November 5, 2024

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It seems that the sequel to PC Building Simulator is still under construction

It seems that the sequel to PC Building Simulator is still under construction

I was unreasonably excited to play the follow-up PC Building Simulator. The original game taught me the finer points of building a PC and coupled the technicalities with all the logistical drudgery of running your own business. Unfortunately, computer building simulator 2 It doubles down on some of the more annoying aspects while only adding a small handful of shallow features.

Another day in the office, not so much, but honest work
Photo: Alice Newcomb-Bell

As with many simulation games, PCBS2 It is about appreciating worldly matters. Ordinary people don’t care about the differences between an NVMe SSD, a 2.5-inch hard drive, or tuning the voltage on a GPU, but these are the details PC-building enthusiasts crave.

like the original game, PCBS2 Are you in charge of a repair shop for worn out computers? You start with a small amount of money and a handful of jobs delivered via email. If you haven’t played the original game, PCBS2 It can seem a little surreal, since you have to transfer your character to an in-game computer to access your email and other apps. Fortunately, a helpful tutorial guides you through the process step-by-step.

Each tutorial explains the finer points of running your business by slowly spreading out more complex jobs as you gain more experience. The tutorial will guide you what to do when you first encounter a particular job. Unfortunately, there is no way to easily revisit these tutorials if you’ve forgotten how to do something.

Screenshot of PC Building Simulator 2, showing the process of cooling the motherboard with water.

You can also cool the motherboard with water for fun and profit in PC Building Simulator 2
Photo: Alice Newcomb-Bell

The tasks you do range from cleaning dust from old computers to overclocking CPUs or building desktops from scratch while staying on a client’s budget. In the end, just like the original game, Jobs quickly became an exercise in reading comprehension. Buried in every email you will find optional requests, when you are satisfied you can access higher level functionality. It’s a pity that there was no more variety in the objectives, which is very similar to what we saw originally central Statistical Organization. Some additional goals are attached to customizing customer computers with different badges and paint jobs or using new components, but PCBS2 It doesn’t add a lot of new wrinkles to the functionality we originally saw.

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Screenshot of PC Building Simulator 2 showing working system

Your tasks range from ordinary to complex, but it’s not a radical departure from what we saw originally.

Personalization is perhaps the biggest plus to PCBS2, allowing you to turn any desktop into an aesthetically offensive gaming icon. You can apply layered sets of vinyl skins, individual stickers, and spray paint to any computer. The customization tools are clumsy, and while you’ll unlock new vinyl wraps and decals as you level up, there’s currently no way to use any custom assets, which is disappointing.

The customization features also extend to your workshop. The original game allowed you to customize your desk space, but this time it’s even more subtle, with the ability to switch up desk designs, decor, walls, and floors. There aren’t many customization options, but this feature is a nice touch. Although you can’t renovate your desk, you have more flexibility in your workspace this time around, both functionally and aesthetically.

Screenshot of PC Building Simulator 2 showing workshop customization options

The tablet allows you to change the look and feel of your workshop

Once you’ve set up your workspace, it’s only natural that you build some computers. Luckily, PCBS2 It ships with an impressive list of contemporary computer components that range from GPUs to water-cooling blocks and cases. Most components are from popular manufacturers and are virtually identical to their real-world counterparts produced by NZXT, MSI and Cooler Master. In the past, central Statistical Organization He did an excellent job of keeping parts lists up to date with free updates, which is no small task, considering we’ve seen a bunch of new hardware from Nvidia and AMD, not to mention new ARC graphics cards from Intel.

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The list of brand name parts in PCBS2 is really impressive, but navigating the menus is a burden

The list of brand name parts in PCBS2 is really impressive, but navigating the menus is a burden

Another notable feature that changes the way you interact with hardware is the introduction of dedicated water-cooling blocks on your motherboard, RAM, or GPU. Getting into some technical aspects is the right move PCBS2and de-lidding CPUs is a feature apparently on the roadmap.

It is clear that the developers are taking steps to simplify the overall experience of PCBS2. Some of the quality of life features built with the original game make a welcome comeback, the tablet system, which gives you access to most of the functions that originally required you to restart your desktop PC. Some other smart additions include linking purchased parts to your jobs in progress, which comes in handy when juggling multiple open projects. Some new features of PCBS2 It includes a thermal imaging application that allows you to troubleshoot certain components and an in-game RAM voltage calculator to increase the speed of memory operation.

Screenshot of PC Building Simulator 2 showing thermal paste in action

The only approved method of applying thermal paste
Photo: Alice Newcomb-Bell

However, keep in mind the amount of time you spend on menus PCBS2It should be easier. It’s a bit confusing because many of the in-game apps you use mirror their real-world counterparts but lack any of the usability features you’d expect. Imagine navigating your desktop without being able to resize windows or use any of the shortcuts you’re used to; This is how you feel PCBS2.

Nothing really helps him PCBS2 Significantly buggy. On several occasions, I have come across jobs that I have not been able to complete. Graphical glitches are less common, but I’ve encountered cases of hardware or components cutting through objects. Most annoying, however, was the bug that made it impossible to interact with the onscreen GUI. A large part of your tasks requires installing applications or modifying the BIOS on a specific device, which is impossible if you cannot interact with the screen.

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Screenshot of PC Building Simulator 2 showing BIOS for EVGA motherboard

You can tamper with the motherboard’s BIOS on most devices, provided the on-screen user interface is not broken

Even with its myriad bugs, PCBS2 shares the same addictive traits as its predecessor that made me say, “Just one more job.” However, there is currently not enough content to keep me coming back. There is an initial achievement system in place, but not enough metagame to keep you invested for too long. The original game had a modest end-game goal of cultivating enough capital to secure your store ownership. For now, there’s not much to keep you playing for the long haul other than leveling up to unlock new parts by completing progressively more complex jobs.

Right now the game doesn’t add enough or do things differently enough to warrant a “2”, but given how much central Statistical Organization It has changed since its launch, and I’m excited to see where central Statistical Organization It will be in a year or so. but now, PCBS2 It seems more interested in testing the waters with a set of shallow features than first diving into one.

PCBS2 I didn’t get the hooks inside me in the same way as the original, but despite the bugs and general lack of content, I can’t overlook the game’s potential as an excellent learning tool. Before playing the original version central Statistical OrganizationI’ve never built a computer. But playing with time has given me the confidence to build many more realistic desktops. And while I won’t be water cooling the GPU or motherboard anytime soon, PCBS2 It definitely sparked my curiosity.

computer building simulator 2 It was released on October 12 on PC through the Epic Games Store.