Offroad Mechanic Simulator Review

At this point, it feels like I’ve played practically every game ever released by PlayWay, and reviewed half of them. Credit where credit’s due, though, as they do make some entertaining simulator games. Sometimes. They’re mostly fun if rather mindless, titles that will keep players entertained for a couple of hours. But how about their latest release, Offroad Mechanic Simulator? Is this a game that will keep me coming back for more, despite the countless others in the genre I’ve played to death, or is it destined for the scrapheap?

As is the norm for games of this ilk, you’re provided with the bare minimum of a story to give context to where you are and why you’re doing whatever job you’re simulating. This time, we’re an already established mechanic who inherits their grandmother's workshop. Not only that, but she also left them her car, which must be repaired in order to vanquish an evil that threatens to destroy the world. Okay, that was a lie. But that would be pretty interesting! No, you’re just a regular mechanic who repairs vehicles sent to you by clients or takes your own car out into the wilderness to drive like someone who should have their licence revoked. Then (if you’re as bad at driving as I am) return them to the garage to fix them up once again.

Offroad Mechanic Simulator boasts of having “photorealistic graphics” on its Steam page, and whilst I think that may be a bit of a stretch, it certainly isn’t awful to look at. Although the garage is fairly bare-bones and basic looking, outdoor environments really shine with their impressive visuals and varied terrains. The mud in particular looks especially detailed, with bits flicking up as your tires struggle to spin free from its gloopy clutches. Vehicles aren’t half bad either, and though many of the models do look oddly similar — giving them all a lack of variety despite the differing manufacturers — seeing the mud build up on your newly washed car as you gun it through a forest made for satisfying viewing.

Audio falls short of the decent graphical quality, though, as you’ll be hearing the same old generic soft rock tunes over and over again. It was hard to distinguish them from one another, making it feel like one overly long song that refuses to end. Everything else — such as sound effects — are okay, though engines all sound practically the same and don’t have that guttural roar that you’d expect to hear out of such beastly machines.

Offroad Mechanic Simulator’s gameplay feels like a mash-up of Car Mechanic Simulator and SnowRunner, as once you’re done repairing these gas-guzzling vehicles, you’ll be able to take any of your purchased vehicles off-road on several different courses. It essentially feels like two different games, and I enjoyed being able to put down my tools and just tear it up in the desert, completing time trials, or exploring the world.

Sticking to the garage portion of the game for now, you’ll be accepting requests sent via email from clients who need anything from a quick car wash to refitting a broken axle. It sounds mundane, but there’s enough variety here to keep players entertained whilst following specific instructions, gaining experience and money in the process. You’ll be able to expand your garage, unlocking more items and areas, such as a workbench and storage space so that you actually feel a sense of progression and an improvement in your main base of operations. Gain enough experience, and you’ll be able to upgrade these sections with added bonuses or spend the points on upgrading your character to allow for things such as faster car assembly, or increased profit per order. Having said all that, it doesn’t take too long before tasks start to repeat themselves, meaning you eventually only end up taking more contracts if you’re strapped for cash.

I was surprised by the level of customisation available for each off-roader. Offroad Mechanic Simulator allows players to not only swap up the colours of the various parts but add vinyls, new headlights, hood scoops, and more! Now you, too, can turn a beat-up old clunker into something that screams, “The Fast & Furious franchise connects to me on an emotional level, bro”. Hey, I played Need for Speed: Underground two as a teenager, too, I know the feeling. Banal jokes aside, it was something that often felt sorely lacking in other mechanic simulators that allow you to test drive the cars. Is it a necessity? Absolutely not, but it certainly adds to the longevity of the game.

Taking your own car out into the forest or desert maps leads to a number of missions to tackle. One task could put you in a traditional race at night, whilst another may start with you trapped in a ravine where you must use your driving prowess to escape. There isn’t too much in the way of diverse missions, but there are a good amount of them, each one offering slightly more challenge than the last.

Handling on the vehicles is fairly solid, and you’ll need to switch between driving modes in order to clamber over some of the trickier terrain. Wedged between some small bumps in the ground? Then it’s time to get your four-wheel drive on! Increasing or decreasing the RPM was an essential tool — made even better by using the mouse scroll wheel for fine-tuning — and knowing when to keep it low or to go all-out was a fun mechanic that added to the immersion. Again, it’s very similar to Snowrunner (albeit a little less refined), which, to me at least, is a pretty high compliment!

Overall, Offroad Mechanic Simulator feels like a full title, which is more than can be said for a lot of the other games of its type. With two distinctly different gameplay modes, there is a good amount of content to be found. Though not all of it is polished to perfection, it was definitely an enjoyable simulation game that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would!