Used Cars Simulator Review (Xbox Series X|S & PC)

If only it were possible to botch a car with as little as a hammer and a bit of elbow grease, a secondhand alloy and a well-timed kick of a wheel. Believe me, I’ve tried it with my own fleet — it doesn’t work. But in Used Cars Simulator, that’s the sort of thing that earns you a good paycheck and a spot on the podium in the art of shady dealings. It doesn’t matter if you know your way around a car; if you have the pocket change to invest in something that looks the part, then you can more or less get a vehicle rolling. Well, to the end of the driveway, at least.

Used Cars Simulator is exactly what you think it is: a first-person simulation game in which you, the dubious trader of perfectly “legitimate” vehicles, purchase, trade, and ultimately sell pre-loved cars. But, here’s the catch: you are not a petrol head, nor are you a competent dealer who has the moral compass of a world-class hero. Rather, you’re a “get rich quick” mechanic who has an eye for quick fixes and an insatiable appetite for cash. And yes, you can steal vehicles. You can also receive a warrant for your arrest — but that’s an entirely different story.

Beneath a thin plot and a cast of questionable characters is a simple yet effective simulation game that primarily focuses on the life and work of a back alley dealer. As said dealer, it falls under your command to purchase (or steal, naturally) various secondhand vehicles, return them to your garage, and make mechanical repairs before eventually flipping them for a nifty profit. There’s a good amount of introductory spiel and basic character development strewn between all of this, but for the most part, it provides a simple routine that, like most simulation games, requires you to jump through hoops and work your way up the tiers in a rags-to-riches fashion.

As morally bankrupt as the game is, Used Cars Simulator does have a lot of heart and vigor. In addition to an oddly satisfying gameplay loop that allows you to source parts and helplessly hammer the hood of a vehicle several times over, it also coughs up an open world for you to explore at your own leisure, a handful of challenges and races, and a generously packed catalog of secondhand parts to acquire and install across a wide livery of vehicle types. You can lie, steal, and cheat your way to victory, as can you can get arrested, end up in debt, and ultimately dismantle your own reputation. But, that’s all part of the job, apparently.

Unlike your meticulously crafted automotive simulator à la Car Mechanic Simulator, Used Cars Simulator opts to make the act of working on secondhand vehicles a little less complicated. In a game like Car Mechanic Simulator, you would naturally have to inspect and manually install various parts and ensure that everything is in working order before completing the job. Used Cars Simulator, on the other hand, aims to tackle mechanical faults with a sloppier approach — but not in a bad way. Sure enough, you can browse the in-game catalog, obtain secondhand parts, and dabble in the art of fine tuning. As the purpose of the game is to flip vehicles and earn a profit, however, you are expected to cut a few corners. It doesn’t need to be reliable, but it does need to be relatively cheap.

The last thing I wanted was for Used Cars Simulator to be a one-dimensional experience. I figured, if it was as openly transparent as its title suggested, then it would involve little more than smacking a tool against the trunk of a station wagon and cashing a paycheck. Fortunately, it ran a little deeper than that. While it had a forgettable story and a nonsensical troupe of characters, it did have a lot of interesting features for me to explore alongside the routine maintenance and shoddy workmanship. If, say, I wasn’t plowing through a desert track at lightning speeds in a secondhand flatbed truck, then I was leaning into scandalous habits by looking for vehicles to “borrow” or, in worst case scenarios, evading the prying eyes of the local law enforcement. It was all a little messy, but that was the job. It wasn’t honest work, but it was oddly satisfying work that made me want to turn up and clock in each day.

Your ever-fluctuating moral compass is what fuels your engine in a game like Used Cars Simulator. Contrary to popular belief, you can make an honest business out of the remnants of a shoddy workshop, as can you build an empire with your own blood, sweat and tears. Although, there is an extra layer to the game that, honestly, is far more satisfying to pursue. Naturally, you can take a bat to a car windshield, pick locks, and haggle your way to the top via some simple yet fun mini-games. Again, it’s all a little far-fetched and shady, but that’s partly the reason why I enjoy it. The open-world setting and physics-based sandbox qualities are but cherries on the cake. Greasy, gasoline-seasoned cherries, at that.

All in all there’s a solid indie simulation game here that checks a lot of the usual boxes. While it harbors a couple of loose screws and the occasional technical issue, it mostly plays to a fine rhythm. It isn’t a naturally striking game by any means, though it does frontline a jam-packed open-world setting that houses a sizable chunk of content for you to fumble around with. Fixing cars is one thing that will drive your curiosity, but being able to roam rampantly around a desert and haggle with the locals are the two things that will keep you coming back for a second round.

Verdict

Used Cars Simulator blends the eccentricity of a physics-powered open-world sandbox with shady dealings and illegitimate botch jobs to create a multi-dimensional experience that, while as equally shoddy as the engine itself, runs on cheap humor and surprisingly satisfying chore core simulation fodder. While it isn’t a beautiful game, or even the least bit perfect, it is a genuinely well-rounded one that provides more than the barebones of a budget indie chapter. Like any secondhand car, it’s cheap, cheerful, and surprisingly capable of transporting you from A to B.