The Little Crane That Could

I really felt that Little Crane had come home to roost when I heard about the PC release - finally, this well-thought fun series could shed its technical limitations and esoteric (albeit charming) control scheme.
Sadly, this version (i.e the one included with the day one release) falls short. First impressions are weak indeed, with no keyboard control over the camera (and this being totally essential for even the first mission), and a highly limited soundset(simply put, the engine noise loop is too short and rather grating when it's the only sound in the world).
After connecting a 360 Pad to enjoy the controller support (which is indeed global, sufficent to select a level and navigate the limited options) things improved somewhat, the responsive controls very reminiscent of the mobile version. Also reminscent of the mobile version, however, is the very limited draw distance - keeping track of your surroundings when away from buildings is a bit of a challenge, though the authenticity of the minimap is welcome!
I'll curtail this review and give you some basic ups and downs.
UP:
Physics are pretty solid and the vehicles feel like the chunky toys they're modeled after.
Still has some of the charm from the small-screen editions.
Nice, relatively readable UI font (Think of the Wip3out font only you can actually read it).
Cross platform! Any game that runs on Linux is very welcome!
DOWN:
Very weak and limited sound set.
Limited fun without a controller.
Small selection of levels and no free-play option (nor is there a level editor).
No configuration except from the most basic and essential (The stick configuration bent my brain at first, Turning on left-stick steering really helped!)
360 pad is not really a precise enough controller. I would love to break out the twin joysticks and set the game up to use them, but alas this isn't a supported option.
In summary:
I feel like this is still a tech demo, and that it's swinging above it's station somewhat in price. Wait until it's 50% off and I'd say you've got a game that will provide a few hours of entertainment (with the sounds turned off and some music in the background), at least until you've beaten all the levels and had some fun plowing up the biggest clay-ball you can in the dozer.
I wish I could be more middling on my appraisal of the game, so take this to be an "it's okay" review, rather than an outright positive one.

This is a fun little sandbox environment if you are the type that likes to "dig it"....
Tipped over the equipment quite a few times. Them slopes are a bit too steep for top-heavy vehicles if you are not careful. But that is all part of the experience as it helps you learn and be aware of heavy machinery dilemas. Also takes a little bit of time to get used to the co-ordination of how the crane arms move around.
Personally I think this could be tonnes more fun if it was expanded to a multiplayer style of game-world where you could run a server with friends and work together in carving up the landscape. Kinda like a minecraft with bulldozers!

The little crane that could...
It's a fun game, isn't easy, but you won't be pulling your hair out, or taking a hammer to your computer. Once you finish the levels, you can have some fun in the sandbox mode, which is exactly what it sounds like. You are in a box of sand, only unlike most games, you get to move the sand. You have an assortment of vehicles, which is a pickup truck, a flatbed with side guards, a crane on a flatbed, an excavator, and your dozer. They feature full control, which is rotation, elevation, bending, length, and your attachment (bucket or claw). With that, you can make just about whatever you want to in the dirt, such as tunnels and circuits for your pickup truck. Overall, I would recommend this game to a friend, and the price is right for the "budget players".
*fair warning* while moving the dirt, you will lag quite a bit. I average about 30 fps on a laptop, and will get down to 8-12 when moving dirt.
Oh, let me edit this to include the developer into the picture. This guy is awesome. He helped me to get this game to run when it did not. He listens to the customers and implements what they want.

Super cute little game, but those with older PCs should be warned TLCTC is a bit of a CPU cycle-hungry monster. While this runs fine on my four year old machine, the one I had prior lagged like mad despite exceeding the minimum requirements.
The machines in this are not remotely realistic in their operation, yet this somehow feels more like a simulator than any of the other heavy equipment games on Steam. For instance, turning the excavator too sharply while rolling downhill at speed will rip off one or both track belts. One can also easily roll any of the vehicles if they try and climb or descend any hill on too steep of an angle. Dozing some dirt is very satisfying, as provided you don't try and load the blade too much in one go you can bite into and cut through most of the map hills pretty easily within ten minutes of playing. If you're looking at this solely as an achievement hunter, you can 100% the game in a little under three hours with a bit of trial and error on two of the eleven levels.
I do have one fairly major complaint, switching vehicles resets dirt piled around or in them. While not a bad thing in theory, this means you can't treat the stake bed truck as a dump truck and load it with dirt like I'd love to do - once you tab from the excavator to it the dirt just teleports underneath the truck and solidifies, usually trapping your rig partly in the ground.
I really like The Little Crane That Could, but if you're like me and enjoy stretching your money I strongly suggest waiting for a 50% off or greater discount. Once you complete the objective levels and achievements the sandbox mode gets stale fast and you won't rack up much time on this one before uninstalling.

WOW! i have to say this is a very cool game. I have been wanting for a game that allows you to dig a hole or plow a mountain or whatever you want.
Very cool and very well put together, Also the Developer is awesome and very helpful.
I highly recommend this game, check it out you will not be disappointed ;)

Ok, lets get something straight. This is not going to knock your socks in terms of graphics. But they are more than adequate, in terms of what this game is. They are pleasant to look at and not trying to be some retro graphical mess either.
Sound wise, it's ok. There were some repetitive sounds, like the tracks on vehicles. But not too distracting.
The levels early on, are easy. But it become more taxing quite early on and are good challenges.
Price matches the game well and as such, it's worth the price they are asking.
Platform specific, I am using Linux (Manjaro) with a i7 and mobile GTX765m. Game runs fine, but with a huge amount of dirt pulled up in piles, there can be some lag. Assuming this is a physics issue, there has been an update so we will see. This doesnt mess with the gameplay, so no biggy.
Overall an enjoyable game, I like the sandbox mode. I love the part when I tip my vehicle over and need another vehicle to use the arm and push it back.
It's worth the price, the developer is active and listens to their customers. Cross platform and works well on the penguin!

What a wonderful game. Works very smooth. My only gripe is that is wasn't bigger, but they did give you a sandbox mode. Hope they make a second version. Very fun.