tinyBuild’s Hello Neighbour series continues with Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor.
Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor was developed by tinyBuild, an indie game studio founded in 2011. tinyBuild studios have developed games such as Hello Neighbour, a stealth horror game, and Punch Club, a fighter management game, alongside its sequel Punch Club 2: Fast Forward as well as Not For Broadcast.
Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor is a multiplayer construction game set within the Hello Neighbour universe. While there is some story, there isn’t much of one; as much like the other games in the Hello Neighbor universe, and your job is to find out what your neighbor is up to.
The game mainly revolves around creating your scrap vehicle to complete levels. There are modes you can play in the game: Campaign, Sandbox, and Multiplayer. However, there isn’t much of a difference between Campaign and Multiplayer modes. Sandbox mode has two different levels, one which is the ordinary sandbox mode and the other mode is creators mode.
While the normal sandbox mode is a great area for you to create vehicles to your heart’s content, the creator’s mode features a race track for you and your friends to test them out on, allowing you to see how your vehicle takes turns, jumps and navigates many different obstacles.
The campaign mode in Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor is split into chapters, with each chapter having its number of set levels. Every level in Campaign and Multiplayer has a set track to complete, including obstacles that are placed around the track. There is also a timer that times how quickly you can complete the level, and in multiplayer, this helps to create a competitive atmosphere.
The first few levels in the campaign contain the tutorial. It is incredibly detailed and helps you with building your scrap vehicles for the level. On the other hand, after you have created your vehicle, there are no hints for driving through the level, and you must find a way to complete it. The level of difficulty goes up as more mechanics are introduced as well.
Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor lives up to its name as an engineering game. You can create incredibly complicated vehicles with the scrap parts at your disposal, but not everything is as easy as snapping a part into place.
For example, if your vehicle is moving too fast for it to be able to climb over an obstacle, then it will flip, and if you have no way to right your vehicle, you will have to restart the level you are trying to finish. Unfortunately, the same can be said about not having enough speed. You will need a decent amount of speed to be able to jump a ramp for some levels, so finding a fine line between the two is a must.
There are many different parts available for use when building. For example, to power your vehicle, putting in an engine is a must. There are three different engine types, each with its outputs. You also have Thrusters, and these help add a boost of speed when racing against friends in multiplayer or when you clear a large jump in Sandbox mode.
Much like you would expect, there are also various wheels for the different terrains you will encounter, as well as gears and shafts to build the body of your vehicle. Most are easily assembled, but some require special tools to activate or set off.
The engines will require you to connect them to one of the four seats available in-game for you to control your vehicle. To do this, you will need to use the wire tool to connect the two yellow areas between the engine and the seat. The engines require a battery to operate, so you have to double-check that to get your vehicle running. You can also build on lights and a few other electrical parts to your vehicle if you want.
There are three different tools that you can use in Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor. The first tool you use is the wrench. It is how you build and attach the many different parts of your vehicle when you start a level. The second tool is a wire tool, and as stated, it can be used to connect the many different mechanical and electrical parts of your vehicle. The last tool is a notepad. This allows you to save your current build as a blueprint that you can then reload into a different level if needed.
It’s not that hard to make an incredibly complicated vehicle, but it will take time as you will need to connect parts together with your various tools. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t copy sections of your vehicle to create a more symmetric vehicle to make it easier to control the vehicle, but that’s not the case all the time.
While there isn’t much of a difference between the multiplayer and campaign modes besides the added touch of competitiveness and cooperation in multiplayer rather than solving a level on your own, and while there are many mechanics and a small storyline for you to follow along with in the campaign, even with the environment changing in every chapter it feels a little tedious to play continuously as you can either build your vehicle from scratch for the levels or repair the ones in the level.
The controls of the vehicles could use a little more work. While the controls are simple, they are incredibly sensitive. This can lead to a more frustrating moment than needed, as you will need to restart the level to try and complete it. As was mentioned previously about some obstacles being hard to get around, it’s mostly because of the sensitivity of the controls as you try to navigate around the obstacles.
While the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicles are good, it is unfortunately quite hard to turn as the controls are sensitive enough that a small turn could derail the whole thing with your vehicle turning too far in one direction rather than a small movement to shift the direction only a little more slightly.
This doesn’t mean that the physics engine is completely busted, as gaining momentum allows your vehicle to lift off from the air and jump ramps, and you can create incredible times in your level if you figure out how to navigate the level and use the environment to your advantage.
The graphics and design of Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor are on par with all the other Hello Neighbor games with the simplistic art style and bright colors. This all makes for a visibly pleasing appearance for the game’s characters and the many different parts you will unlock.
Unfortunately, while the sound engineering is great in terms of sound effects and the many different background noises, the soundtrack is a little lacking. There isn’t much of a difference in the tracks, and it can get incredibly repetitive eventually.
Overall, Hello Engineer: Scrap Machines Constructor is a fun and challenging vehicle builder that is fun to play with friends, whether you are just racing around in sandbox mode or working together to complete the campaign and its many levels, even with the sensitive controls. It is a great game for those who like experimenting and creating vehicles that can defy physics.
