Drill Deal – Oil Tycoon is a simulation game developed by A2 Softworks and published by Ultimate Games S.A. In Drill Deal – Oil Tycoon, players take on the role of an oil tycoon who must build and manage their own oil rig. They must drill for oil, extract it, and transport it to market. Players must also manage their finances, staff, and research in order to stay ahead of the competition.
The game features a variety of scenarios to play through, each with its own challenges and the game doesn't take itself too seriously. Players can choose to drill in the Arctic, the tropics, or even a haunted island. They must also deal with a variety of hazards, such as storms, fires, and pirates. It reminds of a simulation game that has plenty of depth, but the more funny things you would find in games like theme park world!
The gameplay in Drill Deal – Oil Tycoon is focused on building and managing an oil rig. Players must start with a small rig and expand it as they earn more money. They must drill for oil, extract it, and transport it to market. Players must also manage their finances, staff, and research in order to stay ahead of the competition. The game is also quite complex, with a lot of different systems to manage. This can be overwhelming at first, but it also adds to the challenge and the sense of satisfaction when you finally figure everything out.
Oil drilling: Players must drill for oil in order to extract it. They can drill in different locations, each with its own challenges and rewards. Players must also manage the risk of drilling accidents.
Oil extraction: Once oil has been drilled, it must be extracted. Players can use different methods of extraction, each with its own efficiency and cost. Players must also manage the risk of spills and leaks.
Oil transportation: Once oil has been extracted, it must be transported to market. Players can use different methods of transportation, each with its own speed and cost. Players must also manage the risk of accidents during transportation.
Finance management: Players must manage their finances carefully in order to stay afloat. They must earn money from oil drilling and transportation, and they must spend money on things like staff, research, and maintenance. Players must also make sure that they have enough money to cover unexpected expenses, such as accidents and disasters.
Staff management: Players must hire and manage staff in order to run their oil rig effectively. They must assign staff to different tasks, and they must make sure that they are happy and well-compensated. Players must also be prepared for staff turnover, as employees can get sick, injured, or quit.
Research: Players can invest in research to improve their oil rig's efficiency. This can lead to increased profits, but it also costs money. Players must decide how much money they want to invest in research, and they must make sure that the research is worth the investment.
Hazards and disasters: Players must be prepared for hazards and disasters, such as storms, fires, and pirates. These events can damage the oil rig and cause financial losses. Players must take steps to mitigate the risk of these events, such as investing in insurance and hiring security guards.
On top of the in depth tutorial, there are a variety of different game modes on offer. In scenario mode, players are presented with a variety of challenges and objectives. Players must complete the objectives in order to win the scenario. In challenge mode, players must complete a series of increasingly difficult challenges. There is also a sandbox mode where players have complete freedom to build and manage their oil rig however they want. There are no objectives or goals, so players can just experiment and have fun. Unfortunately this mode is locked from the get go and requires you to progress a way through the scenarios before it becomes available.
Graphically, I liked the games voxel art style. Despite it being presented like this the game and environments still looked detailed, with the see looking pretty nice too (although nothing like the ocean found in Sea of Thieves). The only downside is the people models look but come across abit simplistic.
Overall, Drill Deal - Oil Tycoon is a solid little simulation game. It's a shame that its let down by a UI/Controls that don't feel like they have been translated well from PC. This is a common problem that alot of simulation games face and unfortunately this time around its no different. TOTAL SCORE: 6.5/10
Drill Deal - Oil Tycoon was released onto the Xbox store on the 26th May 2023. The game is playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles. It's priced at £12.49 and can be purchased HERE. A copy of the game was provided for this review. A big thanks for that.
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