Drug Dealer Simulator 2

Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is one of those games that clearly indicates its target audience by its very name, while automatically turning away others. This is not a title that tries to be subtle, nor does it hide behind some grand moral message. The game throws you into the dirty criminal business and says: figure it out. On PS5, it has arrived as a sequel that is obviously bigger, more ambitious, and more developed than the first part, but at the same time still carries that rough, clumsy charm that makes the entire series feel like something that shouldn't be so addictive, yet somehow is.

After a few hours of playing and unlocking most of the systems the game offers, it is easiest to describe it as a mix of a crime simulator, a logistics game, and an open world where planning is often more important than just running around the map. At the beginning, Drug Dealer Simulator 2 feels quite simple. You have small orders, limited resources, a modest hideout, and the feeling that you'll figure out everything the game has to offer in just half an hour. However, as the territory expands, new locations open up, new contacts are made, better equipment is acquired, and bigger jobs become available, it is clear that the game actually thrives on its progression.

The story is set on Isla Sombri, a tropical island that at first glance looks like a postcard destination, but beneath the surface has many more problems than beauty. This contrast suits the game well. The sun, dusty streets, hideouts, gangs, police, and small jobs create an atmosphere where you constantly feel like someone trying to build an empire from scratch, but without the luxury, safety, and control that criminal characters usually have in movies. Here, you don't feel like a big boss from the first minute. More like someone who has to struggle for every step.

The best part of the game is the feeling of business expansion. You start with basic procurement, preparation, and delivery of goods, but over time everything transforms into a more serious system. You need to think about ingredients, production, quality, storage, equipment, clients, workers, and security. When laboratories and better equipment are unlocked, the game takes on a much more interesting rhythm. It's no longer just about delivering a package to the other side of the map, but ensuring the entire chain functions without major delays. If you misallocate goods, if you don't have enough supplies, or if you misjudge how much you can handle before the situation becomes dangerous, the game punishes you quickly.

I like that Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is not just a bigger sequel for the sake of size. Compared to the first part, there is a much stronger sense of ambition to create a real criminal ecosystem. Employees, hierarchy, hideouts, equipment, and territories give the feeling that you are building something that slowly moves out of the petty business phase and transitions into an organization. Of course, this is not a perfectly deep management game, but it is layered enough to push you to constantly fix, upgrade, and optimize something.

The controls on PS5 are generally acceptable, but it is evident that the game has roots in PC. Movement, interactions, and menus can be a bit clumsy, especially when multiple small tasks need to be performed in a short time. It’s not unplayable, far from it, but it’s not particularly elegant either. Occasionally, you feel like you are struggling with the menus more than with the police or competition. However, after a while, you get used to the rhythm and do most things automatically; it would just be nice if the console adaptation were a bit smoother.

Visually, Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is functional, but don't expect miracles. Isla Sombra has its moments, especially when it captures a good atmosphere between the tropical environment and the dirty criminal corners, but technically this is not a game that will showcase the power of the PS5 console. Textures, animations, and models often look average, and sometimes quite raw. On the other hand, such roughness oddly fits the tone of the game. This is not a glamorous criminal world, but a chaotic, nervous, and often ugly job, so the visual messiness doesn't always bother as much as it would in another game.

Where the game tends to struggle the most is the pace. When everything falls into place, Drug Dealer Simulator 2 has a very addictive loop. You take orders, organize production, visit locations, expand the business, return to base, check what’s missing, and start again. The problem is that there can sometimes be too much downtime between those good moments. Walking, driving, searching, waiting, and repeating the same actions can become tedious, especially if you don't enjoy simulators that require patience. This is not a game for someone looking for constant action. It works better when you accept it as a slow ascent rather than a criminal blockbuster.

The system of danger, police, and conflict adds extra tension to the game, although that part is not always completely polished either. Escaping, avoiding problems, and occasional conflicts can be fun, but combat is not the game's strongest suit. It works best when you use it as a last resort, rather than as the main way to play. Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is much more interesting when you plan smartly, bribe, avoid, and organize the business so that problems don't arise at all.

Co-op is a good idea, and it's easy to see how the game can be more fun with a team. Task division naturally suits this type of game. One player can collect and deliver, another can handle production, a third can expand the business or solve problems on the ground. The solo experience is quite playable, but co-op has the potential to turn chaos into a much funnier and more dynamic story, especially when someone in the team makes a mistake and the whole plan goes down the drain.

Drug Dealer Simulator 2 is not a perfect game. Technically it is rough, occasionally clumsy, and can be repetitive. But it has that something. It has that feeling of progress that drives you to make one more delivery, open one more location, buy better equipment, and sort out one more part of the business. It’s not a title for everyone and definitely should not be played for the action or presentation, but for the simulation loop and the feeling that you are slowly building an organized business from a petty criminal.

If the theme itself is not off-putting and if you enjoy games where half the fun is in planning, optimizing, and constantly fixing your own mistakes, Drug Dealer Simulator 2 on PlayStation 5 has something to offer. It’s not the cleanest product, but it’s interesting enough, quirky enough, and addictive enough to easily lose a few hours in it. Just like the first part, this is a game with many flaws, but also with a clear identity. And today, honestly, that is worth more than another sterile, polished title without character.

A copy of the PlayStation 5 version of the game was provided for review purposes by the publisher Movie Games S.A.