Developer: DeGenerals S.A.
Publisher: PlayWay, Console Labs S.A., Ultimate Games
Platform: Switch, PC, Mac
Tested on: Switch
Tank Mechanic Simulator (Switch) – Review
Renovate and rebuild World War II tanks in the detailed and realistic simulation game Tank Mechanic Simulator, a game that was originally developed for PC by DeGenerals. Take tanks fully apart by using different tools, transform them from rusty and ruined to fully working, and finally test them out on the training ground, sell them, or put them on display in your own museum.
Story
There isn’t a big story behind Tank Mechanic Simulator. You play as a skillful tank mechanic who also happens to own his or her own workshop and tank museum that is fully dedicated to the World War II era. You renovate and repair tanks on a daily basis by accepting contracts from clients or by checking up on your own stock.
The repairing can take up some time but you can also keep yourself busy by testing them all out on the field outside, looking for old parts in extraction missions for salvation, or customizing your museum by choosing what you would like to display.
Graphics
For a game that sells itself as “highly detailed and realistic”, this doesn’t show off well in the graphics. The edges look very rough, the items are rugged, and the textures are barely up to par. This makes it quite hard to play on a handheld since the screen is much smaller. Especially the UI and texts are less recognizable in handheld since all the text and button guidance have to be crammed together.
Sound
Unlike the graphics, the devs did a much better job with the soundtrack and the game’s sound effects. The soundtrack itself doesn’t really stand out since it’s just a well-put-together playlist of different kinds of instrumental music, but the sound effects that go along with every interaction are quite excellent and well thought out. Here, the sound effects do show off the “highly detailed and realistic” part of the game.
Gameplay
Tank Mechanic Simulator is a simulation game where you perform different tasks as a skillful tank mechanic who owns their own workshop and museum. The core gameplay here is to fix up tanks by repairing and replacing broken/worn down parts. The game is not action-packed and is quite simple to play since it’s mostly walking around and interacting. So the controls are very easy, making it perfect for a casual playthrough at any given time. Only the different menus can be overwhelming but luckily, you start off the game with a tutorial guide that is very clear to follow and to understand, making the game less overwhelming to start up.
There are two main things in the game that you can do. You can either take on a contract and help renovate a client’s tank or one of your own, that you can put in your museum later on, or you can go into the field for extraction missions, or even tank testing.
First, let’s talk about the workshop. Fixing tanks is rather simple. All you have to do is remove the rust, sand out the components, prime, and paint over the tank. You also occasionally have to remove and replace parts of the tank. This can be a bit exhausting since you actually have to walk around to find and pick up the right tools that you need. Then again, this is also part of the fun and experience.
The finished tanks can then be placed in your museum for display, alongside guns and medals you found from extraction missions. This is where you go outside and have excavations for old, buried tank parts or WWII memorabilia.
You can also go outside, right behind your workshop, to test out the tanks you fixed up by driving them around and shooting targets. Both of these outside activities are a nice addition to the game since this way you have more things to do besides fixing up tanks. It’s nice to be able to drive around, dig around, shoot around, and not be cooped up in the workshop all day.
Conclusion
So, Tank Mechanic Simulator is an authentic simulation game where you actually walk in the footsteps of a tank mechanic. The true realistic experience in this game is certainly not the graphics, but the actual walking and performing your tasks. There’s not much else to it. The game is recommended if you’re a fan of simulation games and know fully well what such games entail. If not, don’t dwell too long on whether you should buy this or not, because the game won’t keep your attention for long. It’s a nice game to play casually because of the easy controls – even though the menus can be overwhelming with all the guidelines – but besides that, Tank Mechanic Simulator is not really worth the price.
Tank Mechanic Simulator (Switch) - Review,
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