Job Simulator Review

Job simulator is probably not the first game you would consider for the new PlayStation VR. It isn’t an action, horror, or even a puzzle game, however unlike most of the other launch titles this one is actually good.

In my opinion the graphics are quite good. Everything has a cartoony 90’s feel to it. It all looks simplistic but works and when you add that to the immersion of the VR it really comes off looking great. When playing the game you really “feel” like you’re in an office or a convenience store. This is mostly due to the fact that you can interact with most of the objects in the environment.

There is a story but it is REALLY light. The general plot involves bots showcasing the player what it was like for humans to work. Each Job also has its own subplot, for instance, the office worker shows the growth of your character in the business eventually leading to you becoming the boss.

The overall sound design is good. For each job you will hear the familiar sounds that should accompany the job based on their location. For instance In the office you will hear phones ring, copy machines running, ect. This is for all the included jobs. It’s a nice touch to the immersion of the experience, it helps make you feel like you’re actually there.

This is where Job Simulator succeeds the most. When you first start the game you will have a choice of four different jobs to take on; Mechanic, Chef, Office worker, and convenience store clerk. To start a job you select the cartridge of the job you want, put it in the “console” and pull the lever.

The store clerk has you run a local convenience store. You will do tasks such as; opening the store, taking care of customers, cleaning spills, ect. Before you begin each task you must pull a ticket to start the next “level”. When you begin a task you will hear a robot narrate the purpose of the task. This is often one of the most amusing parts of the game. Hearing the robots take on the day to day tasks that are to be done makes the experience so much better. To perform these tasks you need to use the move controllers to reach around in different environments, and grab various objects. The game will have you interact with various stereotypes of customers albeit in a fun way. The types of customers you will encounter play on tropes such as rude people, underage sales, all with their own gags to make the experience interesting. When playing the game you have a certain amount of freedom as to how you will handle each situation. You can give the bots the wrong type of product on certain occasions , you can overcharge them, and even miss treat them. This is a feature that carries over to the other job types as well.

The office worker job has you create documents, power point presentations, and even hire and fire bots. Like the other jobs you will interact with various objects to get your “job” done. This sequence of tasks can be started by pulling a time card. Some of the in-game gags include things like; gossip by the water cooler , office pranks, ect. This set of jobs is really great especially if you don’t take the game serious. Try throwing different objects at bots in other cubicles and witness their reaction.

The mechanic has you tamper and/or fix various cars. This job can be a lot of fun to screw around in. Like for instance “fixing” a car by removing all the tires and returning it to the customer can be a joy to watch.

The Chef has one of the longer tasks lists but it can be fun too. You will prepare various orders for customers, some of which you are free to do what ever you want with. The highlight of this job is towards the end of the sequence. At the end of this job you will become a tv star chef and you will need to prepare orders for a knockoff Gordon Ramsay, which can be really funny.

While I really enjoyed this game, it can get repetitive and it is linear. Overall this game can be completed in about 4 hours and that’s doing everything including getting the platinum trophy. So there is not much of a reason to keep coming back to this.

I really enjoyed this game. It was personally one of the better VR experiences I have had. It is fun and provides a few laughs along the way. My only gripes with this game would be its replay value and its price. Even though it does have those drawbacks I would still recommend this game especially if you’re new to VR. It is a great way to get used to the effects of VR before jumping into more demanding games.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.