No matter how many laughing at different simulators of a tractor driver or loader, it is worth acknowledging that this genre proved to be quite worthy and found its audience. Routine seems to work, from which, on the contrary, I want to relax, but these games suddenly proved to be quite popular. However, in the case of simulators of a farmer or an auto mechanic, there are not enough exotics: even a city dweller roughly represents how a piece of meat with a slice of bread gets to it on the table, and everyone uses it in one way or another and in general terms understands what's hobbling under the hood. But there are projects that highlight and noticeably narrower areas. One of these is Gold Rush: The Game , which is a simulator of a gold miner.
Despite the specificity and rarity of the gold mining profession, interest in this profession remains high since Jack London . Of course, the common man in the street is unlikely to go to the unknown distance in order to independently engage in gold mining, but here at leisure read about the adventures of Smoke Bellyu or see another cognitive show about gold mines - always please. One such TV program is the reality show "Gold Rush", which has been on the air of the Discovery Channel since 2010 and still has quite high ratings. As you probably already guessed, Gold Rush: The Game was created precisely on the basis of this very telecast.
As in the series, in the game the protagonist goes to catch luck at the tail, keeping his way to a small town, around which several gold mines are located. In the pocket a couple of hundred dollars, a flashlight and keys from an old pickup truck, and a shovel (do not be surprised - the inventory here is not provided in principle, so where else should you store this shovel?). The rest will have to be mined with our own hands. In the city, despite the provincial view, there is everything necessary for a gold prospector: a bank in which you can get a loan for business development, rent or buy a plot, and sell ready-made gold bars; shops of machinery and equipment; finally, dressing and smith. In fact, you can go straight to the mine, pre-renting a site - the minimum required for work (except for the same shovel, it is always with you) can be found right on the spot. But to begin in this way, by washing literally the individual grains of sand manually, of course, is silly.
As in the series, in the game the protagonist goes to catch luck at the tail, keeping his way to a small town, around which several gold mines are located. In the pocket a couple of hundred dollars, a flashlight and keys from an old pickup truck, and a shovel (do not be surprised - the inventory here is not provided in principle, so where else should you store this shovel?). The rest will have to be mined with our own hands. In the city, despite the provincial view, there is everything necessary for a gold prospector: a bank in which you can get a loan for business development, rent or buy a plot, and sell ready-made gold bars; shops of machinery and equipment; finally, dressing and smith. In fact, you can go straight to the mine, pre-renting a site - the minimum required for work (except for the same shovel, it is always with you) can be found right on the spot. But to begin in this way, by washing literally the individual grains of sand manually, of course, is silly.
With the help of a rather schematic guide, developers explain that the possible ways of mining gold are divided into three groups, the first of which is completely manual, and the remaining ones are automated by using various machines and equipment. For the youngest - a step-by-step explanation, including instructions on how and where to buy, accompanied by a video of the direct production process. But in principle, everything can be thought of and independently, especially if you watched the same series - what is happening in the game looks quite logical and realistic.
We washed some gold manually, cashed, bought more perfect equipment, washed even more, again spent for shopping at a local store, again returned to the mine ... The game process is developing in this spiral. From manual labor with the use of running water and a tray to a whole gold-mining complex, which includes a considerable fleet of machines and equipment, this path can be taken by everyone.
Gold Rush immediately tries to declare itself as a real simulator. It begins with the moment when the player sits down in his car to enter the city. The ignition is started by a separate button, when parking, it is necessary to put the car on the parking brake, otherwise the pick-up truck can roll under the hill. Do not forget to turn off the engine and headlights: the fuel has a property to end, and the battery - to be discharged. There is even a differential lock, but the speed for some reason switches on their own. The first visit to the equipment store is also surprising: after choosing the goods and paying at the checkout you start to look for inventory where, as is customary, there should be purchases, but there is no inventory, as we remember. All purchased neatly stacked at the entrance to the store on a special site, and each item must be taken into "hands" and dragged into the back of the pickup truck. Again, no menu and windows of the inventory of the machine is provided for - things literally have to be thrown into the body as necessary, sometimes picking up those fallen overboard.
