Job Simulator review — It’s time to play [HUMAN] again

I’m late to the Job Simulator party, having just completed my first run through nearly seven years after its initial release.  Despite hearing great things about Job Simulator throughout the years and catching a clip or two on YouTube, VR had always been out of my grasp. Fast forward to 2023 and I am lucky enough to have my hands on a PSVR2 and a copy of Job Simulator. So, how does it hold up nearly seven years after its initial release?

When Job Simulator was originally released, it was the go-to for those wanting to show off their VR setup while also serving as a great tutorial for those new to the medium. Both are still true, even if the uniqueness the game had upon its original release no longer exists, as VR has evolved tremendously in the intervening years. Still, Job Simulator remains a fantastic way to learn the VR ropes while also providing a sandbox where you can wreak havoc with no repercussions.

Job Simulator’s premise is simple – it is set in a future where robots have mostly replaced humans. A museum to the old human way of life exists, and in it you can dive into multiple simulations of what robots believe humans did in common jobs such as gourmet chef, auto mechanic, convenience store clerk, and office work. There’s no other story to speak of. You simply select a simulation and dive in, completing 15 to 20 tasks per simulation before being given free rein to do whatever you want.

Job Simulator is best played standing, in a six-by-six-foot clear area so you can spin around as needed. Your character has no ability to move out of their designated counter space, so everything you need is conveniently placed within arm’s reach. A helpful robot will introduce you to the world and provide any instructions necessary, while a screen in the background will tell you the next step to take to help your current customer. Most tasks allow you to get creative with how you accomplish them, and between tasks you can do whatever you’d like. This is where Job Simulator shines. You can throw items at employees, break things, drink and eat everything around you, and generally be a menace. It’s all great fun, even if it does wear thin after a half hour or so in each scenario.

The game remains humorous throughout, with the robots mocking our way of life continuously and generally having no idea how we completed tasks or what the tasks assigned to us even meant. In one of my favorite instances you are asked to burn a CD for a robot hoping to propose, to do so you’re told to toss the CD in the toaster, after which it magically comes out ready for the boombox. The robots attempt to recreate scenarios ranging for picky children, to robberies, to sleazy auto mechanics, to water cooler talk, and everything in-between. It’s all hilarious and quite fun to partake in, although I had the most fun running wild with customer’s cars in the auto mechanic sim, which felt like the most fleshed out scenario due to the variety of tasks available and objects to fiddle around with.

After completing all assigned tasks in a specific scenario, infinite overtime mode unlocks which features frazzled looking robots and procedurally generated tasks. This mode is quite fun and features a few new tasks along with variations of tasks previously completed, and should keep players entertained for another half hour or so for each simulation. After completing all four scenarios, two mods unlock: bouncy mode and low gravity mode. Either mod can be applied to any scenario and each does exactly what it says. While neither mod adds much in terms of gameplay, they do allow for a few funny moments.

Job Simulator may be seven years old, but it remains fun and a great introduction to VR. While it may grow stale with most players after a few hours, the experience is unique and humorous enough to recommend.

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