Published by Astragon and developed by Weltenbauer. Software Entwicklung GmbH, the Construction Simulator series, known as Bau Simulator in Germany, has been building its way to show the joys of operating various cranes, forklifts, trucks, tractors, and other earth-moving equipment since 2011. The latest game, simply titled Construction Simulator, looks to bring more of the same fun and satisfying feeling from the comfort, and most importantly, the safety of your home, and it’s now available on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 4|5.

The 2022 game has over 90 jobs to complete with campaigns set in Europe and the USA, and more than 70 different vehicles and machines with real-life brands such as CAT, Bobcat, Kenworth, Liebherr, Benninghoven, Mack, and more. Beginning of the game, players have a small selection of male or female workers, different coloured hard hats, safety goggles, and ear muffs. Give them and their company a name, then it’s off to work.

Helpful tutorials with every vehicle will teach players the tools of the trade, from driving around town, loading and unloading equipment, moving piles of dirt, clearing wreckages, and of course, constructing buildings. It feels like there’s always something new to learn with the large variety of heavy machinery to operate, and it barely feels repetitive with the wide arrange of tasks to complete. There are even some obscure tasks like creating a fake UFO crash landing, which is odd, but it really adds to the variety the game has to offer.

Players will find a lot of joy in operating each machine and may even develop a new appreciation for all the hard-working construction workers out there. It’s amazing how games can make even the most mundane activities feel like a blast. The controls are mapped out pretty well to operate every part of each machine. The only downside is that it doesn’t leave any room to control the camera angles, which at times can be really inconvenient trying to see what you’re doing.

There are, however, a lot of glitches that can be encountered. If players decide to play the game recklessly, they can find themselves stuck between two small objects, clipping into buildings, or even somehow getting launched into the sky and landing back on the ground without causing any damage, Not even kidding. These moments don’t really dampen the experience and are actually hilarious to see, although this of course wasn’t the intention of the developer.

The best way to avoid this is to play properly by driving carefully, parking in the designated zones, and not wildly swinging around large objects, ensuring the best possible construction experience. It would’ve been nice if there were penalties for dangerous activities and rewards for working safely.

The graphics have improved a lot since the original game in 2011, but they do look outdated, especially on current-gen consoles. Character models and animations look very generic up close and during cutscenes, and are all severely lacking in personality. Graphically, the vehicles and machines look more like plastic toys, but their details are all very spot on to their real-life counterparts.

The environments from all the buildings and landscapes aren’t the most impressive to look at either, and even though there is some other traffic and a few people walking around, the towns and other locations just feel very lifeless and empty. Traversing around is definitely the least exciting part of the game, and the generic music that plays occasionally doesn’t help either.

Even with all its faults and glitches, the 2022 version of Construction Simulator is still an incredibly fun game and a much safer way to experience these oversized vehicles and heavy machinery, with lots of replay value. It could even be used as a tool to teach those wanting to get into the industry and build their confidence before climbing into the real thing. Hopefully the team at Weltenbauer. Software Entwicklung GmbH can take on the constructive criticism and keep building upon what they have for future games or possible patch updates for this game. With over 90 jobs and more than 70 vehicles, Construction Simulator gives a real insight into the industry and is definitely a must-try.

Written by: Sammy Hanson