The relationship between Theme Hospital and Two Point Hospital is obvious from the introductory cinematic of the latter. We immediately recognize the cartoonish graphic touch "so British", which helps to play down a subject that could turn out to be sinister otherwise. Here, suffering and death are defused with a healthy dose of humor and absurd cynicism. Putting the profitability of the establishment before the well-being of the patients is necessarily much more sympathetic and pleasant in a wacky simulation than in real life. And even the most anxiety-provoking subject, that of diseases, is treated with the greatest derision. Indeed, the conditions that affect your patients are at the same time imaginary, improbable and very telling. Difficult awakening, Verbal diarrhea, Lycanthropy, Brain leak, Oversized Ego or even Short bones are thus part of a large panel, which includes certain syndromes from Theme Hospital and adds many others. Sometimes the simple description of these is enough to make us smile. Thus, the solution against Contagious Laughter consists of a "total removal of the sense of humor", while we are informed that patients with Unblock star "take themselves for one of the greatest rockstars in history but they're just gaga" (the latter term referring to Queen's Radio Gaga track). Alas, the French translation sometimes struggles to transcribe British humor, and we even surprise it sometimes to be overzealous in a counter-productive way. For example, while in the original version we are told about "Jazz Hands" and burning caused by acid jazz, in French we are entitled to "Musical Hands" and an obscure reference to Rabbi Jacob. Too bad... Fortunately, these location errors remain rare, and they do not prevent you from enjoying the fabulous graphic animations associated with certain diseases.
SHE RUNS, SHE RUNS, THE SICKNESS OF HUMOR...
Patients with Monobrow do indeed have a thick bar of hair above the eyes. Those who succumb to a Mime Crisis do indeed wear typical French mime attire. It takes a giant magnet to remove the saucepan that serves as headgear for Marmitête's victims, unroll the bandages at top speed in the event of Mummification, restore human form to the unfortunates struck by Cubism, unscrew the luminous bulb and give a face to those who suffer from Blisterhead, etc. We pass, and the best! The highlight of the show is provided by the previously mentioned Unlock Star disease. She transforms patients into emulators of Freddie Mercury, black mustache, protruding teeth and swaying gait included! Observing all the patients, staff and treatment machines is a real treat as the animations are fun and detailed. The hospitals that we build are teeming with life, and we really feel the care given to the movements of the least person. Everything is supported by an extremely decent graphics engine and a very effective cartoon art direction.
Observing all the patients, staff and treatment machines is a real treat as the animations are fun and detailed. The hospitals that we build are teeming with life, and we really feel the care given to the movements of the least person.
From questions of form to questions of substance, there is only one step, which we will take by evoking the interface, halfway between the two issues. A few mouse clicks are enough to build a new room, and the decoration is also done very simply, by choosing the different elements from a list that continues to grow over the levels of the campaign. However, we can criticize the game for not allowing the automation of the most basic construction and decoration stages (we would really like to be able to save a plan of the essential GP office for example) or, quite simply, copy and paste it of rooms. On the other hand, it is possible to move a room that has already been built at any time, which greatly facilitates the permanent rearrangement of each hospital. Because if the game is extremely accessible, and the level of difficulty much lower than what we were subjected to in 1997, the management is not simplistic for all that. We must always remain on the alert and constantly adapt to the new challenges that come our way.
HOSPITAL MAKES FUN FOR CHARITY
The beginning of the game is quite simple: we build a reception, a general practitioner's office, a few additional diagnostic rooms to maximize the chances of detecting the right disease for each patient, we hire two or three assistants, nurses and doctors, and the it's done! But very quickly, we will have to think about managing the thirst, hunger and boredom of the patients who are waiting their turn. So we have benches, displays, distributors of crisps and soda (which by the way will improve finances a little), then garbage cans to prevent rubbish from piling up in the hospital. As a result, we have to hire maintenance workers. Moreover, each new disease discovered implies the creation of new treatment rooms. So let's go for a psychiatrist's office, a pharmacy and many other even more specific rooms. Thereafter, you will have to manage breaks, training and requests for staff increases, monitor your finances, decide on the price of the various treatments, hire more and more people, build more and more rooms, etc. The most "fine" parameters are hidden in sub-menus so as not to scare anyone, and it's a safe bet that some players never touch certain values. But if you want to get a score of three stars on each of the fifteen hospitals in the campaign, you'll have to rack your brains a bit.
The game may not be absolutely perfect, especially in its French version which ignores the translation of the humorous radio announcements that punctuate the games, but it is an absolutely formidable management game and above all, a true and worthy successor to Theme Hospital.
Two Point Hospital does not hesitate to put pressure on the player by offering to manage emergencies, respond to requests from staff or ensure that VIP visitors leave fully satisfied. The death of patients not treated in time or misdiagnosed results in loss of reputation and the appearance of ghosts in the hallways. A cleaner with the right skills will happily suck up the unwanted spectra soon. We could spend hours detailing the different mechanics of Two Point Hospital, but truth be told, the best thing is that you run to play it. The game may not be absolutely perfect, especially in its French version which ignores the translation of the humorous radio announcements that punctuate the games, but it is an absolutely formidable management game and above all, a true and worthy successor to Theme Hospital. Mission accomplished for Two Point Studios!
