I have two boys in the family who cannot stop talking about being construction workers when they grow up. To be honest, there are a lot of grown-ups who wish they could tear up the ground and build something fantastic, too! The latest release of Construction Simulator 3, Console Edition, from Astragon and Weltenbaeur, gives players of Xbox One and PS4 consoles the chance to create, destroy, and repair just about everything a professional construction company might handle in a workday.
This game starts off right, with the chance to name your construction company and pick your equipment from a big list of more than 50 officially licensed vehicles by famous brands such as Caterpillar, CASE, and many European brands, too. They all have the same functionality as the real thing, so players get an idea of how difficult it really is to run a construction business. You'll also get a feel for dealing with people, something not everyone realizes is one of the hardest part of the business! Your crewman might not always want to work, as many of the characters kept asking to go on a coffee break and hardly worked at all!
There are plenty of challenges to participate in (over 70 in total), but they aren't all very glamourous. While you will eventually build houses, skyscrapers, and bridges, you'll also fix potholes and old roads. Some of the other things you may be asked to do include repairing water pipes underground, which takes a lot of attention to detail to move the dirt, replace the pipe, and get it all looking good again when you leave. You can really explore the world around you, and the vehicle's mirrors work, too!
The game is designed for all ages, but the controls really take a steady hand and the ability to read the directions and follow the advice on the screen. Using the backhoe, for example, requires you to understand the movement of the machinery, something that will be easier for older gamers than young kids. It is also a single-player game, so only one kid can play at a time. It's exciting enough for the whole family to watch and take turns with, however. We had our older boys playing for quite a long time while the younger ones watched and gave their suggestions.
The console version of this game is available for PS4 and Xbox One right now, but look for it to be available for the Nintendo Switch in the future. Priced right at just $14.99 for the digital version, this is an affordable way to keep kids (and husbands) entertained while showing them all that goes into running a full-scale construction enterprise.
*Review code received to try this game out. Opinions are our own.
