Trauma Center: New Blood - Nintendo Wii

Overall, I think that New Blood is a fantastic game. It really is gripping. At times, when I am struggling through an operation, I feel myself sweating madly, in fear of letting a virtual person die. When/if I save them, I get overcome with relief. This may sound stupid, worrying about a virtual character, but if a game can make you do that, it must be pretty good.



The game follows on from 'Trauma Center: Second Opinion'. In these games, Caduceus, a medical organisation, helps to combat and research some of the most deadly diseases know to mankind. The game is set a few decades into the future, with Cancer effectively wiped out. In second opinion, the two doctors try to combat 'GUILT', a desease created by someone for the destruction of mankind.
As you can probably guess, in New Blood, the same pattern is followed, but this time, 'STIGMA' is the disease. Two young doctors, Markus Vaughn and Valerie Blaylock, work at Montgomery Memorial Hospital in Alaska. When the hospital is closed, to make way for a much larger medical center, the lives of the two doctors change...

Firstly, I would like to focus on the graphics of the game. The characters are not meant to be lifelike, but the artists have brilliantly created the CGI bodies and body parts of the patients. Also, the tools are well drawn, and the'STIGMA' pathogens are very imaginative, and quite fearsome. Also, the art for the cutscenes is very good, with lots of detail going into the backgrounds.

Next, the gameplay is fantastic. This game can have you on the edge of your sofa, sweating, struggling to keep your virtual patient alive. Any game that can do this to someone must be absoulutely fantastic. With all the nifty sound effects, and the sometimes gentle bleep of the heart monitor brings you closer to being in a proper OR!

The difficulties are fantasticly portrayed. The levels start off fairly easy, for people who are new to trauma center, or are rusty from having not played 'Second Opinion in a while. The situations make you learn the ropes quickly, and
then the levels progress and get harder, and harder and harder etc. Also, when you think you have a good enough score, you can connect to the internet and see where you are on the Wi-Fi rankings.

My last point is one that really throws 'New Blood' down the ranks. The cutscenes. The cutscenes appear endless, with the background barely ever changing. Also, the characters are flat, and do not move. This has been improved slightly since 'Second Opinion' by the fact that it is voiced, instead of some background music, and you reading through lots of text. I am not saying that these sections should go, as they tell the story line well. I am just trying to say that they could be made more interesting, for example, you could have 3D rooms, where you walk around and interact with people. You should have multiple choice questions, with you having to (I, Robot style?) 'ask the right questions'! Also, when, for example, a letter comes, you should have to walk to the desk and pick it up. Also, when a patient comes in, you should have to run to the OR, picking up tools along the way. These are just examples, but something needs to be done to break up the monotony of the cutscenes. The ideas I have put foward may take quite a leap for Atlus, but something must be done!

A better way of telling the story between operations, and an all round tweak here and there would bring New Blood up the ranks.






Written By: Wii reviews

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