Cleril
01-03-2010, 06:35 PM
Trauma Center: New Blood (New Blood from now on) is the latest sequel in the Trauma Center series. Not only is it the latest Trauma Center but it adds a lot of new depth to the series of the player being a surgeon in a modern fantasy world where terrorists don't use bombs but diseases to strike.
http://www.mywii.com.au/img/game/Trauma-Center--New-Blood-1.jpg
New Blood doesn't stray far from the series in this respect. The game starts off simple enough with you in a little known hospital in Alaska. Soon enough you are called to fend off a man-made disease called "Stigma" otherwise known as New Blood's version of GUILT which was the series original man-made disease. Stigma is a more complex and deadly disease than GUILT though and you'll travel from a fake city to a fake hispanic country and back.
While the plot may sound extremely cliche and not long lasting the writers did the best they possibly could. They take the story seriously and do a great job of pulling you in during high pressure moments. If you think you're just going to be doing lobotomies think again. The story is original to some extent out there and certainly is interesting enough to keep you going.
The game can be played with just a Wiimote but if you want to actually get close to beating the game you'll need a nunchuck for a better control scheme. You use the nunchuck joystick to select your operating tool, of which you have 8 by default but technically have 10. For some missions you have to use a defibrillator in which you push the Wiimote and Nunchuck forward and press the Z and B buttons on each controller to time the charge you put into the patient. Your other "tool" is activated by just pressing the Z and B buttons and drawing a star on the screen. This "tool" is known as the "Healing Touch" and each character has a different Healing Touch power.
That's right, you get to pick who you play as for almost every mission save for a few in which for the stories sake you have to use whichever character the game throws you with. It's really not a big deal since each character just has one difference, the type of Healing Touch they have. Doctor Vaughn's Healing Touch slows down time while Doctor Blaylock's Healing Touch stops the patients vitals from going down for a period of time. Each power is effected by how well you draw the six pointed star. It's not hard to do as the game will accept any size star since it only checks more how many lines used and how connected each line is to each other. If it looks like a star to you then you get the full benefit.
The other 8 tools you get are, in no particular order are the: Ultrasound/Magnifier, Forceps, Scalpel, Sutures, Syringe, Anti-Biotic Gel, Laser, and the Drain. All of these tools serve multiple functions. The syringe can be used to inject anti-biotic gel into the patient to boost vitals while it can also be used to get rid of tiny tumors. The tools all control the same, point where you want to use the tool and press A. Then for certain tools like the scalpel you have to move your Wiimote where you want to cut from there but other tools like the drain or lasers just require the hold A routine.
Now there is a reason for such simplicity. You'll be switching between your tools like a mad scientist later on and using them on a second by second basis. The complexity comes from the question of "Can your brain multi-task" because for a lot of missions that's what you'll do. One mission your creating donor skin with the syringe, cutting it off with the scalpel, and then using the forceps to pick it up and place it on a burn wound. Oh, and your timed 99% of the time and if you run out of time you fail the mission entirely. You can be given 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes for each mission which is decided by the game. A few missions have timers on them but you don't have to finish the mission with time to spare. It's one of the few ways the game makes you feel the tension of the scene.
The game keeps things interesting and unique by completely blind sighting you with surprised mid-mission that mostly come out of left-field. Such as the lights going out in which case you use a lighter to see a small part of the screen at a time. Be aware that this game is hard, even on easy mode. You will lose but you won't get frustrated since every mission can be beaten with practice and prioritizing. By the end of your gaming session your mind will be exhausted because this game is all about the brain's ability to multi-task, prioritize, and organize. You'll feel a lot of accomplishment after tackling most missions, especially the final "boss fight" with Stigma.
Another issue concerning difficulty is that some missions in single-player make it bluntly obvious that a second player would make things so much easier. The burn victim mission comes to mind as to make donor skin, cut it out, and then place it on the 6-8 burn wounds is hard to do all in 10 minutes by yourself. Only a few missions fall under this though and most are balanced effectively based on the difficulty and if you are playing co-op.
The graphics are a mix of 2D and 3D. The characters are 2D sprites but they look very detailed. The operation area itself is 3D if not it at least has the illusion of 3D. Regardless the graphics are very nicely done and suit the game perfectly. It's not realistic looking but everything is rather color-coded in a way to let your eyes focus on things like the color dark red, otherwise known as blood. None of it will gross you out though if you have any sort of tolerance for such things. The game isn't gory and never tries to gross you out. It's very clean, in some ironic way.
The audio is superb for this game. The game is fully voice acted and they all hit their marks 95% of the time. Only the very minor characters ever come off as complete failures as voice actors. The beeps of the vitals, the cutting and suturing, it all sounds wonderful. The background music is a mix of calm melodic songs to some light and fast rock for the more intense operations. The music itself is so good that halfway through a mission you'll quicky think "Damn that fits in so nicely...oh crap vitals are low!".
http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/835/835977/trauma-center-new-blood-20071116023822209.jpg
Okay, so do I get it?
