I've always fancied doing a review of a game and figured it was about time I did, so here goes, iamdjdz's first review, please read and comment on it:
Woodcutter Simulator:
Have you ever felt the desire to use powerful machinery, big saws, cranes and tractors? Have you ever wanted to deforest the Amazon (or for that matter any forested area) without the cost, environmental damage and potential hazards? Have you got time, patience or the stamina to progress from a minor logging contracter to a potential rainforest destroyer? Well if you answered yes to any of the above questions this game is for you! The most highly anticipated real world simulator ever produced, Woodcutter Simulator by Layernet brings you hour upon hour of adrenaline-fueled woodcutting mayhem!
Woodcutter Simulator does what it says on the tin, it sticks you smack bang in a forest and gives you the task of providing a client with a certain number of logs, 25 in the first scenario. You'll be happy (unless you have a certain masochistic streak) to learn that each cut tree provides 5 logs at the start. Following this you progress through the scenarios, each becoming longer, harder and with bigger trees; from poxy little pines to really big redwoods. The contracts come hard and well slow to be honest, considering that the first scenario can take a couple of hours. The plus side is that after the scenarios are completed you can 'free-roam' in the areas and cut down as many trees as your heart desires, assuming at this stage you haven't shot yourself in the face, or taken up lawn bowls.
There is a certain fun to be had in this game, namely the first time you work out how to line the tractor up to cut down a tree. At this point a notification box appears telling you that the tree has been chopped and that limbing is in progress. I imagine that the more hardcore fans would have prefered the opportunity to 'walk' within the game and use a chainsaw to do the limbing themselves. The rest of the fun is taken from the first time you manage to get the machines to do their job. Other than this the game involves a large amount of repetition, frustration that you are not smart enough to line up the puller's wheels when reversing and generally accidentally dropping the logs in the wrong place.
The mechanics of the game work extremely well considering, it is a simulator after all. The tractor and lifter vehicles are simple to drive using the keyboard, and the mouse view is extremely useful for lining them up correctly. The cranes require 'inching' or the potential is there for logs to fall out of their clasps. The load will swing if moved too quickly and takes a believeable amount of time to stabilise. The only problem is the puller. To pull the logs to the sawmill crane it is imperative that the puller is operated correctly. There is an option to lock the puller trailer onto the tractor vehicle, but this detracts from the simulated elements and is mostly for beginners. However, if you don't lock it it can take a long, long, long time of to-ing and fro-ing to successfully get the logs to the crane. A note must be added here about the physics of the logs. When the trees fall they 'bounce' off other standing trees, and can land ontop of machinery or other trees that are in their path. The logs roll on the ground and can be rolled carefully along by the lifter if they get stuck next to other logs. Overall the physical and simulator side of the game is spot on.
In terms of controlling the vehicles the standard W,A,S,D keys are used along with other keys to raise and lower the cranes, and open and close their grabbers. These are easy to master in the most part apart from the puller as mentioned previously. There is a help sheet available by pressing H and this explains the controls and the objectives. In terms of a HUD the main items are the amount of logs collected out of the amount needed and the time played (there is a high score option so that you can repeat scenarios to complete them in a quicker time - why not compete with your friends?). This looks good onscreen as there is less objects to get in the way of lining up your cranes and lifters.
Graphically the game isn't going to be used as a benchmark for any new technology. It's simple but detailed. The grass, tree and foliage effects are particularly low. The machinery, logs and path textures are reasonably good, but the game does not look too out of date when played today. The menus are simply laid out and are striking enough to be happily able to chose your option without getting lost. Sound in the game consists of ambient forest noises, mainly birdsong. This isn't as bad as you would imagine and you forget about the 20 second loop after a few minutes. Once you are playing it will occasionally resort to a low music track that isn't bad in itself but you do wonder why it was included in a game that essentially is about cutting down some trees and then moving them. One of the most disappointing aspects of the game is the fact that the saw noises are far too low, you'd imagine a woodcutting game to have agressive saw noises throughout, but no, a low hum is all you get.
Overall then Woodcutter Simulator actually works as a game. It's nicely put together, has few real bugs and simulates working in a logging company in a way no other game before it has been able to do. Or tried for that matter. Having said all this, you'd have to actually have something wrong with you if you finished this game. And I mean seriously wrong with you. It's possibly the least exciting game ever produced. It has an addictive element for the first couple of hours but after that it drops off into boredom as you realise you're only half way through your first scenario. Worse games have been produced and enjoyed, so if you're into watching paint dry while tapping your fingers to make certain areas of it dry faster then this game might interest you.
