System 3’s remake of the classic 1997 house-building simulation Constructor has been subject to more than a few delays, now running a year behind schedule, which is not totally unbefitting for a game about property development. Anyway, now we’re told it will definitely, definitely be coming on 28th February for PC, Xbox One and PS4 and on 28th April for Nintendo Switch, with a Mac version planned for later in the year.
Happily though, a 2017 release does coincide with both Constructor’s 20th anniversary and the company’s 35th – making the British developer and publisher one of the longest-running software houses in the industry, with a legacy that also includes 8/16-bit gems such as The Last Ninja titles, International Karate +, and Putty.
To celebrate, they’re giving away the PC version of the original game on 31st January. All you’ve got to do is show them some love over on Facebook with a like and follow. And as an added bonus you’ll also receive a free playable demo of the remake for the format of your choice.
If you’re not familiar with Constructor, it’s like a dark, twisted and slightly violent hybrid of SimCity and The Sims. Yes, you build houses and manage workers, tenants and resources, but as a ruthless property tycoon intent on driving your rivals out of business, underhand tactics and criminality are very much core to the experience. There’s a lot of fun to be had in sending “undesirables” such as thugs, clowns, hippies and dodgy workmen to terrorise the populace of your competitor’s housing estates. Obviously though, they can and will do the same to you.
The remake and its shiny new HD visuals are being made by the original team, which includes legendary Bitmap Brothers’ artist Dan Malone. It will also feature a vastly improved interface, new game modes and maps, a level editor, and even a tutorial.