My summer gaming time has come to its end with the start of the new school year (sad noise...), but I did finish up another of my "wholesome" finds. If you're someone who likes simulation games that are focused on electronics and someone who is a millennial (or older), you'll get a kick out of ReStory: Chill Electronics Repair. It's another of the gems I dug up during Steam's "wholesome" games sale.
What is it?
A simulation game where you run a small electronics repair shop in the Akiba district of Tokyo, Japan in the early 2000's. Customers place orders and it's your job to diagnose the issue (or just simply clean the item), order the correct parts, and then restore it to proper working order. There's a storyline that plays out, but the core gameplay circulates around the repair element.
How much playtime can I expect?
I finished the main storyline in ~10-12 hours, so it's on the shorter side. You can continue playing infinitely if you want though. I logged an additional ~4-ish hours simply earning more money to unlock better licenses and cosmetic items for my shop. (*It seems like there will also be additional content added in future patches!)
Pros:
+ Enjoyable gameplay loop. There's a bit of a timed/clock element--you arrive in the morning and open up your shop, customers can stop by the window (those are the story characters), or you can take online jobs via e-mail (I think it takes a couple days in-game for those orders to start happening). A courier delivers the items and then you spend your day taking them apart, diagnosing problems, and ordering parts. The same courier delivers the parts you order and takes away any completed jobs. You can complete several jobs a day, but the courier service ends at midnight, so you generally want to close up (although...you don't technically have to) and go home.
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| Disassembling a ThinkerPad. |
+ Point and click repairs. To disassemble items you simply need to locate the various screws (handily highlighted) and remove them and then start pulling apart the various pieces. You can lay out the parts on your desk If a part is broken, it will appear cracked or burnt and needs to be disposed of and replaced. To find replacement parts you have a couple of options--you can take a chance and buy used items off of the internet. This is a bit of a gamble because you don't know if the item you purchase will have the correct usable parts (even if the buyer says the item works). Alternatively, the more expensive but sure option, you can order the exact replacement parts. After you've ordered, your friendly courier friend will deliver the parts and you can get to fixing. You can store any usable parts that aren't needed in the current job for later. Once you've fixed the item (and correctly reassembled it) you leave it on the counter and the courier takes it and delivers your fee.
+ There's a storyline with a set of silly characters who will bring by various items for you to repair. You can choose your responses to these characters (and it might even have an impact on the outcome of the story). The ultimate arc of the story is a bit confusing, but it revolves around saving the neighborhood from being demolished to make a mega-mall. It's a nice touch for a simulation game to have some sort of story element.
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| A side view of the inside of my shop. |
+ Upgradeable tools. You start off with a few basic brushes and screwdrivers and can purchase better versions to help with speedier repairs. Part of the fun is saving up enough money and getting to experience your shiny, new tools.
+ Fun, cosmetic options for your shop. It starts off looking pretty raggedy--it's full of trash from the old owner, so the first step is throwing it all away. You can purchase various paint colors to brighten up (and repair the holes in the wall) the shop and you can add in fun little touches of Japanese culture (the cute little waving cat--maneki neko or a daruma), gaming-related items, or even some 90's nostalgia (old VHS tapes...or a singing-fish).
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| All my repair licenses. I can fix anything! |
+ Tons of nostalgia. The items you repair in your shop range from the 1970's to the early 2000's. Atari must've agreed to some sort of licensing because multiple products will show up for repair (think the 2600 consoles, joysticks, and even a weird handheld that I've never heard of called a Lynx). As you progress, you have to buy licenses to repair various other items (the cost for these licenses vary and you will generally find yourself doing several jobs to save up). These items are recognizable, but go by an alternative name (for copyright purposes)--there's the Xi-Box, or the Nony PlayStation, or even the Patendo. It's fun to see all the inner workings of these items and play at actually being able to fix them.
+ Achievements and collectible cards. If that's your jam.
+ Challenges. As part of the story you have to participate in several challenges where you have to disassemble and re-assemble items against a timer. Luckily, you only have to beat a few to progress the story (and there are several items that are very easy). If you choose to you can continue to do the timed challenges for progressively more complicated items. It's pretty fun (at first...but I'll talk about the drawbacks).
Cons:
- Suspension of reality. One of the core questions in any simulation game is "how realistic is it?" True realism will likely kill the fun, but going completely whacky also is a bit of a head scratcher. This game has some elements that stuck well to the simulation aspect--you have to put items back together in a way that makes sense and can't just have items floating in the air or doing something weird. One area where you have to suspend reality is in the cleaning element. Most of your cleaning is likely going to be done with brushes (or, you can spend some money to buy canned air/electronic duster that is a consumable item) but you can choose to buy an ultrasonic cleaner (one of those vibrating, water-filled devices that people use for things like glasses or dental items). So you're (figuratively) going to be sticking sensitive electronic items into water. This is where you suspend reality, because we all know that electronics and water are two things that do not go together. (I'd be fine with them allowing it for external/non-electronic components--like the plastic casing of a controller--but restricting electronics). I sort of find the ultrasonic cleaners to be a bit of a waste because often it's faster to just clean the items with the brush.
- Ending the day. There is a clock and the courier will stop coming after midnight (so no deliveries of new jobs or parts), but there's no penalty for not going home/sleeping. If you timed things right, you'd never need to close your shop. Part of me wishes that there was a penalty--like you start your day later based on how long you stayed past closing. There's basically no reason to close your shop.
- I know that saying the challenge mode is too challenging will get some jeers. My main gripe with the challenge mode is that the items have to be reassembled in EXACTLY the correct order. It will make you start completely over if you do not do it EXACTLY in the same prescribed order. It has nothing to do with the "sensical" way--the part fits/is connected (not like floating or in a totally unbelievable way). I wish there was at least a bit of leeway with this, but I get it...it's supposed to be "challenging." Some of the challenges are very nuts and have a ton of parts to memorize (Polaroid camera and laptop--I'm looking at you). Fortunately, challenge jobs are mostly optional.
- Painting/stickers. One of the features you purchase is the ability to do custom paint jobs on devices. Some jobs will request a specific palette of colors (purchasable for various themes). Doing more than simply slapping on one color requires some deft coordination (it does satisfy the job requirements though). You can also buy stickers that can be (optionally) added to jobs. No one will request the stickers...they're just sort of a fun addition. I wish there was more to this part of the gameplay and that customers would request (or tip) for making their items look particularly cool (maybe like using multiple colors or a specific theme of stickers).
Recommendation:
If you enjoy simulation games (and especially those that deal with electronics), ReStory is a great option. I liked the nostalgia factor of seeing the alternate versions of classic gaming consoles and early 2000's cell phones and I would never have the real life skills to repair any of them. There's something oddly soothing and rewarding about taking something broken and fixing it. It's also fun to see your little shop go from a trash filled hovel into a glowing beacon of repair. Some aspects of gameplay could use a bit more development, but overall it's a relaxing and enjoyable game. The first content update is coming out on September 14th and it looks like they're adding a few new devices, so that's fun.
