TEST
Learning while having fun: the concept is not new and it has already proven itself in video games, mastered the art of creating educational games. And this is the Bee Simulator recipe, developed by the Polish studio Varsav and published by the French Bigben Interactive. This game, in which we embody a bee whose hive is threatened by humans, aims to educate children about their disappearance. A nice game that perfectly fulfills its mission.
Fly, forage, harvest
In Bee Simulator , we play a little bee that has just been born. After a quick tutorial to learn to fly and forage, the queen assigns us our mission: we will be a worker bee. It will be necessary to contribute to the life of the community by collecting a maximum of pollen, defending the hive against the hornets and bringing back knowledge of the outside world. In this case, the action takes place in Honey Park, replica of the famous Central Park New York, with its zoo, its water, its amusement park and humans who picnic on the lawns. So many areas to explore in search of rare flowers.
Without being beautiful, Bee Simulator relies on graphics rather pleasant and colorful, which will seduce children. However, handling is the weak point of the game: the camera and controls, too sensitive to the slightest change of direction, make perilous flights of our little bee. Fortunately, there is no life system. As for the duration of life, it is satisfactory for this kind of game. Count five or six hours to complete the main story. Then you can have fun in Honey Park, fulfill many challenges of combat, speed, harvest, etc. But the whole is a bit repetitive. Finally, a cooperation mode completes the whole thing.
Validated by beekeepers
If you still have fun to be a bee, Bee Simulator is especially a very good educational game. Throughout the main story, creators have distilled information and anecdotes about the life of bees and the threats to them. Starting with the man: the red thread of the scenario is the search for a new place to move the hive, because the original tree will be shot by the guardians of the park. "What we want is that people, playing the game, realize that bees are threatened, that there is a real danger, of which the man is largely responsible", explains Mathilde Philippe, product manager on Bee Simulator.
As a result, you learn a lot by playing Bee Simulator . For example, did you know that on average, a bee produces just 1 / 12th of a teaspoon of honey during its lifetime? Or, sadder, that there are countries, like China, where there are hardly any bees at all? The game was designed with the support of beekeepers to provide the most accurate scientific content possible. "We wanted to make a game that can serve as a pedagogical support for teachers or parents who would be anxious to address the issue of the disappearance of children with their students or children," says Mathilde Philippe.
A good game for bees and the planet
For the release of the game, Bigben even joined the GoodPlanet Foundation, chaired by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Thanks to Bee Simulator , the ecological cause touches another, younger audience. "Learning while having fun is always more interesting from a pedagogical point of view, as we know, and this game is very well done, very realistic." It helps to highlight the dangers that weigh on the game. bee, whether pesticides or the destruction of their natural habitat, "said Antoine Rochard, a member of the GoodPlanet Foundation. "It's very complementary to the workshops that the Foundation is putting in place, outside this time."
Note that buying Bee Simulator - the game is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC at 40 euros, you will do a good deed. On each game sold, one euro is donated to the GoodPlanet Foundation. The money that will be used to finance his actions, particularly in the field of reforestation, protection of endangered species, development of green energies, etc.
Our opinion: an ecologist game ideal for children
Embody a bee in a video game, the bet was daring but rather successful. Certainly unwieldy and not always very beautiful, Bee Simulator is interesting enough to justify its purchase (despite a price a bit high). The most seasoned players will find it hard to find their account in this fairly short and repetitive game. But the children, the real target of Bee Simulator , will find something to enjoy a few hours and, especially, to learn more about the operation of a hive, the life of a bee and the dangers that weigh on it. All in a more playful and proactive way than by reading a book.