{"id":104344,"date":"2019-11-24T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/construction_simulator_2_us_-_console_edition"},"modified":"2019-11-24T20:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T20:00:00","slug":"review-construction-simulator-2-us-console-edition-a-celebration-of-the-mundane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/11\/24\/review-construction-simulator-2-us-console-edition-a-celebration-of-the-mundane\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Construction Simulator 2 US &#8211; Console Edition &#8211; A Celebration Of The Mundane"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/construction_simulator_2_us_-_console_edition\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/construction_simulator_2_us_-_console_edition\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div id>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101339\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101339\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cMagnificent,\u201d says Pete, your flatbed truck driving instructor and future foreman. \u201cCongratulations on passing basic training. Now you can go ahead and fulfil your dream of running your own construction company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve never even thought of going into the construction business before, let alone dreamed of running your own company. But give yourself a couple of hours with <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/construction_simulator_2_-_console_edition\">Construction Simulator 2 US<\/a><\/strong> and you\u2019ll be pulling all-nighters and cramming in \u201cjust one more job\u201d to afford a new concrete mixer before the financial year is over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut don\u2019t forget: The job is tough and you still have a lot to learn,\u201d your friend and colleague brings you crashing back down to Earth. You\u2019ve only just started on your journey to becoming the construction world\u2019s hottest magnate, whereas Pete, with his spotless high-vis jacket and blossoming Hulk Hogan moustache, is a seasoned industry veteran.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101334\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101334\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>The first thing he teaches you is how to drive your lumbering flatbed truck. From reverse-parking to purchasing new vehicles, he knows it all. If you\u2019re a wannabe Lord Sugar in high-vis, Pete is your Karen Brady whispering sage wisdoms into your ear along the way. A guardian angel on your shoulder, he remains perpetually patient in the face of repeated driving offences and impulse machinery purchases. And if there\u2019s one thing you need to learn from Pete as you progress through Construction Simulator 2, it is <em>patience<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>It may be irritating the first time that you position your crane at a <em>fractionally<\/em> wrong angle. It can be annoying when you only realise this after lifting a window frame, manoeuvring the crane, and landing a metre away from the required destination. It is undoubtedly infuriating that you have to reset the whole crane, reposition the truck, and repeat the entire process to reach that extra metre. But, next time, you won\u2019t make the same mistake. It is through trial, error, and patience that you learn the skills of the trade.<\/p>\n<p>Simulation games strive for accuracy. Yes, they are meant to be fun, but they are also meant to accurately replicate the tasks of a real construction job. This accuracy can be frustrating at first, but it is what makes Construction Simulator 2 a good, well, <em>simulator<\/em>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101335\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101335\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>The controls differ for each piece of machinery. Not only do they change depending on the type of vehicle, but also depending on the different brands and sizes. While these controls can get kind of fiddly, once you find your rhythm, every vehicle becomes another satisfying extension of your joystick. But, no matter how long you practise for, you will never get used to obeying the rules of the roads.<\/p>\n<p>You see, it can be difficult to control a multi-tonne concrete-filled machine teetering upon its six wheels. Even when you\u2019ve got the hang of driving a specific vehicle, their stopping distances are so vast that there is no chance you\u2019ll avoid a collision with a Fiat that didn\u2019t indicate or an SUV that veered into your lane for no apparent reason. While pedestrians conveniently disappear in your proximity to stop a <strong>Grand Theft Auto<\/strong>-esque bloodshed scenario, you\u2019ve just got to take the financial hit that comes with causing a road accident. Although, it can be hit-and-miss whether the fine actually comes, as the crash physics and fines are as erratic as the AI drivers.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101344\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101344\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>For instance, you may have to foot the $300 bill when another car swerves into your lane and clips your wing mirror, but another time you may escape scot-free after ploughing into the back of a car at a red light when you weren\u2019t paying attention, sending it flying hundreds of metres into the air until it disappears over the desert horizon. The random nature of the roads also disincentivises the driving process \u2013 while it is often a relaxing way to move between jobs, what\u2019s the point when you can pay a few hundred dollars to fast travel? You\u2019ll likely save money thanks to the numerous traffic violations that are otherwise impossible to avoid. It\u2019s a shame, because the beautiful roadside vistas and garbage-rock radio tunes are as important a part of the Construction Simulator 2 experience as they are of truck driving life.<\/p>\n<p>Driving is the only unpredictable task in a game of consistency. Concrete pouring is the same for every job. As is digging, paving, lifting, building, or anything else. The jobs will take different shapes and forms, but the tasks are always the same.<\/p>\n<p>Construction Simulator 2 is slow and repetitive, but that\u2019s what makes it brilliant. The constant repetition of the same mundane tasks can build houses or repair bridges \u2013 and that is inherently validating. It sounds boring, but constantly checking your books to see whether you can afford to expand your fleet can be hugely exciting. Three more concrete-laying jobs until you can afford a paving machine. Two. One. And a brand new CAT is yours.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101342\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/101342\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Construction Simulator 2 US - Console Edition Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Of course, if you ignore Pete\u2019s wise advice and overspend, splashing out on a whole fleet after only a handful of jobs, things can go badly wrong. Suddenly things look like a cancelled episode of <strong>Bob the Builder<\/strong>, where he\u2019s run every red light and found himself in crippling debt because Scoop, Muck and Dizzy all needed maintenance. It can be hard to see a way out, but you\u2019ve just got to be patient because the way out of trouble is the same as the rest of the game. Repeat the same jobs. Build some houses, repair some roads. Dig a hole because a religious zealot believes there is an artefact of great holy significance on his plot of suburban land. Slowly, steadily, and patiently repeat the same tasks on different jobs, and things will start looking up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"conclusion\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Construction Simulator 2 is a celebration of the mundane; a relaxing game that reassures you with every repeated action as you patiently build your construction empire. And it achieves that with brilliance. It would be harsh to say the unpredictable driving ruins the reassuring regularity, but when every other nail has been hammered with such precision, this slight misstep sticks out like the sore thumb that the hammer hit instead. Still, this is a highly recommended way to spend a few weeks, despite that rather odd issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cMagnificent,\u201d says Pete, your flatbed truck driving instructor and future foreman. \u201cCongratulations on passing basic training. Now you can go ahead and fulfil your dream of running your own construction company.\u201d You\u2019ve never even thought of going into the construction business before, let alone dreamed of running your own company. But give yourself a couple [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104344\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}