Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 Review (Steam Version)

GoldenRivet · 02-19-14, 08:29 PM

Car Mechanic Simulator 2014, where gaming titles are concerned, sounds about as boring as watching paint dry but the game is actually quite fun and enjoyable. You dont have to be an expert in the field of automotive maintenance to quickly get a feel for the game either.

You start out in a run down small neighborhood garage, a car will be brought in, a clip board with a complaint or two from the vehicles owner will be written, and tasks you need to perform to get paid for the job will be listed. It can be as easy as a quick oil and filter change to something as complex as changing out a 4 wheel drive transmission or having to inspect numerous parts of the car for defects chasing down an elusive "squeek" or "squeel". You can repair parts, replace parts, test drive the vehicle to help in your diagnostic... and as your experience and skills develop you can even chip tune vehicles.

As the game progresses, you move up to bigger and better garages and begin receiving higher end automobiles from clients, There are some management aspects to the game as well... as in real life parts can be expensive, you might have to scavenge used parts, or repair existing parts to save money while meeting the customer's needs. Additionally, each job is worth a total cash value, if you get too carried away or start repairing every little minor thing on the car you could end up spending $1,500 bucks out of your own pocket to complete a job worth $1,000 so certain repair vs replace aspects have to be kept in mind.

This is not going to be one of those games that keeps you on the hook for months on end like some fast paced shoot em up might... however, I am well into repairing my 50th vehicle and have spent nearly 10 hours playing the game over the last few days as i write this review and i still want to play more, and with the potential for add ons and expansions, the entertainment value is certainly there.

PROS: low learning curve, easy to use, straight forward interface, excellent graphics

CONS: camera movement and clicking icons can feel a bit clunky but it is not really a major distraction

Where i would like to see this title go: supposedly there is a 4x4 Offroad edition in the works. But i think a great direction to take this game would be an expansion for off-road and sporting and performance accessories. in other words a customer comes in not with problems, but wants to have a high performance exhaust and a supercharger installed. Or another customer wants his truck to have a roll bar, off road lights and a lift kit installed or any number of countless modifications. Additionally, i think an expansion for aircraft maintenance would be a great addition... periodic inspections of the airframe and powerplant, overhaul of engines and components, repairs etc.

In the end, Car Mechanic Simulator is a fun title, and a great way to learn a few of the basics of how cars work if you dont have much of an understanding of cars, and it is a great way to kill time if you are a tinkering type

TarJak · 02-20-14, 06:15 PM

Can you overcharge customers without fixing their cars?

GoldenRivet · 02-20-14, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarJak

Can you overcharge customers without fixing their cars?

haha no

Schroeder · 02-20-14, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarJak

Can you overcharge customers without fixing their cars?

If not it's not a real simulation.

Stealhead · 02-20-14, 10:34 PM

It should simulate having to change the battery on a 96'~02' Chrysler or Dodge.

TarJak · 02-21-14, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schroeder

If not it's not a real simulation.

Hey you stole my line.

How about simulating being closed on weekends when most people can bring their cars to be fixed?

Or telling your female customers that you need to change the indicator fluid every 3 months and they need to bring the car back to you to do it?

u1950 · 02-21-14, 05:55 AM

Have they included whiney cheap customers who believe they know more than the mechanic?

Kapitan_Phillips · 02-21-14, 07:05 AM

Reminds me a bit of Gearhead Garage, where you bought junkers at auction, fixed em up, and then sold them again. Man, they need to do that with this game.

Gunsilnger · 02-21-14, 10:38 AM

Heyyy! Watch the stereotypes guys,

I'm a real mechanic and we're not all scammers.

Now, that said, who needs their muffler bearings changed?

AVGWarhawk · 02-21-14, 02:48 PM

Does the game come with rough plastic and steel parts that the player can bust their knuckles on when a wrench slips or is this simply a read the flow chart in the Chilton's manual and pick the right tree for proper diagnosis of the vehicle? Does the Snap on representative show up once a week and overcharge for a set of screwdrivers? Do the customers accuse the player of breaking something else on the car that is totally unrelated to the repair the player has just completed? Does the customer accuse the player of stealing money or sunglasses from the vehicle during repairs? Does the customer attempt the repair themselves, fails, then bring it to the player for hours of fixing what they screwed up and then making the correct diagnosis and repair?

I was a mechanic with Goodyear for 11 years. I don't recall point and click.

nikimcbee · 02-21-14, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarJak

Can you overcharge customers without fixing their cars?

That's in the GWX mod.

TarJak · 02-21-14, 09:42 PM

LOL

GoldenRivet · 02-22-14, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by u1950

Have they included whiney cheap customers who believe they know more than the mechanic?

Yes actually.

The customer complaint portion of the clip board will go on about some sound, and how the customer thinks x y and z need to be done asap...

x y and z are fine... you just went on a wild goose chase and it was a totally different problem.

I especially like the "missions" where a customer will bring in a car "I just picked up this car for next to nothing, it was a steal, but its not running, inspect it from bumper to bumper and restore it to like new condition, budget is $7,000"

going through and dismantling the car, fixing the old parts, replacing the ones beyond repair, and then test driving it and it drives great.

