A new simulation game on Steam and PS5 aims to capture genre fans with powerful equipment and large cranes. MeinMMO editor Caroline Fuller has already gotten insight into the game and recognized this goal – but still, one thought remained that she couldn’t shake off.
Which game is being discussed? It is the port simulator DOCKED by Saber Interactive, which will be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox. The exact release date is still unknown, but there is already first gameplay, of which I was able to get my own impression.
Saber Interactive showed me a walkthrough in the harbor of the single-player game, where the player, as the young Tommy, returns to his father’s family business to start working as a dockworker. But what sounds like a harmonious father-son duo with down-to-earth harbor idyll is disturbed by a fierce storm that leaves the harbor in a terrible state.
Tommy’s task, and thus the player’s, is not only to bring the harbor back to order but also to get hands-on, manage, and expand.
The game and its description scream for a fantasy construction kit for absolute nerds who have a heart for simulation games, harbors, ships, or cranes with claw machine feeling.
I personally have little connection to all these aspects and was initially a bit overwhelmed by the wealth and terminologies of the game. But I still have to say that DOCKED makes a good impression professionally.
Due to all the thoughtful steps of the gameplay and the love for detail, it looks like one could get lost for hours between operating the various devices and managing logistics.
And also, something that stood out to me as a non-genre person was the closeness to a popular, even iconic mission from another game, which could bring more newcomers … on board.
Saber Interactive developed, in addition to the new DOCKED, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2:
Even newcomers to the simulator genre can enjoy themselves when celebrating a certain mission
The equipment, the harbor, and the large machines – it seemed somehow familiar to me right away, although I have had little engagement with container ports so far. And a few moments later, I recognized … some of this equipment I have, like probably enough of you, already operated myself – during the famous harbor mission in GTA 5!
Nostalgia hit me like a punch. I remember the mission where you scout the harbor as Trevor for a later heist.
Anyone who still connects good memories with this mission and the controls of the cranes and machines could replicate that feeling with DOCKED. Just with significantly more details and less tolerance for grossly negligent handling of machinery. With this realization, I was finally ready to fully dive into this new simulator.
Between reconstruction and management, operations must not stop
DOCKED is a single-player port simulator where one tries to rebuild the destroyed harbor while operations are supposed to continue as smoothly as possible. Incoming ships must be unloaded, cargo moved and transported, and repairs carried out to work through the overall 7 milestones of the business plan.
Between story and side missions, transport and machinery, management skills are also of great importance. Contracts must be made, logistics chains must be set up and improved – the operation requires leadership.
Why this now falls into Tommy’s hands, instead of his experienced father Bill doing it, I do not know at this point. But the trust placed in you encourages you to perhaps really give your best instead of playing container bowling.
Despite the protagonist, the machines are the main characters
DOCKED features 8 different heavy machines: the reach stacker, straddle carrier, ship-to-shore crane, terminal tractor, RMG crane, rubber tire gantry, mobile harbor crane, and hoppers.
A lot of terms that may seem overwhelming for laypeople at first. They explain themselves much better when you see them in action.
With these devices, cargo is maneuvered from ships (or sometimes from the water), positioned, and brought to the right place. The realistic size and scale, as well as the precise handling of the machines are at the forefront.
There is no simple “lift” command. Instead, you have to connect ropes, balance, and keep precise positions in order for the cargo to be moved properly.
This can become a real challenge due to the chaos and the lack of space in a destroyed harbor; even I could grasp this understanding through the presentation. In this way, the game is also supposed to remain a challenge later on: less time, more complicated cargo, more difficult routes, more stress, but also better pay.
While using the machines, the UI is always focused on precision work. Sometimes there is a view from 3 different perspectives (from above, from the front, and from the side) so that a container can be grasped and placed exactly at the right spot.
Anyone who pays less attention and works like a son who really has no desire for dock work will not get far with half-hearted efforts. The built-in damage system precisely tracks how often and how strongly cargo hits obstacles, tips over, or falls. However, those who work focused will not hinder a happy father-son relationship and will let the harbor shine in its former glory.
My conclusion after the first glimpse
Just because I am not an absolute harbor nerd myself and I dread management and logistics, I have to admit that I am surprised by how much detail can be packed into a simulation game like DOCKED.
The developers have placed great emphasis on a realistic and detailed representation of the huge equipment and processes of an active cargo port, which could even amaze me.
The reconstruction of the harbor, the progression system, and the underlying story, which develops parallel to the rebuilding, make DOCKED an interesting candidate for genre fans … and for those who want to become fans after GTA 5, before directly diving into GTA 6: GTA 6 – All information about the third-person shooter
