surrounded by modern apartment buildings and a backdrop of

As someone not deeply versed in this genre, diving into Transport Fever 3 felt like a learning curve. The intricate menu-driven mechanism requires familiarization, such as understanding how to build roads with considerations for lanes, noise, and traffic flow. After drafting a road, I added points like bus stops and logistics routes, followed by selecting vehicles and defining cargo to transport. This multi-stage setup—completing tasks across several menus—was initially overwhelming.

For a considerable time, I found myself with tanker ships idling between oil derricks and processing plants, not realizing I needed to manually designate oil pickup and drop-off points for effective operation. This lack of automation contrasted with my earlier industry experiences where goods moved seamlessly once a route was established.

An aerial view of a highway interchange under construction in a simulation game, with on-screen text showing 'Cost: $34, 784'

By the conclusion of my session, I managed a fleet of over thirty Japanese Kei trucks, efficiently distributing processed oil throughout the landscape, reminiscent of a true zaibatsu tycoon overseeing various industrial operations from the comfort of my desk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyDKt6C1kC0

Transport Fever 3 – First Look: Infrastructure (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyDKt6C1kC0)

Insights from Urban Games

To conclude the event, I had the opportunity to engage in a brief Q&A with Nico, the Publishing Manager for Urban Games. We explored questions sourced from the enthusiastic Transport Fever community on Reddit, and I’ll be sharing his insights soon, as I diligently transcribe our conversation!

Release Information

Transport Fever 3 is set to be released simultaneously across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC, with a launch anticipated later this year.

[Editor’s Note: Urban Games generously covered travel and accommodations for this preview event.]

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