Construction Simulator 2012

Although a house cannot be built in one day, its foundation may very well be, thanks to the latest advancements and machinery available in the construction business. Companies all over the world are competing against each other in order to be the ones that sign the contract for some of the biggest and tallest buildings ever erected by humankind.

By putting you in the role of a newcomer, Construction Simulator 2012 provides you with the unique opportunity of getting some first-hand experience with a variety of jobs in the domain, including foundation digging, concrete laying and various other such activities. Despite what you might think, none of the aforementioned jobs are easy and they all take a rather long period of time to complete, depending on your skill level.

To lay the foundation, for example, you have to dig a hole in the marked spot and put the rubble into the truck, which must be then taken to the appropriate location and dumped without causing any inconvenience to the general public. Thus, the entire operation can last a few long minutes, even in the game, especially until you get used to the control scheme and you are able to properly handle the vehicle used to dig the hole.

Before each mission, the game plays a short cutscene for you, in which the character receives his instructions from the boss and you find out what your objectives are in the contract. The dialog is not exactly world-class, but it is convincing enough to make you feel like you are part of a company and inspire some realism to the overall atmosphere of the game.

Thanks to the detailed graphics, every vehicle and building from the game is accurately reproduced as close to reality as possible, especially when it comes to the ones you need to use in order to accomplish your tasks. The physics engine makes for a very special hole digging experience, but it kind of lets you down as soon as you get on board of the truck and drive it around, since you have to pay close attention not to slide through the curves at slightly higher speeds.

Since there are a multitude of projects you can undertake throughout the game and a lot of vehicles you can try out, Construction Simulator 2012 can be a great choice for a lazy afternoon with nothing better to do. Otherwise, the gameplay quickly gets a tad boring after a while, since, after all, you are actually digging holes and laying concrete.