Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 – Plymouth DLC Review

Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 (or, CMS), is back with its fourth paid DLC. The new DLC adds a famous American car manufacturer, Plymouth, but is the addition of a classic car brand just what this game needed? Or, is it another poor attempt to improve the game? Let's find out.

Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 - Plymouth DLC Review

Introduction 

After playing the base game, I can honestly say that it was one of the most frustrating games I've ever had to review; so a bit of Amazon's The Grand Tour, definitely helped with my enthusiasm to review this DLC. It has been the first time in several months since I played the game, so it was a good assessment to see whether the game has actually progressed since its rather shaky launch period. Upon its release, the game had a lot of potential, and with constant patches from the developers and new DLC content, I thought the developers may be able to capitalise on the beautiful photorealistic graphics and make this one of the best car-related games on the market. 

It is true that the patches have made the game more playable, but the game still feels plagued with bugs, although I don't believe it was related to the new DLC content. The DLC in question, adds a two cars (the 1970 Roadrunner and 1971 HEMI Cuda), a new location (speed track), and engine parts, which is a welcome addition to the game. Despite, the DLC only being £3.99, it does seem disappointing that you only get two cars – it would be great to see either the 1948 Special Deluxe Coupe or even the 1928 Model Q – two great classics from Plymouth. The DLC itself can purchased from Steam

In addition, please be sure to check out our review for the base game, which may be helpful before reading too far into this, as I wrote that near to the game's release back in August 2017, which was devastated by bug issues. Since my review, the game has seen a Mazda, Dodge, Jeep, and Bentley DLC (which we will be reviewing soon) released, so it is apparent the developers are attempting to bring more players into the game. But, will it work? Only time will tell. 

IS it worth your money?

The two new cars have been added to the barns on the map. Of course, this one of the highlights of the game, as the satisfaction of restoring a rusty old Plymouth is very high. But, in terms of gameplay, the DLC adds very little to the game, apart from a speed track where you can test your cars maximum speed and acceleration. However, this is not a huge addition to the game as there are already other testing locations such as the old airport where you can put the pedal to the metal.

As previously stated, I encountered some bugs whilst playing the game (but, not directly linked to DLC). This included: sections not appearing in my garage and not option to reset it; cars being embedded in the walls of my garage, and not being able to move towards the parking area as it was apparently not mine. I must say this is very disappointing on Red Dot Games behalf, as they promised the game would run a lot smoother after its laughable launch. But, Red Dot have promised to fix the issues, which is good for the game going forward.

CMS 2018 Plymouth DLC Review - The graphics in the game still look stunning
Despite this, the game still has incredible photorealistic graphics and is something that should be admired for a game of this calibre – this is one of the key elements I loved whilst reviewing the base game. As a bit of a petrol head myself, it is wonderful to see amazing cars in such detail, and really boosts the quality of the game, and almost makes you forget about all of the annoying bugs, which still swarm the game, despite multiple attempts to fix the frustrating issues.

CMS 2018 Plymouth DLC Review - New speed track

COnclusion 

To summarise, not much has changed since I played the base game back in Summer 2017. It is true that the game does have less bugs, but it is still a very lacklustre game to play. Once upon time, I thought this game had serious potential, and that it could become of the best car-related games on the market, but I was unfortunately wrong. Many players have been put off by the games poor launch, and this has effected the development and progression of the game, leading to its stagnation, despite improvements being made by Red Dot. However, despite the negativity, the game still looks beautiful, and now that it performs a little bit better, after a multitude of bug fixes from the developers, it can at least be a bit of fun to play for a petrol head.

Bentley Remastered DLC Quick Review

Following the Plymouth DLC, developers, RedDot released the Bentley DLC, which is now available on Steam for £2.09. The DLC adds two new cars the: 2016 Bentley Continental GT Speed and 1970 Bentley T-Series T1 Four Door Saloon – as well as two new engines: W12 and V8 Bentley T-Series. Once again, the DLC maintains beautiful graphics and is another welcome addition to the game. However, my only criticism of the Bentley DLC is lack of tuning parts, which the developers should definitely consider adding in future updates and DLC's to increase the overall gameplay quality of the title. 

I must admit, despite my criticism in the initial review and the Plymouth DLC review, the game does seem to be getting better, despite the odd bug here and there. With constant care and attention from the developers, this game is starting to become the game it was meant to be – I will definitely be giving it some more time over the Summer. 

PROS CONS
+ Reasonable cost – Bugs still apparent
+ Beautiful graphics – Disappointing lack of content from DLC
– Even with multiple fixes from the developers, it seems to have stagnated
7.1
Good

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