Junkyard Simulator: First Car (Prologue 2)

About

Check Early Access Modehttps://store.steampowered.com/app/671970/Junkyard_Simulator/ About the GameYou'll get the chance to renovate a vehicle for a client, using tools such as the cleaning brush, sandblaster, and spray paint gun. But there's so much more to see... and play. The full version contains loads more quests, you'll also get to operate a complex monster crusher, use different tools to…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Junkyard Simulator: First Car (Prologue 2) screenshot

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

gameplay7 negative mentions

The game has a great concept and offers a lot of potential for fun gameplay, especially for fans of simulation games.
Many players enjoyed the mechanics of salvaging and restoring vehicles, finding it satisfying and engaging.
The graphics and atmosphere are generally well-received, with some players noting that it looks good for an indie game.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and performance issues, making it difficult for many players to enjoy the experience.
There are numerous bugs and clunky mechanics, particularly with driving and interactions, which detract from the overall gameplay.
The tutorial is often confusing and lacks clarity, leaving players stuck and frustrated without proper guidance.

gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
67%
21%
The gameplay has received mixed feedback, with players appreciating the new mechanics like painting and cleaning, but criticizing the clunky and slow controls, particularly in vehicle handling and inventory management. Many users expressed a desire for deeper mechanics and more realistic wear and tear on car parts, while others noted performance issues and the need for better tutorials. Overall, while the game shows potential, it requires significant polish and refinement to enhance the player experience.
- “Overall, I enjoyed the new mechanics of painting and cleaning parts. I would like to see in this game the best version of Car Mechanic Simulator, as I was surprised by the jumping mechanics. Can you really jump?”
- “So far, I'm very pleased with the mechanics and the variety of things to do.”
- “Not only are the graphics impressive for a demo, but the mechanics are incredible, especially once you get the controls down.”
- “The gameplay is a bit clunky, repetitive, and boring.”
- “Unfortunately, this game still needs a lot of polish on just its core mechanics.”
- “Buggy gameplay; if you need a 'reset' because things get lost or drop through geometry a lot... eww.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear outdated, resembling titles from the early 2000s. While some appreciate the potential of the Unreal Engine 4 visuals, others report significant optimization issues and graphical bugs that hinder gameplay. Overall, the graphics are seen as a major drawback, especially for a game priced over $20, with many players finding them unpolished and lacking in detail.
- “Not only are the graphics very great for not even being a full version but also, the mechanics are incredible especially once you get the controls down.”
- “While the concept for the game is fine, the graphics look good (thanks to Unreal Engine 4).”
- “I really like this demo, no game issues, nice graphics on my 1080 Ti PC.”
- “What little I could see of the graphics looks fine, but that doesn't mean a thing if I can't actually open/play the demo.”
- “Graphics look like a game released between 2000 - 2010.”
- “For me, it's unplayable; the graphics feel like a 6-year-old game.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and fitting atmosphere, with some users highlighting the nostalgic appeal of certain tracks. However, there are concerns regarding the volume levels at the start and the need for better audio control options, such as the ability to adjust or mute music and tutorial voiceovers. Additionally, players express worries about potential copyright issues related to the music used in the game.
- “1) has amazing music.”
- “Music is a nice touch and fitting to the gameplay.”
- “For those who were teens in the nineties, will remember all too well the verve and the song 'Bitter Sweet Symphony'.”
- “The game starts with really loud music, which can be quite jarring.”
- “There should be an option to turn down or completely turn off the music, as the in-game radio is not very precise and doesn't always affect the opening music.”
- “I have concerns about licensing for the music and vehicle licensing.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
13%
63%
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, low frame rates, and freezing, particularly in early access stages. While some players experienced stable performance initially, the game's optimization appears inadequate, especially when exploring larger areas or using higher settings. Many reviewers express hope for improvements in future updates, acknowledging the game's developmental status.
- “I can't make a full comment as it is under development, but it seems like there are serious optimization issues.”
- “There's no reason an Unreal Engine game should be so poorly optimized like this.”
- “The tutorial is more or less useless and the graphics still need a lot of optimization, so it will be a while before I try and return to this and even longer before I will consider buying it.”
- “Turned everything down to its lowest settings and the demo suffers from massive stuttering issues, including the mouse stuttering so much I couldn't even get through the first ten minutes of the demo.”
- “I understand that it's still in early access, but the game freezes whenever you try to go to the main menu, the performance in-game is bad, and the bugs are not exactly few and far between.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, including falling through the ground and low frame rates. Many players express frustration over the need to restart the game often due to these problems, indicating that the game feels unfinished and unstable, especially in its early access state. Overall, the consensus is that the game is "buggy" and requires significant improvements to enhance stability.
- “The game is full of bugs, freezes all the time & needs to be restarted often. Restoration is very basic & underwhelming, and I hate the transparent mounds after taking rubble from the ground.”
- “I understand that it's still in early access, but the game freezes whenever you try to go to the main menu. The performance in-game is bad, and the bugs are not exactly few and far between.”
- “Game is buggy as hell. I fall through the ground in every save file and can't go back, so I can't get close to 5% of the game done without resetting because I fell through the ground.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The monetization aspect of this early access game has drawn criticism, as it appears to be more of an advertising effort for an unfinished product rather than a fully realized experience. Users express disappointment over the game's poor reviews and recommend avoiding it unless one is willing to overlook its incomplete state. Overall, the monetization strategy seems to prioritize promotion over delivering a polished game.
- “While the concept for the game is fine, the graphics look good (thanks to Unreal Engine 4), the early access game that this is advertising is getting very poor reviews... probably because it's been released in an unfinished state on Steam.”
- “Anyway, no matter how promising it might look, this is just advertising spam and should be avoided unless you want the full game, despise game reviews (so why are you reading mine??) and just want to try it for yourself.”
- “I can only provide recommendations to games on Steam, not advertising demos.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, with mechanics like crushing and restoration feeling overly repetitive. Even those familiar with similar genres express frustration with the level of grind required.
- “The demo is very grindy and very boring.”
- “The crushing and restoration mechanics seem overly tedious.”
- “I've played some weird games in the past - farming sim, construction sim, gold rush, car mechanic... probably the kind of guy this game was aimed at.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised, with users noting that it is strong and contributes significantly to the overall experience. While some suggest that additional elements could enhance it further, the existing atmosphere and assets are still considered impressive.
- “The atmosphere of the game is great.”
- “But it would certainly add to the atmosphere.”
- “Atmosphere and assets are still good!”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The story is presented as a prologue that serves to introduce players to the game mechanics and narrative context, akin to the beginning of a storybook. However, players have reported technical issues that disrupt the experience, such as freezing and softlocking during tutorial missions, which detracts from the overall immersion in the narrative.
- “Which is why it's called a prologue (think of a storybook). First, you have the prologue (introduction into the game, how to do this and that, what goes where, going from point A to point B). Then you have the full version (everything becomes unlocked, available for you to use as you progress through career mode). Same thing with a book; after reading the prologue, you now know who's who or what happened before the main events.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about the outcome.”
- “The narrative is predictable and fails to offer any meaningful twists or engaging plot developments.”
- “Character motivations are poorly developed, leaving players confused about their actions and decisions throughout the game.”