Some of the most basic things are explained – moving around the garage, for example – but you'd think one of those basic things would include how to catch the oil during an oil change instead of letting it pour onto the floor and dinging the player a $100 to clean up the mess. Installing new parts also isn't explained at all, anywhere, as far as I can tell. And that's just the first repair job in Car Mechanic Simulator 2015.
After that it doesn't matter that it feels like the actual thought that went into implementing the various views and being able to identify and take systems apart is sound and actually makes sense once you've fooled around with it for a while. It doesn't matter if the cars themselves offer a great level of detail (ignoring the fact none of the cars look like they've ever been driven – every engine and undercarriage is spotless). If the instruction is so poor that one could logically expect the garage to explode or come under fire from a wave of very angry customers that have had their cars disassembled (and all the parts sold).
The Simulator Crowd isn't one that will shy away from complexity, but if basic and/or advanced instructions aren't included what hope is there to capture the target gamer let alone the wider gaming public? Zip.
- Aaron Simmer
Follow @EmpireArmchair
The Good:
- Soft soundtrack makes for endless listening
- Viewing angles that makes a lot of sense
The Bad:
- Okay, so how do play this game? (i.e. Next to zero instructions for the most basic functions)