Platapus · 02-22-14, 06:44 AM

So for those who are actual auto mechanics, do you think there is any educational value in this simulator?

GoldenRivet · 02-23-14, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

So for those who are actual auto mechanics, do you think there is any educational value in this simulator?

absolutely none.

Its pretty much just an entertainment platform. Basically nothing more complex that unscrewing some bolts taking a part off and replacing it and knowing what some of the possible culprits are for running rough or not starting or not accelerating well etc etc

02-19-14, 08:29 PM	#1
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 Review (Steam Version) Car Mechanic Simulator 2014, where gaming titles are concerned, sounds about as boring as watching paint dry but the game is actually quite fun and enjoyable. You dont have to be an expert in the field of automotive maintenance to quickly get a feel for the game either. You start out in a run down small neighborhood garage, a car will be brought in, a clip board with a complaint or two from the vehicles owner will be written, and tasks you need to perform to get paid for the job will be listed. It can be as easy as a quick oil and filter change to something as complex as changing out a 4 wheel drive transmission or having to inspect numerous parts of the car for defects chasing down an elusive "squeek" or "squeel". You can repair parts, replace parts, test drive the vehicle to help in your diagnostic... and as your experience and skills develop you can even chip tune vehicles. As the game progresses, you move up to bigger and better garages and begin receiving higher end automobiles from clients, There are some management aspects to the game as well... as in real life parts can be expensive, you might have to scavenge used parts, or repair existing parts to save money while meeting the customer's needs. Additionally, each job is worth a total cash value, if you get too carried away or start repairing every little minor thing on the car you could end up spending $1,500 bucks out of your own pocket to complete a job worth $1,000 so certain repair vs replace aspects have to be kept in mind. This is not going to be one of those games that keeps you on the hook for months on end like some fast paced shoot em up might... however, I am well into repairing my 50th vehicle and have spent nearly 10 hours playing the game over the last few days as i write this review and i still want to play more, and with the potential for add ons and expansions, the entertainment value is certainly there. PROS: low learning curve, easy to use, straight forward interface, excellent graphics CONS: camera movement and clicking icons can feel a bit clunky but it is not really a major distraction Where i would like to see this title go: supposedly there is a 4x4 Offroad edition in the works. But i think a great direction to take this game would be an expansion for off-road and sporting and performance accessories. in other words a customer comes in not with problems, but wants to have a high performance exhaust and a supercharger installed. Or another customer wants his truck to have a roll bar, off road lights and a lift kit installed or any number of countless modifications. Additionally, i think an expansion for aircraft maintenance would be a great addition... periodic inspections of the airframe and powerplant, overhaul of engines and components, repairs etc. In the end, Car Mechanic Simulator is a fun title, and a great way to learn a few of the basics of how cars work if you dont have much of an understanding of cars, and it is a great way to kill time if you are a tinkering type __________________

02-21-14, 07:05 AM	#8
Kapitan_Phillips Silent Hunter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Swansea Posts: 3,903 Downloads: 204 Uploads: 0	Reminds me a bit of Gearhead Garage, where you bought junkers at auction, fixed em up, and then sold them again. Man, they need to do that with this game. __________________ Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into.

02-21-14, 10:38 AM	#9
Gunsilnger Torpedoman Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: The Mediterranean, somewhere between Gibraltar and Malta Posts: 115 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 0	Heyyy! Watch the stereotypes guys, I'm a real mechanic and we're not all scammers. Now, that said, who needs their muffler bearings changed? __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Current Realism settings: 84% My Vessel: Asus M-pro Z-77 Intel I5 3.4Ghz Nvidia Gforce 610 1 Gig ram/Overclocked 8 Gig ram.

02-21-14, 02:48 PM	#10
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,255 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Does the game come with rough plastic and steel parts that the player can bust their knuckles on when a wrench slips or is this simply a read the flow chart in the Chilton's manual and pick the right tree for proper diagnosis of the vehicle? Does the Snap on representative show up once a week and overcharge for a set of screwdrivers? Do the customers accuse the player of breaking something else on the car that is totally unrelated to the repair the player has just completed? Does the customer accuse the player of stealing money or sunglasses from the vehicle during repairs? Does the customer attempt the repair themselves, fails, then bring it to the player for hours of fixing what they screwed up and then making the correct diagnosis and repair? I was a mechanic with Goodyear for 11 years. I don't recall point and click. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

02-22-14, 06:44 AM	#14
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,362 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	So for those who are actual auto mechanics, do you think there is any educational value in this simulator? __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

02-20-14, 06:15 PM	#2
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Can you overcharge customers without fixing their cars?

02-20-14, 10:34 PM	#5
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	It should simulate having to change the battery on a 96'~02' Chrysler or Dodge.

02-21-14, 05:55 AM	#7
u1950 Watch Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Left Coast Posts: 20 Downloads: 41 Uploads: 0	Have they included whiney cheap customers who believe they know more than the mechanic?

02-21-14, 09:42 PM	#12
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	LOL