14 DAY TRIAL // GearCity is one of the most complex video games I have played lately, with an enormous ambition that is unfortunately not matched by its interface and its core mechanics at the moment, although that’s subject to change given that the experience is still in development.
The title from Visual Entertainment and Technologies is designed for those who really love cars and the culture built around them, and it allows anyone to become both the designer and the leading executive for their own company, starting as early as the 1900.
When I think of simulation titles, I often reach back to the many months I have spent with Railroad Tycoon when I was younger, but GearCity is a much more complex experience and can even feel overwhelming at times.
The players need to first select a city and a period and then name their company. After that, they are free to develop it as they see fit, modelling the great figures of the past to chart their own path.
From their office, they can deal with financial issues, can get a quick look at the evolution of their company, at the sales numbers and at the advertising budget, to name just a few.
But all of this is unimportant as long as a car is not designed, and this is where the Research and Design department comes into play.
GearCity is free to give players the option to use an advanced mode and take charge of the creation of everything from the chassis of their car to the engine, but there’s also an assisted mode for those who want to speed up the process somehow.
Regardless of the choice made here, the process is based on trial and error, and it’s pretty hard to create a model that resembles something that might have existed in the real world.
Once the design is done, the racetrack can be used to try and test it, and the company needs to manufacture the cars and to find buyers for them.
GearCity does not make any part of the process easy to complete, but car enthusiasts will probably put in the time required to learn every mechanic of the game and will deal with the less than helpful interface in order to create and then sell their dream vehicles.
Be advised that the frequent updates that the development team is delivering for the title mean that saved games are often no longer compatible from one version to another, but the game does offer a stable version for those who want to experience long-term campaigns.
If you like the title, then head over to the forums or to Steam and offer your feedback, as the developers are more than happy to include it in the development process.
Take a look at GearCity in action below to get a better sense of its core mechanics.
