Trauma Team (Hospital in Japan) is a Wii-exclusive sequel of the Trauma Center series. Having had a good experience with Second Opinion,I must say,this game is perfectly balanced game,for both those who played most of the series,or those who are experiencing surgical gameplay for the first time..
This game,like it's predecessors,involves a genre seldom seen in the world of gaming;Medical Gameplay,At first,it might sound too weird,too un-''action''-y to be good for the more skeptical gamers out there;Correct yourself;the gameplay is every bit as involving as games of more often seen genres,if no more. This game,though,has the particularity of having SIX different gameplays;the typical surgery operation (classic Trauma Center),the first care operations,endoscopy,orthopedics,diagnostics and forensics.Each gameplay works every differently from the other,while managing to stay engaging in their own way (though,some will argue that endoscopy is less intuitive than the others).Detailling each of them will take too long so I'll skip.
The six doctors you get to play as..They'd definitely stand out in a real-life hospital
The story,while not too far of realism,is fairly scifi-ish,replacing the healing powers and monstrous parasites with ghosts and cellphone calls from dead people(don't ask).Despite all this,the characters themselves form a colorful and likable cast,with their own quirks and quests as well,as their different views on their job,from the total optimist to the melancholic atoner.There are funny moments as well as very tragic ones,all told in a slick comic-strip format,making it feeling like you're reading a manga-version of your favorite doctor show(like say,Doctor House),making the story as interesting as the rest of the game.
This game is the drama queen of surgical fiction,second only to Trauma Center
The ''scored'' gameplays (i.e Surgery,First Care,Orthopedics,Endoscopy) are fast-paced gameplay that require a great deal of skills and dexterity,as oer Trauma Center tradition.They are also fairly stressful (probably not as much as the real deal,but still),complemented with the dramatic lines and the great soundtrack.
You get scored based on your general performance,as well as specific conditions.Perfectionists will often go back for more until they get the best ranks they can. Diagnostics and Forensics,though,are closer to a visual novel and therefore,aren't scored (thankfully,will explain).Being far more story-driven,those parts will often have the most poignant plotlines,especially in Forensics (and two cases in Diagnostics) where it can get downright heartwrenching. (For that reason,I liked Forensics the best)
Like the other Trauma games,this game is fairly difficult.While the Surgery procedures are generally easier there than in Center (maybe because the game has less focus on surgery than the rest),the others are very difficult all in their own ways,despite being fairly forgiving and even a bit hand-holding sometimes;Orthopedics levels require a great deal of precision,First Care is speed and stress at it's finest and Endoscopy may take some time getting used to.Diagnostics and Forensics both require terrific attention to detail and some degree of perspicacity.Thankfully,the game is kind enough to help with the more specialized jargon.
Attention to detail indeed.
If we had to look for any weaknesses in the game,we could point at the relative lack of reward (from a more ''game content''-point of view;the game will make it's way to make you feel like a hero when you beat it.) such as extra missions.Talking of which,maybe missions specifically made for multiplayer would've been a good idea,to make the multiplayer stand out more.
You do unlock omakes,but it's a bit of shame that it's only audio.
All in all,Trauma Team is an unique experience,with a great deal of dramatic flair and of gameplay variety.It is indeed a superior Wii game that anyone looking for something new in their gaming should try.(It's probably better to start with this before the Trauma Center games though.
