Electrician Simulator The Same But Different

[Mary Hargrove]

Theres a warning as the game boots up that "All actions performed by the main character are designed for ENTERTAINMENT ONLY. DO NOT TRY ANY OF THIS AT HOME!" ... And never has better advice been given at the start of a video game. Please do not presume completing this game qualifies you to start taking electrical sockets apart or installing new ones...

Further tips such as "Remember! DO not put your fingers in the socket" as well as always switching off the fuse box are crucial advice and should be the first thing you do when attempting any electrical maintenance, whether it's in this game or at home. Even when you've completed this lighthearted simulator it's undoubtedly wise to seek out a qualified electrician rather than attempting most of the tasks in this game, possibly with the exception of changing a light bulb. I use the word "possibly" because I saw an idiot friend nearly electrocute himself attempting to insert a light bulb into a floor lamp many years ago. Yes Graham Barton, I'm talking about YOU. If you attempt to fiddle with a socket or switch without turning the fuse box off, you'll most likely get a fizzing sound, a red, blurred screen and the controller vibrates like an angry bee. Thankfully, doing this doesn't blow up your console, set fire to your eyebrows, give you smoking, frizzy hair or just simply kill you outright.

I'm going to start the actual review by mentioning that Electrician Simulator features EU plugs and sockets, so it all looks a bit alien to me, and although the principles are the same, it's a bit of a shame that they didn't localise the electrical fixtures & fittings for the US and UK markets.

So what kind of game is Electrician Simulator? Well... jobs come in via your laptop computer and when there's more than one you can choose the order in which they're done. There are basically two types; site jobs in people's homes and repair jobs you do in your workshop. Accept a job and walk to your truck, and you're transported to the site, there's no driving to sites in a virtual town, which is a bit of a shame as it may have given the game a wider appeal.

When accepting a job you're given a list of suggested items that you probably need, but if you are short of an item you can always pop back to base and buy said item(s). If the house has a PC then you can even order them on-site.

The tutorials are thorough and if you have any idea of how electronics work then the game is fairly easy to figure out, but it certainly doesn't lead you by the nose with constant naggy tutorials and warnings like some sims. To be honest, some jobs were a bit of a puzzle to figure out, but they're all logical so if you follow a standard mental checklist of what could go wrong with a switch, socket, appliance, model or toy and dissemble each part and test them, then you can't really go wrong.

The sub menu (X button) contains some of the most useful features. The left and right Triggers zoom the view out and in, and you can rotate the various items so you can get a better view. Electrician Simulator was released in September '22 on PC and it's unsurprising that this sort of sim is much better suited to mouse control, so selecting some items, lining up on small components can be fiddly even with the sensitivity turned down. A togglable "auto aim" assist makes selecting small objects such as small screws or solder points easier

We live in a throwaway World and some repair jobs seem to cost more than a new replacement would, but you get paid for your work anyway so it's just a matter of finding the fault, buying the replacement part and reassembling the item. Just like in real life, you're not going to get rich repairing old appliances or toys and the site jobs are where the money is.

You should beware that you'll get some very odd customers, including someone who is presumably a vampire cop and a little girl who wants you to power up a fridge and put a snowman in it... You always have a checklist of tasks to complete on a site job and although some faults can be obscure and tricky to track down it gives the game a puzzle game feel that I really enjoyed.

Downers are the previously mentioned less than stellar optimisation for a game controller, which sometimes makes positioning items and the camera overly fiddly, some glitching/clipping with objects and during cable installation, oh and the not insubstantial fact that your screwdriver isn't automatically selected when it's obvious you just want to loosen or tighten a screw, making it automatically selected would have saved me more than a few exasperated sighs.

An interesting diversion for sparky console and PC owners everywhere, Electrician Simulator can be filed in the "fun" end of the simulation category and is priced at a very reasonable 15.49. I played the similarly-themed Rover Mechanic Simulator and Tin Can last year and I think this is better than both, despite a few flaws.

Simulators weren't exactly my favorite genre, but, in recent years, some of them surprised me. I like the idea of getting a mundane task and using the "power of video games" to create a digital and fun experience inspired by those occupations. Because I passed most of my childhood watching my dad fixing things (from electronics to our house's electrical wiring), I was really excited when I've watched the trailer for Electrician Simulator.

