Developer, Byterunners, and publisher, Movie Games S.A. released Drug Dealer Simulator on the 17th of April 2020 and was positively received, even with its foibles. Based on American-style visuals and audio settings, it allowed you to grow your drug empire without the consequences of real-life problems such as rivals and the government kicking down your literal door. I did not play Drug Dealer Simulator, but I’ve been afforded the opportunity by MKAU to play the beta version of Drug Dealer Simulator 2, due to be released on the 21st of June 2024.

Following on from Drug Dealer Simulator, where you decided to become a drug dealer to make ends meet, a man called Eddie takes you under his wing and mentors you. Your choices in Drug Dealer Simulator seem to have led to a less than desirable outcome making you have to abandon your lifestyle and take refuge in Isla Sombra.

Though there is continuity between the two, it never felt as though you had to have played “Drug Dealer Simulator” to know what was going on, but those who have will be pleased to have familiar characters to interact with. If you haven’t, like me, you can still enjoy the experience with no prior exposure to the world.

Ultimately, Drug Dealer Simulator 2 has you starting on the bottom rung of the drug trade, and you have to build and grow your empire in Isla Sombra. After choosing the name of your Cartel, which should be called Marielito in my opinion due to the setting, you’ll choose one of six available avatars to represent your character. After that, and a short boat ride later, you arrive at Isla Sombra and are given tasks to accomplish.

These tasks will ease you into the mechanics of the game, which, for a newcomer like me, was greatly appreciated. It should be noted that when I say you are eased into these tasks, I mean you are eased into them in such a way it would be equivalent to lowering yourself into a hot bath.

Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is a slow-burn game; all facets are done methodically and with purpose. If you are not prepared to give the game time or do not like intentionally paced gameplay, then you will find Drug Dealer Simulator 2 slow and boring.

To give you an idea of the gameplay, the beginning stages will have you purchasing ingredients to produce cannabis, and once you have these, you return to the bunker where your drug production equipment is housed and commence growing marijuana. This takes several real-time minutes, so while waiting, your time is best spent splitting the already-produced cannabis into baggies and selling them to the populace who will contact you by phone and ask you to supply them with a certain quantity.

Once you have accepted their order and split the cannabis, you can then meet them outside to make the deal, earning some money and reputation. Customers will only contact you during the day, making time management an important aspect of the game, so you sell during the day and complete other tasks at night, such as making or growing drugs, purchasing ingredients and equipment, meeting people, and completing objectives.

When the marijuana is ready to harvest, you then need to move it to the drying rack where it will become cannabis. This, again, will take several real-time minutes, so as you can see, Drug Dealer Simulator 2 has a deliberate and methodical gameplay loop that is every part of a simulator.

The deeper you get into Drug Dealer Simulator 2 the higher the quantity of drugs you will be able to produce, along with different types, and this will result in having more connections, customers, and the requirements to hire more employees, including up to two friends in multiplayer co-op, but as you become more successful, you will also garner additional attention from the aforementioned rivals and authorities.

Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is set on an archipelago and has a distinctly Cuban feel, which is why I said earlier, should be a Marielito, not a Cartel. In first-person view, you can move around the open world and enjoy the realistic setting. The standard control scheme for any first-person game is what you get by default, but options are available to remap any of the keys, but I digress.

Although the beta version states it’s not the final visual quality of the release build, the detail, lighting, shadows, and animation are brilliant. The only problem I had was the head bob and motion blur. This feature made my eyes hurt as it appeared as though the game was stuttering, but thankfully, both could be toggled off in the options, making Drug Dealer Simulator 2’s visuals highly enjoyable.

Further adding to the Cuban feel was the audio. Classically Cuban-styled music plays as you develop your empire, matched further with some of the populace speaking Spanish. The voice acting and sound effects are acceptable, as they help create a realistic setting, however, when it comes to NPCs who speak English, what they say does not always match the subtitles; important information is sometimes only given by the subtitles, not presented as part of the actual conversation.

Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is a highly competent simulator, and regardless of whether you are returning from Drug Dealer Simulator or coming to play for the first time, you will thoroughly enjoy yourself. The realistic setting has expanded to be six times larger than Drug Dealer Simulator, and the new co-op feature allows you to drag two others into your debaucherous acts. If you are looking for a slow burn simulator, or want to find out if you’re patient enough to be one, Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is the hit you’re looking for.

Written by: Ashley Barnett-Cosgrove