Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 Review

“…a unique, surprisingly in-depth and accurate simulation…”

Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 is the latest instalment in the remarkably detailed series by developers Red Dot Games. Offering players a unique, surprisingly in-depth and accurate simulation of the workings and processes behind car mechanics, Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 is almost like a training course that has been packed into the guise of a video game. For those with just a basic interest in the vocation, it comes at a much happier price than the professional training too, currently at just £14.99 on the Steam Store. So what exactly is the nature of this game then?

For me, Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 has been my first delve into this series of games. As I am such you can already tell, I have found the level of detail and accuracy (at least from what I know about cars) to be pretty astounding, and for a simulator of any kind that certainly isn’t a bad thing! Even if you know very little about car mechanics and what goes on beyond the driver’s seat, the game makes it pretty easy to learn what problems might be caused by what parts, and how each part connects to the others. If nothing else, the game is educational, and it doesn’t make it difficult to learn what is actually a rather complicated set of skills in the real world.

Despite the ease with which the game helps you to understand what is going on in the cars that you look at, it does not sacrifice any level of detail. Every part is present down to nuts and bolts when you begin to take these cars apart and it quickly becomes apparent that very little, if anything, has been missed out by the developers. On the face of it this is a very good thing, and in terms of accurate simulation you will want to do nothing less than clap your hands with glee at how well it has all been done. The only downside however comes from a gaming perspective. and that is that some elements are slow, tedious and repetitive to sit though. Unscrewing every individual bolt in a section of the car for example is a long winded and dull process which you have to go through in order to get jobs done. Whilst it is easy to appreciate the detail then, it might have been more appropriate to speed such processes up for the game. This would also be a good time to mention the game’s control system, which sadly isn’t overly intuitive or easy to use. While many of the hotkeys and controls do make sense, they do not work all too cleanly together to making the experience feel flowing.

You could forgive the slower parts of the game, but for one small point. It would be ok to say “well it’s more of a simulation than an actual game” in response to the fact that some processes require excessive time and effort, but the game gives you very little information to back that up. What I mean is that despite the level of detail that things have been designed with, you don’t learn a lot of actual factual information about specific parts of the cars and what their purposes are. For example, if I wanted to know what a piece of the engine was for, there is nowhere in the game that I could look this information up, and this seems like something of an oversight. With all of the detailed parts, tools and processes that you are able to experience, it seems a shame that you cannot learn some straight up facts along the way.

Car mechanic simulator is impressive in the sense that it covers all, or at least a fair whack, of the different jobs that a car mechanic might be expected to do. You are tasked with not only replacing parts and taking cars apart, but also with analysing problems yourself, ordering new parts, managing your jobs and even changing oil! It’s a job well done from this perspective then, and whilst some tasks take longer than you would like them to, other things such as the delivery of orders have been made instant in the interest of saving the player time that would simply be spent waiting around in reality. If you picked up the game just to see what the job of a car mechanic entails then you will come away very impressed indeed with your purchase, and the game deserves its fair share of praise for this achievement.

There is just one more thing to mention before laying everything out in a summary, and that is the fact that the game looks amazing. Graphically, the whole experience is enhanced by the simple fact that everything is incredibly polished, showing that some real effort has gone into making the experience a complete one for the player. This is the part of the game that really makes you say wow, even before you jump into your first vehicle and crack on with the actual gameplay side of things. It is very impressive indeed, so kudos to the development team behind the visuals of the game!

Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 is a mixture of very impressive elements and somewhat overlooked ones. The game which has been produced is an accurate representation of the car mechanic trade in terms of the tasks which you perform. The models which you work on are extremely detailed too, allowing for a great experience for any car fans out there who feel like giving the game a go. On the other hand, there is little informative quality to the game, and some of the tasks which you need to perform are time consuming and take away from the experience as a whole. Controlling the game is also not overly user-friendly either. If a good simulation is exactly what you are looking for then, this title is very much for you. If you are looking for a “game” in the truest sense of the word however, you might not find everything that you are hoping for…

The Good:

• – Super detailed cars which allow you to work with everything down to the nuts and bolts.
• – Educational for anybody who wants to know more about the layout of the inside of a car.
• – Accurate simulation for the various jobs required of the car mechanic trade.
• – Graphically excellent; a very polished appearance compliments gameplay.
• – Great price tag which is cheaper that professional training for anyone who is interested in the basics of the trade, or even simply in cars in general.

The Bad:

• – Some small tasks quickly become repetitive and tedious.
• – There is little information in the game to help you understand the purpose of each part of the car – a big oversight given the game’s level of detail.
• – The control layout of the game is sensible but not very easy or intuitive.
• – Much more of a simulation than an actual “game” in the truest sense of the word.

Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.