Is Used Cars Simulator a Masterpiece of Mundanity, or Does It Drive Off the Rails?

Used Cars Simulator plunges players into the gritty, often rewarding, world of the automotive trade. Developed by DreamWay Games and published by PlayWay S.A., this title aims to deliver a comprehensive simulation of buying, fixing, and selling used vehicles, with a dash of illicit activities thrown in for good measure. Does this simulator truly capture the essence of the used car business, offering a compelling experience for aspiring virtual entrepreneurs, or does it leave players feeling like they’ve been sold a lemon? Read on to find out!

The Dealer’s Journey: From Scrap to Success

Used Cars Simulator puts you in the driver’s seat of a fledgling auto dealership. Your objective is to haggle, repair, and flip cars for profit within a dynamic marketplace. As introductions go, it begins with a rather unorthodox one, ultimately leading you to a seedy bar where you encounter a woman named Mercedes. This bizarre initial encounter sets off a chain of events that introduces you to the world of both legitimate and illicit car dealings alike.

Used Cars Simulator is essentially a less-intricate, open-world version of Car Mechanic Simulator, which actually works very well. Core gameplay revolves around finding vehicles, assessing their condition, and then performing the necessary repairs and customisation to maximise their resale value. You’ll be spending a lot of time in your old shed, upgrading your operations as you progress. The narrative, while present through quests and interactions with NPCs, primarily serves as a framework to introduce the various gameplay loops rather than a deep, character-driven story. However, this isn’t a bad thing, because driving around the large world and exploring all that it has to offer is actually plenty of fun. There is lots to see and do, and opportunities present themselves very frequently, with the option to acquire vehicles pretty much anywhere you go, regardless of legality.

Under the Bonnet

The mechanics in Used Cars Simulator are multi-faceted, attempting to cover all aspects of the used car business. When acquiring a car, you’ll need to meticulously inspect its condition, with a helpful colour-coded 3D model indicating damaged parts. Red means bad, yellow is okay, and green signifies good. In fact, the 3D model is very intuitive and is an incredibly helpful tool.

Replacing parts requires ordering them from a computer, which takes time, often necessitating sleeping to advance the game’s clock. Beyond legitimate purchases, the game offers a system for stealing cars. This involves acquiring hot-wire kits specific to car types and successfully completing a hot-wiring minigame. You’ll also need to break off existing license plates and replace them with new ones – the usual stuff when committing car theft/fraud(!)

Once a car is acquired, the repair process involves fixing dents, scratches, and rust using various tools. Painting is also straightforward, with simple colour sliders offering extensive customisation. The driving mechanics themselves offer three modes: Drift, Simulation, and Arcade, allowing players to tailor the handling to their preference. My personal favourite was arcade, because it felt much more comfortable than Simulation mode and drift caused too much…well, drift!

There is a progression system with a detailed skill tree, allowing you to unlock new abilities as you gain experience. You’ll also need to manage basic body stats such as hunger, thirst, tiredness, and bladder level for added realism. Speaking of realism, you also need to make sure your character urinates, and need to quite literally assist him in aiming his “urination device”. But be careful – if you get caught widdling somewhere you shouldn’t be, then be prepared to get into trouble (and quite rightly so)!

A Mixed Bag on the Road

Visually, Used Cars Simulator presents a rather mixed bag. While the 3D car models are functional and the colour-coded repair system is helpful, the overall graphical fidelity is not its strongest suit. In short, Used Cars Simulator looks good. Whilst cars look decent, character models are somewhat basic, and textures can appear unrefined. However, the game is in Early Access at the moment, so these aspects may well be improved whilst the main gameplay elements are developed further.

The environment, an abandoned city and desert, can sometimes load in as you drive, leading to occasional pop-in. On the audio front, the game fares better. The voice acting for key characters is decent, and general sound effects are perfectly realistic. A notable highlight is the in-car radio, offering a range of music genres, which provides a welcome break from silence or repetitive tracks, enhancing the atmosphere during driving segments, and which was also a pleasant surprise.

The Long Drive

Used Cars Simulator offers a decent amount of replayability, primarily through its core loop of buying, fixing, and selling cars. The dynamic market ensures that new deals and opportunities consistently arise. The progression system, with its skill tree and base upgrades, provides a sense of continuous improvement and new goals to strive for. Furthermore, the inclusion of illegal activities and police interactions adds a layer of risk and reward that can encourage different playstyles on subsequent playthroughs. The developers have also indicated plans to add more content, including new car models, locations, and quests, based on community feedback, which will further enhance the game’s longevity. As such, there are plenty of reasons to keep d(r)iving back into Used Cars Simulator, the main one of which is that it is simply a lot of fun!

Conclusion

Used Cars Simulator, while not a graphical powerhouse (yet), offers a surprisingly engaging and detailed simulation of the used car business, especially for an Early Access title. The core mechanics of inspection, repair, and selling are well-implemented, and the addition of illicit activities adds a fun and unique twist. It provides a satisfying sense of progression as you grow your business from humble beginnings. While the overall presentation might not be AAA, the gameplay loop is compelling for those who enjoy the meticulous nature of simulation games and the idea of turning a profit from rusty old vehicles. In addition to that, cruising along the road at life-reducing speeds feels great! Used Cars Simulator is a game that requires patience and an eye for a good deal, but it does enough things well enough to remain a fun, enjoyable, and rewarding experience!

Grade: 7.5/10 – Good