Demolish and Build Classic is a 2018 work-based simulation game developed by Noble Muffins (a development team and not a selection of high-born confectionary items) and published by Polish publishing house, Ultimate Games.
Since Power Wash Simulator, there has been an avalanche of work-based simulators. With many of these seemingly cut into shape by the same cookie-cutter, but embellished with slightly different toppings, it’s rare that I come across one that offers something fresh and innovative, a burning torch to catch the eye of the audience and offer just a smidgen of individuality to an increasingly tired genre.
With Demolish and Build preceding the 2022 water-spraying simulation hit by four years, it’s only fair that I point out that Noble Muffins‘ weren’t jumping on the proverbial band wagon with they developed the game. However, having only discovered this game lately, my mind was cast into the torrents of sims that have been released over the last year or two. Maybe this is unfair, but my first thoughts were quickly confirmed to be correct — in a sense.
Demolish and Build Classic Rarely Breaks the Mold
Just as with a large majority of job-simulation games that I’ve covered in the past, Demolish and Build brings very little to the table to make it feel any different to any one of another 20+ games. As you may have guessed by the title, Demolish and Build Classic throws you into the shoes of the owner of a demolitions company. Starting at the bottom, you have to work your way up the ladder of success to build your company into a worldwide empire. If this sounds all too familiar to you, then you’re not alone.
The early stages of the game see you driving around a small town and following waypoints to objectives. By finding a yellow sign saying “Under Construction” then this is your cue to interact with it to accept the contract. While your potential empire is in its infancy, these jobs range from knocking down wooden sheds, disposing of empty gas cannisters and clearing piles of debris in your bulldozer. However, as your company flourishes you’ll receive more interesting jobs such as tearing down bell towers, abandoned carnivals and public drinking houses.
Just like the work coming in, the tools you need at hand get more interesting as you progress your business onwards. Your sledgehammer and abrasive power saw will step aside for far cooler equipment such as remote explosives, heavy plant machinery and that quintessential wrecking ball (no demolitions expert should leave the house without one, after all).
Demolish and Build Classic – Controls
It should go without saying that the controls of a game need to be looked at and properly tested before release. The more you play, Demolish and Build, however, the more you would like to skip the building part completely and just demolish your control pad; to say “awkward and clunky” would be to say that the universe was “large”.
It’s not just the mapping and default sensitivity that are wrong, either. Slight taps on the left stick can lead your character to drift off in a seemingly random direction (I tested my pad with the Xbox’s diagnostic app, so it isn’t that). These two issues combined make it infuriating to pick items up or selecting objects and even in 2018, there were very little excuse for such oversights.
Demolish and Build Classic – Summary
While there’s no denying that some of the tools and equipment you use in Demolish and Build Classic are cool and some of the demolition jobs are mildly entertaining, that’s sadly where the fun ends. If the controls were completely revamped and fixed, then maybe there’s some room there for enjoyability. As it stands, however, enduring the controls would require the patience of a saint.
Having been released on Steam in 2018, Demolish and Build Classic is now available on Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
RATING
Our Rating - 4
4
SCORE
If the controls were completely revamped and fixed, then maybe there's some room there for enjoyability. As it stands, however, enduring the controls would require the patience of a saint.
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