Geek Squad Taken Down
Computer Repair Shop
Platform: PC
Developer: Cheesecake Dev
Publisher: Cheesecake Dev
Release date: January 12th, 2024
Price: $9.99 via digital download
Availability: Steam
Cheesecake Dev’s Computer Repair Shop isn’t just another dull imitation of a workplace. Yes, the game does live up to its title—you’ll primarily be spending time troubleshooting and fixing PCs. But the title takes place in a dark and gloomy dystopia, not some type of boring suburban shop. You’ll have to remove three squatters and clean your walls of graffiti before you can start work. You can take a nap at the neighborhood hostel after you’re exhausted. You’ll have to pay a dubious landlord first, though. Yes, the world of Repair Shop is strange, filthy, and hazardous.
Computer Repair Shop is more sinister even though it is made by a small company compared to a game like Cyberpunk 2077, which is more larger and more complex. Sure, you can follow morality and use programs to clean up computer cases, scan CPUs, and eradicate viruses. But then you wouldn’t have the fun of being devious. When a customer in a bikini requests for assistance with a recently broken PC, you might find yourself tempted to have a peek at the “My Nudes” folder on her desktop. One of the best giggles from the previous year of gaming came from Cheesecake Dev’s in-game taunting.
Great to Be the Villain
Therefore, portraying the villain is what makes role-playing enjoyable. Computer Repair Shop offers plenty of options for criminal conduct, such as stealing money by obtaining a client’s personal data, replacing high-quality parts with cheap garbage, or simply installing some virus. The absence of moralizing in the game, which doesn’t penalize you for being an absolute asshole, also has a certain allure. Being the antagonist can be a lot of fun, as anyone who has ever earned a life as an Elder Scrolls thief knows. Repair Shop finds some degree of satisfaction, at least, in coming up with new methods to be brazen.
And all of the allusions to computing in the twentieth century will make you feel nostalgic, especially if you’re old enough to recall the days of i486 PCs. Every computer you fix has a customized desktop with functional spoof programs. I opened notepad to create an obscenity-filled message for my client, while enjoying a few songs on a WinAmp spoof, for no apparent reason. It could bring back forgotten memories to see a simulated virus scan find dozens of illnesses on a porn addict’s hard disk. Surprisingly, every task feels like a puzzle where you have to solve each client’s rig’s problem using tools like diagnostic computers or USB sticks.
Recognize the Unexpected
For a nerd like myself, growing and eventually extending my firm felt simple, but others who aren’t as knowledgeable about old hardware may have a different opinion. On sometimes, Computer Repair Shop inadvertently leaves players in the dark about the fact that fixing parts is far less expensive than replacing them. At times, making the incorrect component purchase can cause you to become bankrupt.
This sometimes feels like a choice made by the designers. Not to give too much away, but I relaxed security too much and paid for it. Although I enjoyed the shocks the game offered, some players could find the lack of signposting to be off-putting. Perhaps the most realistic aspect of this simulation is how Repair Shop wants you to gain valuable experience in the field by putting you through challenges and having you interpret confusing directions.
In summary
Even while there is a lot of naughty fun during Repair Shop’s early hours, the fun soon wanes. There isn’t much of a late-game progression, even though you can loot your earnings at the neighborhood nightclub, enter an underground fighting robot competition, or simply take care of a stray cat that wanders into your store. You won’t be able to drastically change your small store’s appearance or size, unlike most other sims. Indeed, in Computer Repair Shop’s dystopian world, crime pays. But when you discover your organization can’t expand, the thrill of breaking the law wears off. That’s unfortunate because companies may be the most heinous of all criminals.
The publisher offered a review code for the PC game Computer Repair Shop.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 80%
Controls – 60%
Aesthetics – 70%
Content – 55%
Performance – 65%
Value – 80%
68%
OK
Summary : The subversive humor and dystopian atmosphere of Computer Repair Shop raise the game above most typical life-simulation games. However, the fun of pretending to be a technician who steals components or installs malware doesn’t last as long as it should. This may become a hidden success if Cheesecake Dev could give this “Geek Squad Gone Bad” frolic a little more structure and a nicer ending.