The Switch is home to a vast variety of games encompassing all sorts of genres from first-person shooters to visual novels, but we can probably all agree that PC Building Simulator is a game that none of us were expecting to see pop up on the eShop (then again, we got Car Mechanic Simulator, so apparently anything's game).
Undoubtedly catered to a very specific audience, PC Building Simulator is an admirable attempt to provide an authentic experience to those who relish the thought of tinkering with the dusty innards of a PC. In the game, you play as a PC expert who runs his/her own repair centre. You'll receive requests via your own desktop email to fix or upgrade PCs, which will be delivered to your office the following day. Parts required to complete the job can also be ordered through your desktop's shopping app, though you'll obviously need to keep an eye on your budget.
When the PCs arrive, you'll begin the arduous task of carrying them to your worktop, taking the panels off the main unit, unplugging cables, replacing parts, putting it back together, before finally hooking it up to a monitor to test and run an antivirus software, if need be. Once everything's done, you ship the PC back to its owner and collect payment via your email.
It's not a game for everyone, that much is obvious. But what it does, it actually does quite well. You can interact with the game using both the touch screen and the physical buttons, so you can move the camera around with the control sticks and perform more intricate tasks - like inserting screws - using your finger. It's surprisingly intuitive, and if nothing else, the game would serve well as an educational tool. On the flip side, it can occasionally be a little too fiddly, and the game's load times are a bit of a nightmare, particularly when booting up the main menu. Additionally, the game features horrific music that really doesn't fit the nature of the gameplay at all, and we'd have expected to see a bit more variety here.
Comments 38
lol ok, thats random
Well that was a short review...
@LetsGoSwitch we've started doing "Mini Reviews" for certain games, they'll always be tagged "Mini Reviews" at the top
If it's authentic, the insides will be caked in dirt, fluff and maybe a dead mouse lol.
I am surprised they felt a need to make an entire game about this, desktop building isn't super complicated, it's not like you're building a car.
Hopefully it gets a physical version so it can sit next to my Limited Run editions of "Construction Zone Commute Simulator 2019" and "Income Tax Audit Simulator"!
NewEgg are kicking themselves for not coming up with this.
This premise actually sounds intriguing to me. Maybe that's because I've enjoyed tinkering with the components of every PC I've owned.
Unless this game is gonna get regular updates it's gonna be dated basically 2 months before it releases...
Yeah... I think i’ll just build my own PC machine.
@antdickens What is this Joys and Cons thing? Because I love it. Coming soon to all reviews or just to mini-ones? Did I miss when this became a thing?
If your grandpa and grandma don't have switch... then buy one and give them this game as their first game. Hehe.
You know, I've always wondered about review scores. Do they start at 10/10 and get knocked down from bad stuff or do they start at 0/10 and increase from the good stuff?
@antdickens I’m liking the mini reviews!
@NEStalgia Did you download the Yoshi DLC for Income Tax Audit Simulator?
@NoxAeturnus we added this a week or so ago and yes will be included for all reviews going forward
@HobbitGamer thanks, glad to hear it!
The last time I built a custom PC, it ran Windows XP. However, the case was shaped like a cat, which probably makes any modern-day PC you could build in this game (or in real life) look like crap. Unless you can build a PC shaped like a cat. At any rate, I really did enjoy the physical part of building a PC, and this sounds like a nice way to get to experience that again without the ridiculous cost. Or the fact that your PC is obsolete the second you're done building it.
@antdickens Mini reviews gets a thumbs up from me.
@Xylnox good question... if you check the scoring policy page it details what we mean by each score, so the reviewer checks their thoughts against the scale to see where it best fits based on their experience. The Editor will also check that the tone of the review matches the score definition too. So it's not really a case of working forwards or backwards.
@antdickens More reviews of all sizes! So many eshop games slip through the cracks!
@HobbitGamer I hadn't heard about the Yoshi DLC. I assume he
(••) / ( ••)>⌐■-■ / (⌐■_■)
eats the losses.
YUUUUUUUMMM!
@kurtasbestos You're the one person here who doesn't launch into "building a PC is really cheap and lasts a long time" lecture Internet high five!
@antdickens It's no substitute for a full size review, but if it means more reviews of more games, I'm all for it!
@NEStalgia Love the CSI Miami emotes
@antdickens
Great format !!
Im digging the mini review.
Game itself needs constant updates otherwise its dated very soon lol
@NEStalgia I'd rather have those so called "lectures"than misinformation. 😉
I like mini reviews!
Just wanted to say props on the new mini review format!
I was just thinking last night, “Man, I think NL needs to double staff because of all these 1000s of games that release weekly. That and maybe a short/quick review for indies...”
Any elaboration on the long load times? Just how frequently does one experience these in a game set in a single room?
@GrailUK Not a dead mouse but quite often in this game when you get a used PC to fix they are caked in dirt and dust inside and you need to clean them.
There is one "mission" where you get a returned PC where they claim they received the wrong part but you can see the "wrong part" is caked in dust so you know they are trying to swindle you.
Its actually pretty deep and is more of a detective game almost.
This was not a great review.
@TheGameTutor Wow. It really does sound authentic!!
@GrailUK I did play it on PC but it is a decent game. I actually think it would have been better for it to not use the word simulator which doesn't always hold the best connotations.
For people into PC building it's great and for anyone with a vague interest there's a lot of fun to bed had. You actually learn how to out a PC together about parts and compatibility quite well. (It is all licensed and genuine parts).
@antdickens I love this idea. Keeping up with eShop releases this days is a losing battle. This gives you a chance to cover major releases, at least.
A game like this definitely doesn’t need any more discussion either
I'm really looking forward to their next release, DIY Joy-Con Drift Fix Simulator.
When do we get Home Finance Simulator, with bonus Taxes DLC for pre-orders?
I’m interested in this. I’ve tinkered with the inner parts of PCs, but not entirely.
I want to build my own PC in the game, then install MAME and run arcade ROMs.
I bought it yesterday to feed my addiction to the 'real' Car Mechanic Simulator on PS4 (not the cruddy mobile port on the Switch) when I'm not at home and it's different in enough ways to keep me interested. It's crazy how almost 'life sim' the game can get since you have to pay your bills and when you order parts you have to wait for them to come in the mail or risk paying a crazy 'same day delivery' shipping price. Other than that, I find it a nice rewarding game where the goal is to just zen out and build stuff.
You would think I'd like Minecraft, but I really don't.
The product placement is strong with this one.
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