My gaming needs are more or less in correlation with the amount of stress I endured during my job. Gaming is for me personally about letting go. Playing a Construction Simulator in which you need to work against deadlines to pay the bills doesn’t sound like the most appealing game to release some stress.
Mobile – Console – Mobile
Construction Simulator 2 is the sequel to Construction Simulator 2015. The second installment in the series was originally released for all mobile devices and later got a console port in 2018. Nintendo Switch owners were left out until now. A game originally designed for mobile use comes full circle in a way when you consider the handheld mode of the Nintendo Switch. In essence, you get the best of both previous editions. You can play the game on the big screen and also take it with you wherever you wish without having to own 2 different versions.
Construct an empire
In Construction Simulator 2 you start out with a tutorial in which you need to drive a big truck around. I was getting ready for a ton of complex tutorials but much to my surprise, driving a truck around is apparently all you need in order to start your business. Luckily the instructor decides to quit his job at the training center in order to come work for you. At least there’s someone who knows what he’s doing when it comes down to heavy machinery in your organization chart. The ex-instructor will more or less continue the tutorials as they are needed when performing new tasks during contracts. Your only job is to take on as many contracts as possible and executing them as cleanly as possible in order to maximize your profits. Once you gain some cash you can then invest in new machinery to take on bigger projects to eventually grow a Construction Empire of your own.
Dual stick handling
Each contract you take on involves handling big machinery. At the beginning of the game you can set your preferred way of realism which translates to the way the machines handle. Since precise movement is needed to operate a real machine, I chose to go for “arcade” handling. Even with arcade handling enabled I still struggled to maneuver the backhoe as was needed. People who work in construction will surely enjoy the fact they can alter the controls to mimic the way these machines handle in the real world. With any style of handling you chose, dual stick handling is needed to perform tasks like digging holes, picking up heavy objects with a crane, transferring bricks the other side of the construction site, … Although I started out really bad, I did pick up the pace and upped the precision as the game progressed.
Many vehicles to learn
As you progress whilst completing contracts, different vehicles/machines will become available for you to use. Each of these comes with its own controls which you need to master. When a new objective is introduced you get a small tutorial and the option to toggle on the layout of the buttons in order to help you with the task at hand. With more than 40 vehicles/machines of industry known brands, you’ll have your work cut out for you. Since most of the vehicles/machines more or less handle in the same way, you’ll feel more and more confident as time goes by. Toggling off the help gives you more realism and lets you feel free to do whatever you want with your company.
It’s not GTA
Since you can pretty much do whatever you want in Construction Simulator 2, you might go and try out the GTA way of playing. It might be wise full to toggle off the fines. In standard mode, every traffic error will cost you money. I found that out the hard way after crashing another car with my big truck and running a few stoplights just to reach my home base. I get the developers went for realism when incorporating this but waiting in front of a virtual stoplight felt quite dumb. This feature is just there to slow down the game in my opinion.
Conclusion
A simulator like this one is an acquired taste. I have no affiliation with construction work whatsoever which made this game feel a bit alien to me. I didn’t get much enjoyment out of this game but I do get why some people might find this a nice way of spending their free time. The simulator part of the game is very much on point, the subject couldn’t hold my attention. Throwing in the many bugs the Nintendo Switch suffered from I had little to no enjoyment out of this game.
3/10
Tested on Nintendo Switch