Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game Review Summary

Enjoyable and detailed car customization: The game offers a highly enjoyable and detailed car customization experience. Players appreciate the extensive options for designing and modifying cars, including realistic engine components and a variety of car bodies.

Realistic and detailed gameplay: The game is praised for its realistic and detailed gameplay, including realistic engineering aspects and business management. The attention to detail in engine parameters and car design is highly appreciated.

Highly addictive and fun: The game is described as highly addictive and fun, with players enjoying the process of creating and testing cars. The gameplay is engaging and offers a rewarding learning curve.

Sandbox and campaign modes: The game offers both sandbox and campaign modes, providing players with creative freedom and a structured experience. The sandbox mode is particularly praised for its depth and endless possibilities.

Educational and realistic engine design: The game provides an educational and realistic engine design experience. Players can learn about engine mechanics and create highly detailed and realistic engines, which is both fun and therapeutic.

Complex and confusing UI: The user interface is described as complex, unintuitive, and overwhelming, especially for new players. This complexity makes the game difficult to navigate and enjoy.

Interior design difficulties: Players find it extremely challenging to design and customize car interiors due to camera issues, poor controls, and lack of tutorials. This process is described as frustrating and time-consuming.

Limited engine options: The game lacks a variety of engine types such as diesel, hybrid, electric, and rotary engines. This limitation restricts the creativity and realism of car designs.

Campaign mode issues: The campaign mode is criticized for being complicated, difficult to understand, and lacking tutorials. It is seen as tedious and not appealing to many players.

Fixture and design issues: The game has issues with fixture designing, including buggy behavior and lack of improvements. This affects the overall design and customization experience.

Multiple gameplay modes: The game includes various modes such as Sandbox, Multiplayer, and Campaign, each offering unique experiences like company management, car design, and market strategy.

Comprehensive car and engine customization: The game offers extensive options for car and engine customization, including detailed design mechanics for both interior and exterior components. Players can also export their creations to BeamNG for further testing and driving.

Community and modding support: The game supports a vibrant modding community and Workshop support, allowing players to share their creations and enhance gameplay with additional parts and features.

Educational and complex gameplay: The game provides educational value through its detailed engineering and mechanical complexity. It features a steep learning curve but is rewarding for those who invest time in learning the intricacies.

Integration with BeamNG: A significant feature is the ability to export cars to BeamNG.drive, allowing players to test their creations in a realistic driving simulation environment.

Performance and Crash Issues: The game experiences frequent crashes, freezes, and performance issues across various platforms, particularly on Linux and AMD systems. Players report that the game is unplayable on lower-end devices and has significant optimization problems.

High System Requirements: The game requires a powerful computer with a good graphics card and decent CPU. It is surprisingly taxing on computers and has average to high system requirements.

Audio Issues: There are reports of annoying supercharger whine and engines sounding similar, which can affect the overall gaming experience.

Mod Compatibility: Exported models can crash BeamNG Drive, but the game remains responsive with many mods installed. This indicates a mixed experience with mods.

Design and Visual Issues: The exterior design process is reported to be extremely time-consuming and buggy. Additionally, visuals haven't improved in years, which is a point of contention for some players.

Add more engine and car body options: Several reviews mention the desire for additional engine types such as diesel, electric, V4, I2, and rotary engines, as well as more car bodies and fixtures. These additions would enhance the game's variety and appeal to a broader range of car enthusiasts.

Worth buying with BeamNG.drive: Many reviewers suggest that the game is best enjoyed in conjunction with BeamNG.drive, as it allows players to export their car designs and enhances the overall experience. This integration makes the game more worthwhile for those who own BeamNG.drive.

Highly recommended for car enthusiasts: The game is frequently recommended for car lovers, engineering geeks, and those interested in detailed car design and mechanics. It is praised for its extensive features, mod support, and realistic engine building, making it a must-play for those interested in cars and engineering.

Worth the price, especially on sale: The game is considered worth buying, particularly when on sale. Reviewers mention that the game's price is justified by its features and enjoyment, but it is even more appealing when purchased at a discounted price.

Steep learning curve: The game has a challenging learning curve, which can be rewarding for those who enjoy detailed and complex gameplay. However, it might be difficult for beginners or those looking for a simpler experience.

Steam Deck: The game requires Proton Experimental to run on Linux, which significantly impacts the user experience. Additionally, there are performance issues and compatibility problems on certain hardware and platforms. Mod exporting also presents challenges for users.

Monetization: The game has received mixed reviews regarding its monetization practices. A significant number of users feel that the game and its DLC are overpriced, with particular dissatisfaction directed at the V16 engines being locked behind a separate paid DLC. This has led to accusations of the game being a cash grab. However, there are also users who find the game enjoyable and are willing to pay for additional content, indicating a divided user base.

External guides: The primary user complaints revolve around the complexity of the game's mechanics, which often require external research to understand fully. Additionally, there is a notable comparison to spreadsheet management, suggesting that users feel the need to use external tools to manage in-game tasks effectively.

Early Access Release: The game is currently in the Early Access phase, meaning it is still under development and may have unfinished features or bugs.

BeamNG Compatibility: The game is compatible with BeamNG, which could imply potential for modding or integration with other software.

Linux Setup Instructions: There are specific setup instructions available for Linux users, indicating support for this operating system.