For me, my problem with Electrician Simulator is that what I cited is just what the game is, no more, no less. There isn't a lot of really cool puzzles using electrical wires, or even cool mechanics to "gamify" the experience. As you are fulfilling customer orders, you don't have any room for customization or player expression of any kind. The game doesn't even works as an educational tool, because it simplifies a lot of the process of being a real electrician. After some hours into the title, I was just clicking in the buttons indicated by the interface with no thought in my head.

A good example would be the workbench tasks, that appears a lot during the early game. I helped my dad to fix things every week for decades, and it was an actual interesting task. Here, you just click on screws to disassemble the thing, and then click in every piece on the board to get a "this is broken" message. You cannot see a real multimeter, you cannot test actual electronic pieces. At the same time, because you need to read a lot and find little spots in the pieces to click on, the game wasn't mechanical enough to be a "podcast distraction" for me. Nothing worked.

At the top of this mediocre experience, the controls on the Nintendo Switch port (the version that I played) were really bad. I lost the count of how many times I was just flicking the analog stick to try to align the pointer to a small screw that I needed to interact with. The touch screen only worked in the workbench, and it was passable, but the rest of the game was only in the buttons.

If you are really into the work an electrician does, I think you also will be disappointed with Electrician Simulator. When you transform a thing into a video game experience that is more boring and soulless than the actual thing that people does as a job, there's something wrong with that. Technically, the game does nothing wrong, and you can buy and play through the end (with some strange controls in the process), but I don't know exactly why you would do that. You will have more fun going to a junkyard and just disassembling real devices for fun, trust me.

The top results based on the latest update are Electrician Simulator - First Shock [Score: 3.2], Be My Mom [Score: 3.0] and Bakery Simulator [Score: 2.9] The top rated games you can find here are House Flipper [SteamPeek Rating: 10.6] ranked #13, PC Building Simulator [SteamPeek Rating: 10.0] ranked #5 and House Flipper 2 [SteamPeek Rating: 6.7] ranked #12 Also don't forget to check the newest releases Forest Ranger Simulator - Apprenticeship [Release date: 2024-03-21] ranked #19, Hairdresser Simulator [Release date: 2024-03-06] ranked #24 and ServiceIT: You can do IT [Release date: 2024-03-04] ranked #17 While it is tempting to play with the newest and the best, there might be some other gems in the results, like House Flipper 2 [SteamPeek Rating: 6.7] ranked #12, House Flipper [SteamPeek Rating: 10.6] ranked #13 and Builder Simulator [SteamPeek Rating: 5.3] ranked #22.

Take on the electrician role and learn the profession's basics! Install sockets, repair worn-out equipment, assemble broken appliances, replace light bulbs, and lay wires at your customers' homes. Be sure to check everything twice, with electricity there are no jokes!

Hey there, fellow gamers! Are you ready for a shockingly electrifying experience? Introducing Electrician Simulator, the game that'll flip the switch on your gaming skills! Get ready to unleash your inner electrician and dive into the captivating world of wires, circuits, and sparks.

In Electrician Simulator, you'll become the master of power, the sultan of sockets, and the lord of light bulbs. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tackle a variety of electrical tasks at your customers' homes. From installing sockets to repairing equipment and even assembling broken appliances, your skills will be put to the test.

But hold up, gamers, this ain't no walk in the park. With electricity, there are no jokes. You'll need to double-check everything, ensuring that your wiring is on point and your installations are top-notch. One wrong move, and you might end up with your hair looking like a mad scientist's experiment gone wrong!

So get ready to plug into a world where precision and safety are your top priorities. You'll navigate through challenging levels, unravel complex electrical puzzles, and prove yourself as the ultimate virtuoso of voltage.

But wait, there's more! We're not just about the serious stuff. Electrician Simulator also amps up the fun with its quirky humor, complete with witty one-liners and hilarious gameplay moments. Prepare to laugh your way through the game as you troubleshoot, shock yourself (don't worry, it's virtual electricity after all), and experience the electrifying saga of being an electrician.

So, gear up, grab your oversized glasses, and let's show the world that being an electrician ain't no dim-witted job. It's time to light up the gaming world with your skills and become the ultimate electrician extraordinaire!

Get ready to wire it up and spark some excitement in Electrician Simulator! Let's charge into this unforgettable adventure together, and remember, in the world of electricity, GameGal has got your back!

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