Electrician Simulator Review (PC)

I think we can agree that, in spite of our best efforts to become astronauts in our younger years, it was the simple act of inserting the RCA connectors into an old television set that made us feel like we had the blood of an electrician flowing through our veins. It was a simpler time, and although there was clearly a lot more to the job than simply lining up jacks with their corresponding sockets, there was something about the idea of being able to jolt life into a piece of electrical equipment that made us feel good—intellectual, even. But that was twenty-five years ago; I was naive, and I honestly believed that if I could impress my own grandparents by changing the channel, then I could amount to even greater feats. Thanks to Electrician Simulator, I know now that I wasn’t, in fact, ever built to surpass them.

Electrician Simulator looked harmless—easygoing, even. I figured, if I could simply follow the instruction manual and align a few parts to their respective sockets , then the magic would naturally unfold and the bright lights of my labor would spontaneously appear. But then I embarked upon the first gig—a job that quickly reminded me that, like the childish dream of becoming an astronaut, there was a lot more to being an electrician than merely plugging things in. To prepare for this journey, I took apart an old Xbox controller — and then purchased the service of a local technician to replace the parts I mistakenly pulled out. As luck would have it, though, that was one of the first jobs in Electrician Simulator: reinstalling the shoddy components of an old controller. To that end, I wish I had paid more attention to the techie.

Wires & Worries

Electrician Simulator plays out like a lot of hands-on trade simulation games; it frequently involves an old laptop, a workbench, handfuls of diverse quest tabs, and a catalog of upgradable parts and other lavish doohickeys. The game, in most cases, sees you, the aspiring electrician with the sturdy hands of a battery-operated multi tool, working towards the goal of being the go-to technician who can effectively make short work of tough circuits. It starts out small, usually with a couple of miniature tools and an odd job from the local neighbor—installing a light switch, or replacing one of the fuses on an outdated circuit breaker, in some instances. But after that, it opens up to even more possibilities—career opportunities that allow you to establish your business, earn rewards and other tools, and gradually transform the nimble roots of an old workshop into a bustling hub of sockets.

I’d be lying if I said that an electrician’s job is to insert a couple of wires into an electric outlet and slope off for an early lunch. Oh, there’s a bit more to it than that, and Electrician Simulator doesn’t shy away from the fact that, contrary to popular belief, the fruits of your labor can only be tasted by going above and beyond to not only complete the job efficiently, but to remain professional at all times and refrain from adding too much kindling to the fire. And when I say fire, I mean the customers, who’ve an unbreakable fixation on perfection. If you can achieve these goals, then you essentially earn more money; the more money you earn, the better the upgrades you can install on your workbench. Simple enough, right? Eh — sort of.

So, So Many Components 

The one thing that I actually adore about Electrician Simulator is how much it manages to cram into the campaign. And, thankfully, it doesn’t just skimp out on its missions, but it also makes each one feel slightly different and almost DLC-worthy. That might be a bit of a stretch, but I can’t help but give credit where it’s due, for the game does genuinely cough up a lot of great, albeit untrue to the source, mechanical pieces to chisel away at. I can’t say that I’m a trained electrician—the jargon is often wasted on me—but from taking a leaf out of other player’s experiences, I can knuckle in on the consensus that the game isn’t as authentic as it could be. But that isn’t an issue for me; in my mind, it captures the trade incredibly well. For whatever that’s worth.

It’s a simulation game, and so, naturally, Electrician Simulator doesn’t boast the most advanced audio or visual effects in the world. I can’t say that it’s all bad, as the intricate details of each compartment do bring a level of plausibility to the table. Is it as authentic as it could be? According to the engineering prodigies over on Steam, no. But to the untrained eye, yes — and I’ll take that at face value; it didn’t take much to pull the wool over my eyes, I’ll admit. Add the fact that the game also plays well, and isn’t marred with a ton of technical issues or shoddy interface problems, and you’ve got yourself a pretty solid, fully functional game with a lot of compelling components.

Verdict

You’d have thought that, by indulging in countless hours of various trade work and emulating the skills of an engineer, power washing contractor, and a lawn mowing professional, that there wouldn’t be anything left to truly surprise us. And yet, in the strangest of ways, Electrician Simulator still finds fresh nodes to pluck out from the system and transform into small pockets of original ideas and playable scenarios. Sure, it isn’t as “lifelike” as you might imagine, what with several of the game’s missions missing various ports and other technical details, but it does a splendid job of making even the average simpleton like myself feel like a mastermind with a pair of pliers.

To cut a long story short, if you’re the sort of person who takes great pride in completing small projects for bite-sized rewards and other microscopic incentives, then you’re probably going to enjoy spending a few short hours tweaking the sockets and circuits in this banquet of electrical appliances. Granted, it won’t suit everyone’s tastes, as it does require a lot of patience and a keen eye for detail, but if you’re able to persist and appreciate the process and the work itself, then you might come to find that there’s a silver lining at the end of this particular tunnel. The only thing worth mentioning here is that said tunnel is more of a freeway than a motorway; it adopts American layouts and not European ones. Not a huge deal breaker, but it is a piece of information that you might want to consider before pulling out the plug.