Construction Simulator (2022) Review

I can’t say I’ve ever played a Construction Simulator game before. I’ve always been interested in the simulation genre, but I always felt construction would be too boring for my tastes. After all, there are numerous steps involved in construction, and many of those steps can be quite mundane, with no way to enhance them in a video game. Luckily for us players, Construction Simulator (2022) trims a lot of that fat away to give you an authentic simulation experience without much of the repetitive stuff that could have made this game much worse.

Tutorial

Construction Simulator starts with a tutorial portion to help you learn the basics of the game before it sends you off on your own. You’ll fix a broken drainage pipe, change out a gasoline reservoir, fill the hole in, and do a few other things to get you accustomed to the game. Your boss, Hape, guides the introduction and missions with voiceovers to inform you of what you need to do. You can choose between two maps, America or Europe, and each will be distinguished from the other, though the gameplay won’t change.

Your goal is to build your construction empire and complete jobs and contracts for a big cash payout. You can then use that cash to open new headquarters and purchase more machinery. Be careful, though! Each job you complete requires you to have some money on hand for materials and machinery that you might need to rent. I almost learned that the hard way after my first job, when I bought a piece of machinery and barely had enough money to purchase materials for my next job.

Machinery

There are plenty of machines to choose from in Construction Simulator, with over 70 options available, including models from manufacturers such as Bell, Caterpillar, and DAF. There’s pretty much everything you could want all at your fingertips. There are asphalt pavers, dump trucks, excavators, dozers, overhead cranes, and even a pickup truck to drive from site to site. The best part about having so many vehicles is that you don’t have to buy them to access them, which could have been a significant barrier to entry to completing new jobs. Instead, you can rent them from the dealer for a small daily fee. If you need three cement trucks for a job, you can rent them and return them when you’re done. Do you need a crane to pick up a heavy item? You can rent it for that specific job. I rented more than buying until I started raking in serious cash.

Game Map

The map isn’t too large, but it seems perfect for a game like this. It takes quite a while to get from one end to the other, and I think that if it were any bigger, it would become quite annoying to drive around. It’s a lively world map for a game like this, with many cars on the road. Some of them even have booming bass in their music as you drive by, which was a weird touch. There aren’t many people walking around, and the ones that do sometimes disappear into thin air, which takes away from any realism. Many stores and buildings have modeled interiors that appear decent from a distance but not so impressive up close.

Different material dealers are scattered throughout, as well as at headquarters and gas stations. You have to fill up your gas tank occasionally, but it doesn’t become too tedious. The developers added a fast travel option for any point of interest you’ve already been to. This is a lifesaver and something that made this game so much more playable for me. I want to finish jobs more than I want to drive around. The coolest part about the map is that you’re building onto the map as you complete jobs. I completed a boardwalk property that was just an empty field beforehand. It makes you feel like what you’re doing always has a purpose.

Controls and Camera

The controls and camera in Construction Simulator (2022) can sometimes be a bit of an issue in the game. Most machines utilize analog sticks to perform certain functions, meaning you can’t just move your camera like you’d want. This means it’s a fixed camera for tasks that require precise movement. It starts to drive you nuts when you have to move your machine to reset the camera to a position that allows you to see better. The developers did their best here, but it can be unpleasant at times. The controls themselves can be irritating due to the camera’s location as well. This is particularly noticeable with cranes and similar structures. Anything that requires you to move both analog sticks can be very disorienting, and sometimes I just needed to stop and reset the whole machine. Fortunately, you’re given a reset button that you can use at any time to start over and get the right angles. You can also hold down on the D-pad to read the manual on each machine if you’re unsure how to use it. It’s very accessible.

Graphics

The machine models look good. It’s apparent that they took a long time to ensure every detail was just right. Everything else looks alright, but the graphics are nothing to write home about. The world resembles an early PS4 game, and the human characters appear relatively generic. There are some decent weather effects, and the sunrise and sunset look beautiful. It’s passable but nothing too special, in my opinion. The same can be said about the audio side. Machines sound like they should, and characters have good voiceovers. There isn’t much music that I care to hear, and I ended up just listening to podcasts on Spotify while I played.

Multiplayer

One of the most enjoyable experiences I had while playing this game was building a bridge with three other people. I started using an auger to drill the holes for the pillars, and another player finished them. Then I went and got one cement truck while another player finished the pillars with another player’s cement truck. Once the pillars were in place, two people began placing the road pieces on each side and met in the middle. We finished it off by paving the road. When you get players who know what they’re doing, opening your game up to some help is beneficial. We did have one person who just drove around doing nothing, though, so your mileage may vary. Seeing players come together to complete a lengthy project was so enjoyable.

Issues

Unfortunately, I did run into some issues while playing Construction Simulator (2022). The biggest one was that my game crashed a couple of times, right back to the main PS5 menu. Another time, the game froze after I played online with a few other people for a few hours. I also experienced some slowdown at times.

Final Thoughts

Construction Simulator (2022) isn’t for everyone, but those who love simulation games will get a ton of enjoyment out of it. It’s so fun to play with strangers and to see your map come alive with the things you’ve built. If you can get past some of the technical issues, it’s worth playing.