“And on the seventh day, they raced …”

Ok, not exactly Biblical but then since this is about running a garage, it’s not exactly rocket science. … well, maybe it is a bit of rocket science, or at the least automotive science.

Activision Value and Invictus Production have teamed up to present Monster Garage, a game version of the television series.

The idea is a simple one: take a vehicle and rebuild it for a specific task within a budget and on a time deadline. For example, the first mission is to take and 1968 Ford Bronco and redesign and rebuild it to turn it into a 1968 Ford Bronco – that can climb walls.

You have seven days to do it in, and a budget of $3,000.

The whole idea is broken down into seven steps – though the first is negligible. You get the mission, and then go into the design phase. From there you strip the vehicle and then rebuild it with the modifications that you have planned. Step six is the exterior customization, in which you can do a customized paint job and add details to the exterior. And the last step is testing your vehicle to see if it can perform the required task.

Well, ok, Jesse James and his crew are ready to work for you, and give you bargain basement prices on jobs that in the real world would eat up that budget in the blink of an eye.

This is clearly a game that is for the mechanic in the gamer. In order to replace parts, you will have to remove screws and panels and basically strip down the vehicle.

Take that Bronco, for example. This is meant as a tutorial. You are told to install monster coil overs, heavy-duty axle all around, a brutal roll cage and a safety fuel cell. If you have no idea what they are talking about, don’t despair, there is a minor video to show you what to do. But then you have to do it.

Remove these screws to take off this panel to remove this piece to get to the screws for … well, you get the idea. To remove the roof, you are told that the tailgate is jammed and you’ll have to cut it off. Ok – break out the torch and cut. Then you get a message that gravel wedged in had jammed the tailgate and you should have checked that out before cutting it off. Didn’t see that option.

The graphics for this title range for a decent full 360-degree view of the game to badly rendered huge screws that you click on to hydraulically remove. The game features a point-and-click control system linked to the mouse. It is simple to navigate and the interface is accessible.

But Monster Garage is not for everyone. This is a niche game that is long on simplified mechanics and short on action. Those who have read Chilton’s auto repair manuals cover-to-cover will likely find this overly simplistic. Those who would have trouble finding the dipstick to check their own oil will find this title confusing, misleading (in terms of costs to affect some changes) and speaking in a language they do not understand.

The one thing that all gamers should find appealing is the driving rock soundtrack. Good stuff there and the only drawback is that some of the tunes are cut short.

This game is rated for Everyone.
 

Gameplay: 5.5

This is a game that fiddles with the small details and does it under a time limit. As the clock winds, removing screw after screw is repetitious.

Graphics: 6

Somewhat simplistic in areas, they nonetheless allow you to see the vehicle in a 3D mode while working on it.

Sound: 8

This is perhaps the best part of the whole game. The rock tracks are excellent. The garage sounds are average, but the musical soundtrack really breaks up the monotony and propels you forward.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 5

This is a niche game that will not appeal to anyone who does not want to tinker with working on a vehicle.

Overall: 6

This game does a good job at allowing players to dissemble a vehicle, redesign it and then test the redesign within the parameters of the mission statement. However, if you know nothing about vehicles and don’t care to, avoid this title. If you like to tear done the rudimentary elements of a vehicle and then build it back up with new parts, all under a budget, you may find some diversion in this title. However, the time spent unscrewing bolts is disproportionately large compared to the time testing your creation.