Time to get busy as a bee in Bee Simulator from VARSAV Game Studios, out now on the Nintendo Switch.
If you have ever wondered about the life of bees and insects then Bee Simulator is the game you have been waiting for! Players take the role of a new worker bee as you try to save your hive and prepare for winter by exploring a vast level inspired by New York’s Central Park. As a bee players will collect pollen, race other bees, fight deadly wasps and communicate with other bees using sweet dance moves. Various actions, such as returning pollen to the hive, are rewarded with knowledge points which can be redeemed for alternate Bee skins, fancy hats and colourful trails. Apart from the single player story mode there is also a split screen mode where both players can compete against each other or just take in the sights and collect pollen.
On the Nintendo Switch, Bee Simulator is a very simple game graphically and looking too closely makes it feel a bit like a clockwork world. Taking a step back and enjoying the games simplicity gives it an almost childlike appeal though, making everything seem very charming and full of whimsy. Despite the limitations of the switch, it is all very beautiful, especially on some of the multiplayer maps. Wildlife litters the landscape and flowers are abundant and naturally spread around. There is a great scale to everything and Bee Simulator really makes the player feel small but in no way helpless.
Controls are a little touchy but fairly minimal which makes Bee Simulator a great game for new players to just pick up and take in the sights of a bee’s unseen world. Multiplayer is plenty of fun and a relaxing way to spend some time, we spent ages just exploring and poking at the world. Sometimes even literally by stinging the odd passerby! While more serious gamers might get a bit bored in co-op, casual players and couples will enjoy buzzing around the different locations and discovering lots of wonderful little details.
Bee Simulator is a whole lot of fun on your own or with a friend, regardless of if you enjoy completing every story and side mission or just stinging picnic goers and popping balloons. A mellow and relaxed experience full of interesting bee facts and information that makes it a great game for players of any age.
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Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.
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Disclosure: Bee Simulator [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Homerun PR for this review.
