Construction Simulator 2015

Written by Travis Huinker on 1/26/2015 for PC  

Construction Simulator 2015 from developer Weltenbauer Software Entwicklung and publisher Astragon Software GmbH is an ambitious title that for the most part delivers a polished and enjoyable experience, yet unfortunately suffers in some gameplay aspects. The list of game features are impressive which include over 200 missions, 15 construction machines, multiplayer mode, open world, and a non-linear dynamic mission system. While I've played a wide variety of simulation games, I was pleasantly surprised with the various gameplay elements from constructing structures to exploring the large game world.

Players begin in a small village which after a few jobs eventually changes location to a larger city with expanded construction opportunities. The path from a small construction company to a behemoth with a variety of vehicles and equipment is aided by a series of in-game tutorials. The game provides one of the better tutorial systems I've seen in which the contracts gradually introduce players to new gameplay elements such as purchasing new vehicles or transporting equipment to construction sites. Unfortunately, the early portion of the game felt more like a transportation simulator than actually constructing buildings as the objectives usually involved delivering palettes of bricks, woods, and other building supplies. Fortunately, the game does expand once players have earned more experience which in turn makes special jobs and architect contracts available.

The game's controls provided the most frustration during gameplay as some actions in game require three button pushes to perform simple tasks such as lowering a support wheel. It doesn't help either that an in-game help overlay for controls displays both keyboard and controller button presses alongside each other resulting in a mess of text. Another source of frustration was the game's handling of physics as weight and movement feel unbalanced in the various actions from driving a vehicle to loading equipment with a forklift. Many of the in-game tasks such as loading equipment onto trailers or controlling cranes often take far too much time and patience because of complicated controls and odd physics. Some of the early gameplay elements such as using forklifts are later replaced by better equipment to make the jobs easier.

The game's best content is locked behind menial progression that takes about three to four hours before useful equipment and more interesting construction contracts are made available. While the player can assign non-playable characters to complete job objectives, they don't provide any experience for completion. The real way forward in the game requires the player to complete a variety of not very interesting jobs before the game expands with a larger city. One benefit of the slow progression is the gradual transition of the in-game world with the various construction projects that players complete becomes a subtle, but highly rewarding presentation of gameplay progress.

If you have the patience and endurance to stick through the introductory hours of menial jobs and construction equipment, then I can easily recommend Construction Simulator 2015 for a purchase. However, players looking for an accessible gameplay experience that provides instant satisfaction should look elsewhere for their next simulation game purchase.

Construction Simulator 2015 is available now on Steam.