Overall Score 6/10
Graphics Score 7/10
Gameplay Score 5/10
Learning curve: about 45 minutes
(btw this is essentially a joke review but it was my first real effort so I'm pretty pleased with it myself)
Woodcutter Simulator:
Have you ever felt the desire to use powerful machinery, big saws, cranes and tractors? Have you ever wanted to deforest the Amazon (or for that matter any forested area) without the cost, environmental damage and potential hazards? Have you got time, patience or the stamina to progress from a minor logging contracter to a potential rainforest destroyer? Well if you answered yes to any of the above questions this game is for you! The most highly anticipated real world simulator ever produced, Woodcutter Simulator by Layernet brings you hour upon hour of adrenaline-fueled woodcutting mayhem!
Woodcutter Simulator does what it says on the tin, it sticks you smack bang in a forest and gives you the task of providing a client with a certain number of logs, 25 in the first scenario. You'll be happy (unless you have a certain masochistic streak) to learn that each cut tree provides 5 logs at the start. Following this you progress through the scenarios, each becoming longer, harder and with bigger trees; from poxy little pines to really big redwoods. The contracts come hard and well slow to be honest, considering that the first scenario can take a couple of hours. The plus side is that after the scenarios are completed you can 'free-roam' in the areas and cut down as many trees as your heart desires, assuming at this stage you haven't shot yourself in the face, or taken up lawn bowls.
There is a certain fun to be had in this game, namely the first time you work out how to line the tractor up to cut down a tree. At this point a notification box appears telling you that the tree has been chopped and that limbing is in progress. I imagine that the more hardcore fans would have prefered the opportunity to 'walk' within the game and use a chainsaw to do the limbing themselves. The rest of the fun is taken from the first time you manage to get the machines to do their job. Other than this the game involves a large amount of repetition, frustration that you are not smart enough to line up the puller's wheels when reversing and generally accidentally dropping the logs in the wrong place.
The mechanics of the game work extremely well considering, it is a simulator after all. The tractor and lifter vehicles are simple to drive using the keyboard, and the mouse view is extremely useful for lining them up correctly. The cranes require 'inching' or the potential is there for logs to fall out of their clasps. The load will swing if moved too quickly and takes a believeable amount of time to stabilise. The only problem is the puller. To pull the logs to the sawmill crane it is imperative that the puller is operated correctly. There is an option to lock the puller trailer onto the tractor vehicle, but this detracts from the simulated elements and is mostly for beginners. However, if you don't lock it it can take a long, long, long time of to-ing and fro-ing to successfully get the logs to the crane. A note must be added here about the physics of the logs. When the trees fall they 'bounce' off other standing trees, and can land ontop of machinery or other trees that are in their path. The logs roll on the ground and can be rolled carefully along by the lifter if they get stuck next to other logs. Overall the physical and simulator side of the game is spot on.
In terms of controlling the vehicles the standard W,A,S,D keys are used along with other keys to raise and lower the cranes, and open and close their grabbers. These are easy to master in the most part apart from the puller as mentioned previously. There is a help sheet available by pressing H and this explains the controls and the objectives. In terms of a HUD the main items are the amount of logs collected out of the amount needed and the time played (there is a high score option so that you can repeat scenarios to complete them in a quicker time - why not compete with your friends?). This looks good onscreen as there is less objects to get in the way of lining up your cranes and lifters.
Graphically the game isn't going to be used as a benchmark for any new technology. It's simple but detailed. The grass, tree and foliage effects are particularly low. The machinery, logs and path textures are reasonably good, but the game does not look too out of date when played today. The menus are simply laid out and are striking enough to be happily able to chose your option without getting lost. Sound in the game consists of ambient forest noises, mainly birdsong. This isn't as bad as you would imagine and you forget about the 20 second loop after a few minutes. Once you are playing it will occasionally resort to a low music track that isn't bad in itself but you do wonder why it was included in a game that essentially is about cutting down some trees and then moving them. One of the most disappointing aspects of the game is the fact that the saw noises are far too low, you'd imagine a woodcutting game to have agressive saw noises throughout, but no, a low hum is all you get.
Overall then Woodcutter Simulator actually works as a game. It's nicely put together, has few real bugs and simulates working in a logging company in a way no other game before it has been able to do. Or tried for that matter. Having said all this, you'd have to actually have something wrong with you if you finished this game. And I mean seriously wrong with you. It's possibly the least exciting game ever produced. It has an addictive element for the first couple of hours but after that it drops off into boredom as you realise you're only half way through your first scenario. Worse games have been produced and enjoyed, so if you're into watching paint dry while tapping your fingers to make certain areas of it dry faster then this game might interest you.
Overall Score 6/10
Graphics Score 7/10
Gameplay Score 5/10
Learning curve: about 45 minutes
(btw this is essentially a joke review but it was my first real effort so I'm pretty pleased with it myself)
(won't be buying the game any time soon though 
)
