Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator (XSX) Review

As a biker, I thought Ultimate-Games’ Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator would be the perfect game to kill a few hours playing. I have always enjoyed the therapeutic ways of tinkering with my own bikes, servicing them myself and doing all it takes to keep them running nicely and to keep them from breaking down. With this in mind, it’s easy to see that a game where I could enjoy this hobby of mine from the comfort of my sofa piqued my interest.

However, it quickly became apparent that this dirt and oil-free digital version of one of my favorite pastimes was going to cause me far more grief than the actual physical application of motorcycle maintenance.

Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator and its Woeful Graphics

I wasn’t expecting jaw-dropping polished visuals in a game like Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator. After playing so many of the simulation games that have released in recent years, I knew better than to expect anything great. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was the dull and lifeless PlayStation 2 visuals that this game presented me with.

To be fair, what I played was an Xbox One release, but that doesn’t mean that an effort could be made; besides, I have seen games with far better graphics from the last generation of consoles, and yes, this includes independent titles.

When I saw that I had to test “drive” the bikes once they were fixed, I still had a glimmer of hope for some easy-on-the-eye outdoor depiction, but alas, I was once again sorely disappointed in the shoddy efforts made to make the game look at least half decent.

Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator and its Nightmarish Camera

If there’s one thing to put people off maintaining their own motorbikes, is that it can – at times – be frustrating. However, at least in a real life scenario you have no need to navigate to the more intricate parts of your trusty steed using a camera that refuses to work in the way you want it to.

Again, another oversight that could easily have been fine-tuned before release but it soon becomes clear that the testing stages of Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator were either non-existent or undertaken by a sadomasochist.

What should be an enjoyable experience is made to be an awkward and irritating battle of wits as you try to perform the most simplest of tasks; like changing oil and removing parts. A little attention to the way the camera worked would have made all the difference in the playability of the game. As it stands, though, it’s very close to being unplayable.

Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator – Bugs Ahoy!

Having read the above, it won’t come as any kind of surprise that bugs play a predominant part in Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator. The most notable of these came when I crashed the tutorial bike while test riding it on the open road. After being flung from the machine (to be fair, I was riding it like it was stolen) I was unable to get up off the floor, reset the bike, open the tablet menu or even exit the test driving stage. Having to do the tutorial three times due to this, did not make me a happy reviewer.

Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator Summary

With it’s ridiculously clumsy camera, sub-par graphics and gameplay that involves little more than unscrewing bolts and screwing them back in (no information to be learned here), Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator quickly becomes tedious.

As an amateur bike mechanic, I would have liked to learn something from this game, or even to see ways where other people could learn. Sadly, this was not to be. With instructions simply telling you what to remove, there’s no explanation of why or what those parts do. A little education injected into the game would have added the tiny spark of interest that this game so badly needed.