You're Wanted in the Trauma Center - 7/10
Do you think you could handle such a situation? You're under the stress of knowing what tool to use and exactly how to use it, fast, because someone is depending on you with their life. Luckily, this is a video game, and the Wii comes with a number of ways to reset. Now, I've never played TC for the DS, not until I heard about it's success that I got the Wii version that recently came out at that time. It wasn't a let down, most people are curious about what it's like to be in such a crazy line of business, and I learned... Maybe I shouldn't consider being a doctor anytime soon, but it was a good and fun play-through at the loss of no (real) lives!
Story: 8/10
Apparently, 11 years from now mankind will overcome many diseases such as AIDS and Cancer. What a time to be alive, huh? That's the setting for this game, 2018, Angeles Bay, and rising full-time surgeon, Derek Stiles is our #1 guy. Supposedly he wasn't a perfect +A student in med school, but you'll get to learn the ropes with him. Dr.Stiles learns how precious life can be when he's thrown into operations like nothing he has ever done, and to top it off, he's assigned a stubborn assistant, Angie. But she's well experienced, she'll help you out of situations you couldn't do without her, trust me. Dr.Stiles also goes through learning being a doctor isn't just about cutting people open and band-aids, but also being there for your patients and developing trust with them. Everything seems to be going fine until a mysterious virus known as G.U.I.L.T. breaks out from a terrorist group. You'll research it with a team and discover the different forms and how to destroy them. Meanwhile, Dr.Stiles learns he holds a gift know as "The Healing Touch" that buys you some time if you're in a rush to patch things up. A new character to the TC scene is Dr.Nozomi Weaver. You'll unlock her story-line as you complete Derek's, but I don't want to spoil anything...
Gameplay: 7/10
I didn't expect much from this game. It's an operation game, right? You cut people open, poke at things, and stitch things back shut. Well, it's not exactly as simple as that, being about eight different tools to use, from a syringe to a laser. Before we go into surgery, let's discuss something else: The way the story unfolds is by simple character portraits talking to each other through text, anybody whose played a Fire Emblem game, would know exactly what I'm talking about. The whole game is either dialog like that, or you're busy operating. This might be a let-down, but it'll talk more about it later. Now back to the O.R.: Before each operation you go through a short briefing. The team lets you know what you need to do and the process of doing it. They wouldn't just toss you a patient and a scalpel and say "Somethings wrong, cut away", no, you'll know what must be done as long you know some medical terminology, such as what a Laparotomy is (An incision into the flank of the abdominal wall), or what PET stands for (Positron Emission Tomography). Confused? Haha! You'll get the hang of things as these words are tossed around so much, besides, you can always look in the back of the instruction book for these terms. Maybe you won't feel so much like a scrub? Sometimes you won't be just operating on people. There's one moment you'll need to disarm a bomb, Dr.James Bond style, or training with that "Healing Touch" of Derek's. After every successful operation you're given a score from C-A, then S above that. Overall, the control I love. Games like this were made for the Wii. I don't have the most steady hands, sometimes I need to use both to aim that laser. Tilt the nunchuck to tools you'll need, kind of like commanding your nurse. Whether you're like a rock or not, you can appreciate being able to cut to your very own precision.
Graphics 7/10
Feeling woozy yet? Nothing in this game is exactly realistic. I take a look at someone's liver and it reminds me more of some odd neon sign. There's not a whole lot of blood, at least it doesn't look like blood. It's red and liquidy, but not a all resembling the real thing, more like powder, so anyone who feels faint at the sign of such things shouldn't have a problem. The graphics definitely have their own unique style, and I respect that, but I still would've liked to see some 3D models outside of a patient's gut, such as the characters and some real cut scenes would be nice. It's hard to capture the mood when everyone's still a portrait slapped on a background, especially during times of crisis when people are running around. It doesn't capture the mood, so that's a minus for me. Other than that, I really do love the art. Futuristic gizmos and the anime style are neat. Also the "neon" organs are cool, but still, I would've liked this game a lot more if at the very least the character portraits would animate.
Sound: 7/10
Stab! When you screw up you'll know it. That stabbing sound is a bad sound to hear, and can startle you if you're getting really focused, not to mention the rumble in the Wii-mote. The sound effects are fair, I don't have anything against them. They're not realistic, so if you wanted to hear the sound of somebody's guts being sliced at maybe you should play something for the 360. The music is composed very well, sounds like something out of an awesome RPG. You have songs for different situations, like dialog in the hospital, the briefing, a normal operation, and a serious one, but despite how great they are, they're recycled way too much. You'll hear the same songs a lot whether you want to or not. A larger variety would've brought this score up. There are small amounts of voice acting here and there, but not enough. Maybe you'll hear a "I will save this patient!" or a "Good luck, doctor!" often, but I'm asking for more. That's another thing that would help the cut scenes. Still, I enjoy the music, it creates a futuristic feel and helps the mood where the graphics lack.
Overall: 7/10
It was a good experience. It's something I'd go back to, since I only finished it on normal mode. If you're one of those gamers who likes to dominate a game, you should look into this. Beat easy, normal, and hard, then try to get all S rankings. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep you playing, and Dr.Weaver's story adds to that, she tends to have more unique operations, and reveals more mysteries about the G.U.I.L.T. virus. I say give it a try. I see it as a great addition to my Wii library, so just rent it, if anything.
(Once released in Au.)
Submitted by CallMeRoy
19/08/2007
79
7
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