Forklift Extreme – test, skill

The forklift as a game of skill

Let’s keep it short: Forklift Extreme is a nice little skill game. In manageably large levels, I navigate through narrow aisles with a forklift and stow Euro pallets with bricks, cable reels or explosive-looking barrels in their intended place. A timer runs – the faster you finish sorting in the high-bay warehouse, the higher the score. In addition, I shouldn’t run over any obstacles such as cones or plastic barriers with my industrial truck, otherwise the final evaluation will be in the lead.

In addition, the letters FORK can be collected in each level, which increases the score. At the end there are up to three stars, depending on the score achieved, which unlock new levels. Incidentally, the standard warehouse clerk with a forklift license in Forklift Extreme is called Klaus. And if you don’t know what to do with it now: This is a very nice, tongue-in-cheek homage to the legendary “instructional film” Forklift Driver Klaus – The First Day at Work. This illustrated the danger of driving a forklift with vivid pictures and hundreds of liters of fake blood. The almost ten-minute splatter short film was shot in the commercial area of ​​my hometown Buchholz in der Nordheide. But you’re right, I digress…

Stackable for in between

Forklift Extreme is the perfect in-between game with its short missions, often lasting just a few minutes. Just stacking a few pallets, getting three stars and then boarding the bus or the subway works pretty well on the go. No wonder: Forklift Extreme 3D was originally developed for iOS and Android. The setting for Last Man Gaming’s one-man project is correspondingly simple. However, the simple environment from a bird’s-eye view still exudes a certain comic charm that does justice to the game concept.

Playfully, Forklift Extreme offers even more control over the forklift than expected: Not only do I have to guide the fork precisely under the pallets, I can also move the fork carriage up and down steplessly. The lifting unit can even be tilted forwards and backwards at the push of a button to balance under-secured loads. There are also multiple camera perspectives, including a cockpit view. However, this is not really suitable for navigating precisely through the increasingly demanding course in order to complete the camp work within the time limit.

Where is the “extreme”?

There are also other mini-game modes, such as the forklift rodeo. Here, an obstacle course must be completed without making any mistakes and, at the end, a stubborn basketball must be delivered to the basket. These additional modes are unlocked gradually, they offer some variety in addition to the short levels of the career. Additional forklift models, liveries and drivers can also be unlocked.

Altogether, apart from the nice stacking, I miss the wit and the variety in the skill exercises. Where are the crazy jumps, stunts, forklift drifts or absurd goods that make everyday camp life more interesting? After all, the game is called Forklift Extreme, right? In the extremes, more would have been possible with more creative and wacky challenges like forklift long jump or clearing burning warehouses.