The Simulator games range is booming these days. Years ago it was just Flight Simulator, but now we have many jobs, legal and otherwise available to simulate. There is Farming Simulator, European Truck Simulator, Cooking Simulator, PC Building Simulator, Thief Simulator, Hiking Simulator and my favourite Wheelchair Simulator just to name a few. So being a lover of cars, when I saw I could simulate being a car mechanic, I knew I had to review this game.
Now not all the Simulator games aim to be taken seriously (I’m looking at you wheelchair!) but Car Mechanic Simulator sets out to give you the full experience of fixing up cars, from mundane to extravagant. The game is light on modes, but it delivers on it’s premise. You have Normal (with or without tutorial), Expert and Sandbox.
When playing for the first time I recommend Normal as it does a great job of introducing you to the core mechanics. So often these games can feel too deep and confusing for newcomers but the accessibility is one of Car Mechanic Simulator’s strongest assets. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of depth. If you are willing to spend the time and learn the fundamentals there is an immersive simulator experience waiting for you.
Completing jobs gains you points which you use to level up. Many facets of your character can be upgraded, like speed of movement, all the way to dissecting the cars fault quicker. A lot of work has went into the upgrade system and it is a great hook to keep you under the hood for longer. Graphics also add to the experience, with a lot of attention to detail giving the game that extra level of polish.
Trophies are time consuming but not overly difficult. They steer away from forcing you into taking the game on in export mode and instead look for dedication. Fixing up and selling 1,000 cars likely being the last trophy you will achieve. That amount may seem excessive, but if you stick it out at least you know you will be in an elite club of individuals who punched in enough overtime hours to get the job done.
Overall Car Mechanic Simulator goes a great job of both being accessible for novices and catering to car nuts like myself. The game can simplify things for you while still possessing a great level of depth. I hope anyone taking the time to read this review will try the game out as if you have gotten this far, you are the target audience.
