Hello Engineer, a spinoff in the Hello Neighbor franchise, brings an intriguing concept to the series. Set within the Hello Neighbor universe, it offers a blend of construction, puzzle-solving, and racing in a mysterious amusement park. As we delve into the newly released PlayStation 4 version, let’s see if it’s worth picking up this former Stadia exclusive.
The game’s premise is simple, plunging players into the role of a curious child tasked with uncovering the secrets of the enigmatic Neighbor. The narrative is minimal, as the game primarily focuses on its gameplay. Players find themselves in various parts within the amusement park, each containing a series of levels and challenges. Your objective throughout all this: construct vehicles to navigate obstacle courses and complete each level.
At the start, the game provides a basic tutorial, introducing players to the assortment of parts available, such as wheels, motors, seats, and more. As you progress, new parts and blueprints unlock, allowing for the creation of increasingly sophisticated machines. Beyond mere assembly, you’ll need to also connect components with motors and other devices, adding depth to the construction process. The game encourages imagination, as players craft unique vehicles to tackle each obstacle.
Hello Engineer shines especially bright when played with friends, as playing solo can make the game can feel somewhat lacking in variety after a while. Its online multiplayer feature allows collaborative vehicle creation and level completion, while sharing blueprints enhances the cooperative aspect.
Visually, Hello Engineer maintains the franchise’s signature art style with its simplistic yet colorful graphics. The amusement park’s diverse environments maintain the player’s visual interest, complemented by clear and intuitive menus. However, some in-game hints and clues may be challenging to decipher for first-time players and the soundtrack leaves something to be desired with a relatively limited amount of tracks.
In terms of gameplay mechanics, Hello Engineer offers a robust vehicle-building system, with various parts, engines, thrusters, and more at your disposal. The ability to create intricate machines is a highlight. However, some control issues mar the experience. Vehicle handling can be overly sensitive, leading to frustrating moments when navigating obstacles. Achieving the right balance between speed and stability becomes essential, making precision driving a challenge and far less fun than the building process is.
Overall, Hello Engineer offers a creative and enjoyable vehicle-building experience, especially when shared with friends. However, it falls short in certain aspects. The game’s controls can be overly sensitive, and the driving physics can feels erratic, leading to frustrating moments. For those who enjoy building and experimentation, especially of gravity-defying vehicles, Hello Engineer is worth a spin – though you’ll find better examples elsewhere.
Score: 6.5/10
Press Play Media 