Justin Parker - JUDDEE
4 April 2023
Arena Renovation
Arena Renovation has allowed me to become the tough renovating tradie my father always wanted. From developers, Nesalis games, and publishers PlayWay S.A and FreeMind S.A this sandbox-style arena renovator allows you to gather those inner designer skills to transform old neglected sports stadiums into a newfound gem of the community. Some Nesalis games you may be familiar with are their simulator games such as Builder Simulator, Dinosaur Fossil Hunter, and, Drug Dealer Simulator. So they know how to make a simulator game. Arena Renovator was released into early access on March 23rd, 2023 on PC.
There were many facilities to choose from which included soccer and basketball, but on my journey, I was thrown into the deep end of a severely run-down table tennis arena. The user-friendly and easily understandable tutorial helps to smash, wipe and clean your way to a hefty paycheck. Nesalis has given the player complete control over how you renovate these Arenas, whether it's a correctly operating facility or if you choose to go rogue and have toilets out for public display. Doing this, however, will slow the percentage of the renovation process. The more time you spend creating a masterpiece, the more skill points you unlock. These skill points have a massive advantage in future renovations, from faster painting to more garbage-collecting abilities.
One feature I found incredibly helpful was the tool that highlights any objectives that haven't been one hundred percent finished. Whether it's an unpainted wall or a half-tiled surface, or that old toilet roll holder that just isn't holding up to the modern feel of the freshly renovated room. If you are like me this tool is a game changer for getting rooms one hundred percent done before moving on. Also, don't forget to look up as the construction doesn't stop at ground level with old banners and unpainted window surfaces standing out in your newly renovated arena.
Thankfully you have the tools at your disposal to handle these situations with many scaffolding options for those hard-to-reach places all of which can be sold at the end of your renovation process
After what feels like years of being trapped inside, you'll get to escape the run-down arenas and smell the fresh air and the damaged grass of a soccer pitch. You'll find yourself with no wildlife noises like birds or the wind as you do inside, but, you will find a nice turf installation machine which to the credit of Nesalis Games sounds like the real deal. The movements of the vehicle are smooth and easy to operate, this was by far my favorite part. You'll also find yourself doing side quests to progress, from repainting basketball court lines to hanging the broken tennis court net or collecting all the trophies for basketball. The side-quests all play a small part in whether you can be trusted with the next big job.
Arena renovation starts strong with its 60’s style broadway tune for the main menu but lacks when you are unleashing your inner renovator. With the only sounds in the game being birds chirping and the wind flowing this can cause the tedious job of painting rafters to drag on. Regardless of the material being demolished, whether steel or timber, there is no variation in sound when items are being demolished, as they all produce the same dull thud. Overall you can feel PlayWays input with their simulators as it plays incredibly well. I look forward to what Arena Renovation has in store for future updates as it makes its journey through early access.
8.5
10
The Bad
- Large selection of items
- Side quests to keep you entertained
- Freedom of item placing
- Easy-to-use controls
- Lack of soundtrack while playing
- The sound definition of materials
- The lack of outside renovations