The creators of 90s classic Theme Hospital return with a spiritual sequel that mixes fake illnesses with real management decisions.
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As noble a career as doctor or nurse may be we dont think many people grow up wishing they could be a hospital manager. But if they do its probably because they used to play Theme Hospital as a kid. That would give them a dangerously unrealistic view of the job, and the sort of ailments the average A&E has to deal with, but at least itd make them passionate about helping people. And now a new generation can learn the joys of virtual healthcare.
Theme Hospital was released in 1997 and was arguably the last great game from beloved British studio Bullfrog Productions. The developer had been bought by EA some time earlier but following the departure of Peter Molyneux the same year it quickly went into decline and was eventually absorbed into the EA collective. At the time it seemed as if there would be a whole series of Theme games, but in the end the only entries other than Hospital were the Japanese-orientated Theme Aquarium and the original Theme Park and its lacklustre follow-ups.
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As unlikely as it may sound Theme Hospital is very similar to Theme Park in terms of gameplay, in that both of them are management sims in which you have to build up your business, both figuratively and literally, and ensure its smooth day-to-day running. But while Theme Park at least looked something like the real thing Theme Hospital avoids any accusations of bad taste by giving everyone imaginary illnesses like cubism and literal verbal diarrhoea.
As influential as they have been over the years, British video games are rarely obvious as such to the outside observer. Youd never know Grand Theft Auto was made in Scotland unless you were a fairly hardcore gamer but Two Point Hospitals irreverent humour and serious undertones – not to mention the Wallace & Gromit style character designs – make its country of origins very plain. Some of the lead designers did actually work on the original Theme Hospital too, so this is as official a sequel as youre ever likely to get.
As a result, the gameplay is extremely similar between the two games, as you start off with a run-down or underdeveloped building and turn it into your own functioning hospital (a concept that makes more sense in the context of American healthcare, but there are also plenty of nods to the NHS way of doing things).
Although the game is nominally a simulation everything works strictly under video game logic, where remembering to plonk down a reception desk is just as important as ensuring you have enough doctors and medical equipment to go around. The set-up is similar to most real-time strategies, except instead of building farms and granaries, and then working your way up to more complex and specialised constructions, youre building GP offices and waiting rooms.
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Like any management sim the structure is very loose, but there is a good attempt to avoid the end-game malaise associated with the genre – where after a certain point youve run out of new things to build and are getting bogged down in housekeeping.
Earning your hospital at least a one star rating is the most obvious goal to aim for since that unlocks the next location, each of which has its own peculiarities from suffering from extreme weather to one where you cant make money from treating patients. Your specific goals also vary considerably, moving away from the simple monetary targets of Theme Hospital, to challenging you to research specific new diseases or training up specialised staff.
At this point Two Point Hospital is probably sounding more like a remake than a spiritual sequel, and its true that it doesnt deviate nearly as much from the original formula as you might hope, given its copying a concept thats now over 20 years old.
But there are some important differences, in particular in terms of the artificial intelligence. Staff act much more like human beings than ants in an ant farm and have their own specific personality traits and associated challenges, as well as their own demands when it comes to keeping their job or angling for a pay rise.
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Two Point Hospital is also far more customisable than any of Bullfrogs games, allowing you to change almost every physical detail in whatever way you want. Although this can be an irritation at times because the game fails to offer pre-designed rooms and seems to think youll be just as enamoured with deciding where a filing cabinet should go the hundredth time as you were the first.
But were going to assume nobody is buying a hospital management simulator with the expectation of high octane excitement. If however youre after a gently escalating challenge, decisions that require real thought and forward planning, and an endearingly dry sense of humour then Two Point Hospital is just what the doctor ordered.
Two Point Hospital
In Short: A welcome return to health for the Theme Hospital concept, with a fine mix of engrossing strategy and sardonic humour.
Pros: A deep but accessible management sim with endless customisation options and good AI. Compelling structure with varied challenges and goals. Amusing script and visual humour.
Cons: The basics are still very similar to the original, which is over 20 years old at this point. Repetition inevitably becomes a problem, especially when building new rooms.
Score: 8/10
Formats: PC
Price: £24.99
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Two Point Studios
Release Date: 30th August 2018
Age Rating: 3
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