Trauma Team is the newest entry in the medical series from Atlus, originally started on the DS with Trauma Center the games have expanded to be solid titles for both Nintendo consoles. Now with Trauma Team the developers have added all new gameplay types to vary the experience the series is known for.
Trauma Team is made up of six different gameplay modes each with it’s own main character, the different modes range from fast paced and exciting to slow and repetitive so most players will find their two or three favorite modes and leave the others off until they have to play through them since the game gives you the option to play the missions in any order. As players complete each mission cut scenes are unlocked to push the storyline forward, much like medical dramas on TV the doctors of Trauma Team all have their own personal issues that they must deal with as they go through the daily stresses of being a doctor. The story will feel familiar to those who watch anime, the same types of characters and quirky humor that is usually found in Japanese shows is present in Trauma Team.
The graphics in Trauma Team are fairly simple, the cut scenes are in a comic book style which works fairly well, unfortunately the animations are limited and could have used a little more polish. The actual gameplay graphics in the surgery modes are also simple with only vague colors and shapes representing actual organs and other body parts.
Sound is overall ok, the elevator music in the slower missions fits in well, as much as the exciting tunes during the surgeries. However the voice acting could use some improvement, a lot of the dialog is delivered as if they were being read directly off the script, a little more acting and feeling could have helped the story a lot.
The basic gameplay mechanics for the surgery levels are still the same from previous entries of the series so fans will feel at home with half of the modes right away. Forensics and Diagnostics are more like adventure games where players need to put the pieces of the problem together in order complete the mission. Although these levels were placed in to slow the pace of the game a little they slow it down a little too much which could make finishing each mission a chore. Overall though Trauma Team still delivers on it’s promise in creating a simple doctor simulation.
The biggest problem with Trauma Team is that it could have been a lot better had the presentation been more robust and the slower modes had been refined a little. One interesting thing to point out is that the game is retailed at a budget price of $40 which does help sweeten the deal. As it is Trauma Team is a solid title for the Wii, fans and new comers who are interested in playing doctor or house will enjoy it.
[starreviewmulti id=2 tpl=20]
Overall = 7.7
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