It seems to be a trifle, but this attitude towards such an apparently elementary task is very captivating. If you type in the store a lot of large-sized purchases, then the process of loading turns into a kind of "Tetris" from the first person. It's good that you can also buy a trailer, thanks to which you do not have to hesitate: to make a second flight or to try to somehow push all the goods into the body at once? Such a "do it yourself" principle in the "Gold Rush" is the cornerstone of the whole game. Equipment and tools must be loaded and taken to the place of extraction, there to be located in a convenient place for work, to collect, connect the wires and hoses - all this manually, I will remind. Gold itself does not fall into your pocket: you have to excavate the rock with a shovel or excavator, then clean this ore, and rinse the remaining product with a tray or rinsing table.
Even the simplest technological chain makes it possible to minimize optimization for increasing labor efficiency. What can we say about when a real complex of equipment that requires water and electricity supply is under control - only installation and competent placement of wires and hoses are worth. It must be remembered that any technique requires consumables and can fail. Care for repair and replacement of spare parts also falls on the shoulders of the player. When everything is ready for work, you have to independently sit down for the levers of an excavator or front-end loader and set to work hard, the result of which will be another pair of ounces of precious metal. Due to the implementation of all manual operations, the effect of presence turns out to be so strong that routine, as a matter of fact, occupation becomes very and very fascinating. When you load another ton of rock into the sifter or try to understand the tangled wires and suddenly you catch yourself thinking that you already somehow do not care about the frank squalor of graphics, you see, it's so expensive.
In fact, if you look at the game with a sober look - and this opportunity will be presented pretty soon, it's only worth trying out all the available equipment and equipment in the case - Gold Rush has something to criticize, and the criticism will be well deserved. And not in one graph, although it is really unsightly, there are problems and more important.
It starts with the fact that the "Gold Rush" still looks very, very damp. To all appearances, we have a typical "Early Access", although on the page of the game on Steam it is claimed that this is a full-fledged release. Despite the enviable regularity of the release of patches, the authors of the work still have no end, starting with filling with content, ending with editing bugs. The next thing that catches your eye is, strangely enough, some arcade simplifications, sometimes completely unjustified. For example, the system of hired workers is the following: we accept a specialist, fix it for certain equipment and ... everything. The money counter is decreasing, the gold counter is added - that's all the simulation. On the site, not a soul that is "occupied" with technology can be used freely, and all work remains only on paper. Of course, I want to see how your team digs and rinses the ore on its own, but it's very, very difficult to implement this adequately and with the bar of realism that the creators have established.
About the lack of gear changes on the car has already been said, there - instantaneous movement of large-sized equipment between sites, too simple process of washing the golden sand in the tray, rigidly fixed places of installation of certain equipment ... And finally, the content is still very, very little. It is worth a while to get rich and master all possible technique, as the game dramatically loses its appeal. Nowhere and no need to develop: wealth instantly heals from the gold rush. Yesterday, seemingly so fascinating the process of excavating a pit in the ore is not at all pleasing, and a deserted town and surroundings cast a mortal longing.
Gold Rush: The Game leaves ambiguous feelings after itself. At first, it seems incomprehensible and unpretentious, then carries away in earnest, but as soon as you figure out all the subtleties, you understand that there is nothing further to do in it. The concept of the game is very promising, and the developers have several ways to further develop the project. You can make a kind of " The Guild " from the "Gold Rush" , only from the first person, by adding a dynamic exchange, competitors and real employees. You can do multiplayer - the game has an excellent potential for a great cooperative adventure. And maybe something will happen that I would not really like, - Gold Rushand will remain a crude imperfection, which is at the moment. Nevertheless, despite all its drawbacks, this unusual simulator is able to present several hours of excellent gameplay in its current form.
Rate:7.3/ 10
