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0 You Suck At Parking (YSAP) is a driving sim where the aim is to go from A to B and park. However, that is not as simple as it sounds with numerous obstacles along the way, just like real-life driving. Buckle up for a high-octane experience where P marks the (parking) spot. YSAP is developed and published by indie Belgian studio Happy Volcano (The Almost Gone). And it is available now on PC and Xbox series S/X.
Prove your skills at the wheel in You Suck At Parking
I was excited to play YSAP after seeing the spin on the racing genre and it didn’t disappoint. Let us know what you thought in the comments below.
Gameplay
You Suck At Parking takes the simple concept of parking a car and turns it into the most frustratingly fun game I’ve played in a while. While it began simply to ease players in, driving to each level’s parking spots is no easy feat especially as you race the clock. YSAP brings in more and more obstacles, twists and turns to make parking a challenge. With spaces just big enough to fit the car, the game makes you earn pulling into park correctly. Hopping from island to island as you progress keeps you on your toes e.g. the frozen region adds an extra layer of difficulty. I enjoyed the variety this brought and the creativity kept me pulling a U-turn when I felt like rage quitting.
Each track felt carefully crafted giving players a mix of straightforward and complex destinations. Whether it was driving carefully against the timer or nailing a complicated route to a parking spot, it always felt satisfying to clear a level. In later levels, YSAP doesn’t hold your hand either so it is a great feeling when you find there are usually a few different routes to reach the parking spot and the trial and error, using the environment etc feels incredibly rewarding.
My only real issue with YSAP is with the top-down/isometric perspective the we, the players, have. Sometimes the camera angles can be frustrating. As the game progresses and tracks become more complex with ramps, loop-de-loops etc. the camera angles don’t really adjust and made it feel jarring at times. Occasionally I would end up in an awkward spot where the no reversing mechanic really worked against me and while ruining the game’s flow a little the quick respawn made up for that.
Graphics & Audio
You Suck At Parking worked well with its stylised graphics making the game look vibrant and colourful. I really enjoyed the direction that Happy Volcano took with the light-hearted mood of the game. The visual choice goes hand in hand with the destruction of the environment. The fast-paced and lively tone that the game set kept my attention and kept me from rage quitting at times. YSAP ran smoothly both in the campaign and online multiplayer. In my playthrough, on PC the graphics settings came set in stone for the most part and still looked great.
The audio and sound design helped make YSAP an engaging game. I found it was paired very well with the stylised visuals and lively tone both outside and during races. There isn’t too much in the way of soundtrack or score per se, but sounds from the car engine to frequent collisions helped set the tone. Especially in the later levels more sounds and effects came along with new obstacles which added to the chaos.
Longevity
There is a lot more content than I originally thought with You Suck At Parking. Within the campaign, there are various layers to the game from doing enough to progress to getting a perfect outcome on each track. I even found myself going back to 100% levels and can easily see there being several hours of content in the campaign. And of course, there is online multiplayer adding even more to the potential playtime.
I found the game very casual too, easy enough to stop and pick up where I left off. Unlocking many cosmetic options for your vehicle grants more content and help keep the game feel fresh. For the completionists out there, the PC version of YSAP has 20 achievements and is similar to Xbox also.
Final Thoughts
I had a lot of fun with You Suck At Parking and really enjoyed Happy Volcano’s take on driving/racing games. It is very creatively made and the gradual introduction of new obstacles and challenges made playing feel fresh and engaging. I did have my moments of wanting to rage quit but the occasional issue kept me playing. YSAP looks and sounds great, going hand in hand with the light-hearted overall tone. With plenty of content, both single and multiplayer, you will find plenty to do and achievements to complete.
I can’t wait to see what Happy Volcano releases next and I’m pleased to award You Suck at Parking the Thumb Culture Gold Award. If you enjoyed this review, check out my thoughts on Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2.
Disclaimer: A code was received to write this review.
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