PC Building Simulator--Updated Review

I've somehow gotten sucked back into the fictional world of PC repair in PC Building Simulator.   My first experience in this world was with the unfinished, early access version of the game.  Even in its unfinished state, it was a bizarrely fun game.  The full release has expanded upon the gameplay from the early access version and made it even better.

Pros:
+ Huge list of officially licensed components.  I was impressed by the number of component manufacturers who signed on to early access, but the list has grown to include many of the major players in the PC component world.  These components are extremely detailed and look exactly like the actual products.

One of the custom jobs--it requires lots of PURPLE.

+ Helpful tutorial that teaches about the the components themselves and how to put it all together into a working PC.  Building a PC from the ground up is a seemingly simple matter of installing the correct parts into the proper location.

+ Two gameplay modes to choose from--Free Build lets you put together any combination of components (that need to be unlocked through career mode) and test them out.  Free Build is the perfect place to play around--want to build an uber-PC the likes of which you could never afford?  Totally possible.  Want to build a magical RGB light factory?  DO IT!

Career mode places you in charge of a PC repair shop.  Customers e-mail you their requests for services and deliver their PC's to you.  Then, it's up to you to deliver the services that they request.  These services start off fairly simple--eliminating viruses, adding more memory, or replacing broken components.  As you complete jobs, you gain experience and the jobs become more complicated.  Customers might request that you figure out what's wrong with their PC's, they might want you to upgrade their PC to a certain benchmark, or, the real payoff, build them a brand new custom PC.

The brilliant thing about career mode is that as you progress you unlock more advanced parts.  There are also some fun, almost storylike, PC's that show up--repeat customers who range from technophobe authors who keep damaging their PC's to wannabe streamers who need you to continually improve their PC.

Your personal PC displays your current background.  A fun feature.

+ Customer feedback system.  The full release added a star rating to your store that serves as your reputation.  As you complete jobs according to customer requests, they can then rate your service--a perfectly completed job will earn you a 5-star rating.  Earning 5 stars requires a lot of attention to the exact requests of a customer--they might request that you use a certain brand of components, that you use only new parts, that you add special cables, or that you provide additional services like virus scanning or benchmarking.  Reaching the 5 star level is the ultimate goal because certain jobs are only available at the highest ranking.  Actually reaching 5 stars is very difficult and requires you to complete 25 jobs in a row at 5 stars (I haven't managed to accomplish this yet).

+ Overclocking.  The full released added jobs that require you to overclock CPU's, GPU's, or RAM.

+ Purchasable upgrades.  As your shop makes more money in career mode, you can unlock tools that make your work easier--auto-cable tools, auto-standoff tools, etc.  These upgrades keep you playing with the goal of unlocking them all.

+ Custom water cooling.  This was also added in the full release.  It unlocks at a high level and requires many hours of play.  It's a fun new feature that further increases the amount of variety and personalization.

+ Numbers game.  One of the most enjoyable challenges is trying to maximize profits.  Each job has a budget, but trying to figure out exactly how you can keep costs low is fun.  You can also sell unneeded components and there's an in-game application with fictional market values that can be tracked.  Gamers who enjoy the economic side of certain games will like this feature.

Cons:
- Certain jobs can be repetitive.  I've noticed that every "diagnose and repair" job that I've gotten means that either the CPU or the mobo are broken.  I wish there was more variety in what parts are broken.

-While there is a tutorial to help learn the basics of building, there aren't any tutorials for other game mechanics like benchmarking or overclocking.  I still don't fully understand how benchmarking scores work.

- You need a note-taking system since there isn't one in-game.  I use a pencil and paper to record the components for my builds and details of jobs.  It would be really great if there was a notepad-like application in the game.  This is something that has been requested for awhile by many players.

- It can be frustrating when you can't figure out why something isn't working correctly.  The game won't tell you, but you can usually Google it and figure it out.

I'm very impressed with how PC Building Simulator has grown from a niche simulator game into a genuinely fun game.  The improved career mode has added challenge and will keep you playing to strive for that coveted 5-star ranking.  There are tons of licensed parts and putting them together into a working PC is strangely enjoyable.

Recommended for:
+ Fans of simulation games
+ Wannabe PC builders
+ Number nerds
+ People looking for a relaxing game

Not Recommended for:
- Adrenaline junkies.  It's a simulation game about building PC's...that's the maximal excitement.
- Extreme realists.  Yes, it's probably not the most realistic depiction of PC building.