Construction Simulator 2 Review

Construction Simulator 2

Release: November 6, 2019
Publisher: astragon
Developer: astragon
Genre: Simulation, Switch Reviews
PEGI: E
Comments:

 

Comment

Simulation titles, for the most part, are really hit and miss on their execution. Bus simulator and Airline simulator are two big misses for me, while Farming Simulator is probably one of the best in the genre. Construction simulator had a ton of potential to be outstanding, as it skews more towards farming simulator, as opposed to bus or airline simulator. And for the most part, I think Construction Simulator 2 hits more positives than negatives!

The game begins pretty simply. You’ll work on a driving course by taking a flatbed truck with a crane around and around your job site track, before finally being given permission by your boss to set out on your own and begin your own company. From there, you will learn how to purchase new equipment, and bring it down the street to your first house repair job.

From there, the game really takes off, providing you challenging builds that slightly more difficult than the last, but not too difficult to handle. You’ll get a feel for new equipment as you go, and whether you choose to purchase the equipment will quickly flip you from the seat of the truck, to the desk in the office to handle the financial and management side of the business. Like in Farming Simulator, Construction Simulator 2 is based on income and expenditures, balancing the two to make sure you have a thriving and successful business.

The amount of real life immersion can be triggered in the menus, most notably whether or not you will turn on traffic rules. If you do, be ready to stop at red lights, drive within your lane, and so much more. I was fun playing this way for a while, but as the game is pretty slow, I soon realized turning off realistic driving rules made for a much better experience.

Check out this footage of Construction Simulator 2, captured on Xbox One X!

The learning curve for using the various pieces of equipment is incredibly steep, and even a few hours in, I was still confused on what stick and what direction opened and closed the bucket, moved the truck arm, and more. It can be frustrating, especially when you dig outside the required zone, or don’t dump the dirt accurately into the dump truck, creating a secondary mess all over the ground. If you want to be successful, you need to be patient, and this game requires a ton of that.

Like Farming Simulator, Construction Simulator 2 is for those that want to get into the nitty gritty of owning and operating a construction company. So often, I hear of people scoring games like this really low because, “it’s too slow” or “it’s too boring.” To those people I say, “Shame on you!” When signing up for a game like Farming Simulator or Construction Simulator 2, you should have a really good idea of what you are doing.

On Nintendo Switch, Construction Simulator 2 really shines. Having the ability to pop the Switch off the dock, and carry it around wherever you go is fantastic. With a lot of small text on the screens, I actually prefer to play this title in handheld, rather than on the TV. Regardless of how you play, the frames per second is consistent, and the game has minimal texture issues or pop-ins, which is usually a stable of simulation games.

It’s really hard to put games like Construction Simulator 2 into words, because on paper, the game does sound a bit boring. But it’s far from that. As I earned more money for completing jobs, I enjoyed deciding what jobs to pick up next, which equipment I should be buying, and so much more. It’s a game that requires patience and thinking – it’s an intellectual game more than anything. If you enjoy simulation style games, or have played through something like Farming Simulator, you are really going to enjoy Construction Simulator 2 on Nintendo Switch!

Trailer