If you are a hardcore gamer, yes, get it. This game is not for casual gamers at all. It's for those with fast reflexes and fast brains. It is certainly a title to add to your library as there is a replay value with different difficulties which change the mission up a bit. There is also a co-op mode for your friends to join in. Expect this game to last you at least 10 hours of tons of fun, by fun I mean mental exhaustion.
Cleril would never be a surgeon in real life. Unless the surgery involved reviewing. But not very often is it that someone is sent to the ER regarding a reviewing incident, sadly.
http://www.mywii.com.au/img/game/Trauma-Center--New-Blood-1.jpg
New Blood doesn't stray far from the series in this respect. The game starts off simple enough with you in a little known hospital in Alaska. Soon enough you are called to fend off a man-made disease called "Stigma" otherwise known as New Blood's version of GUILT which was the series original man-made disease. Stigma is a more complex and deadly disease than GUILT though and you'll travel from a fake city to a fake hispanic country and back.
While the plot may sound extremely cliche and not long lasting the writers did the best they possibly could. They take the story seriously and do a great job of pulling you in during high pressure moments. If you think you're just going to be doing lobotomies think again. The story is original to some extent out there and certainly is interesting enough to keep you going.
The game can be played with just a Wiimote but if you want to actually get close to beating the game you'll need a nunchuck for a better control scheme. You use the nunchuck joystick to select your operating tool, of which you have 8 by default but technically have 10. For some missions you have to use a defibrillator in which you push the Wiimote and Nunchuck forward and press the Z and B buttons on each controller to time the charge you put into the patient. Your other "tool" is activated by just pressing the Z and B buttons and drawing a star on the screen. This "tool" is known as the "Healing Touch" and each character has a different Healing Touch power.
That's right, you get to pick who you play as for almost every mission save for a few in which for the stories sake you have to use whichever character the game throws you with. It's really not a big deal since each character just has one difference, the type of Healing Touch they have. Doctor Vaughn's Healing Touch slows down time while Doctor Blaylock's Healing Touch stops the patients vitals from going down for a period of time. Each power is effected by how well you draw the six pointed star. It's not hard to do as the game will accept any size star since it only checks more how many lines used and how connected each line is to each other. If it looks like a star to you then you get the full benefit.
The other 8 tools you get are, in no particular order are the: Ultrasound/Magnifier, Forceps, Scalpel, Sutures, Syringe, Anti-Biotic Gel, Laser, and the Drain. All of these tools serve multiple functions. The syringe can be used to inject anti-biotic gel into the patient to boost vitals while it can also be used to get rid of tiny tumors. The tools all control the same, point where you want to use the tool and press A. Then for certain tools like the scalpel you have to move your Wiimote where you want to cut from there but other tools like the drain or lasers just require the hold A routine.
Now there is a reason for such simplicity. You'll be switching between your tools like a mad scientist later on and using them on a second by second basis. The complexity comes from the question of "Can your brain multi-task" because for a lot of missions that's what you'll do. One mission your creating donor skin with the syringe, cutting it off with the scalpel, and then using the forceps to pick it up and place it on a burn wound. Oh, and your timed 99% of the time and if you run out of time you fail the mission entirely. You can be given 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes for each mission which is decided by the game. A few missions have timers on them but you don't have to finish the mission with time to spare. It's one of the few ways the game makes you feel the tension of the scene.
The game keeps things interesting and unique by completely blind sighting you with surprised mid-mission that mostly come out of left-field. Such as the lights going out in which case you use a lighter to see a small part of the screen at a time. Be aware that this game is hard, even on easy mode. You will lose but you won't get frustrated since every mission can be beaten with practice and prioritizing. By the end of your gaming session your mind will be exhausted because this game is all about the brain's ability to multi-task, prioritize, and organize. You'll feel a lot of accomplishment after tackling most missions, especially the final "boss fight" with Stigma.
Another issue concerning difficulty is that some missions in single-player make it bluntly obvious that a second player would make things so much easier. The burn victim mission comes to mind as to make donor skin, cut it out, and then place it on the 6-8 burn wounds is hard to do all in 10 minutes by yourself. Only a few missions fall under this though and most are balanced effectively based on the difficulty and if you are playing co-op.
The graphics are a mix of 2D and 3D. The characters are 2D sprites but they look very detailed. The operation area itself is 3D if not it at least has the illusion of 3D. Regardless the graphics are very nicely done and suit the game perfectly. It's not realistic looking but everything is rather color-coded in a way to let your eyes focus on things like the color dark red, otherwise known as blood. None of it will gross you out though if you have any sort of tolerance for such things. The game isn't gory and never tries to gross you out. It's very clean, in some ironic way.
The audio is superb for this game. The game is fully voice acted and they all hit their marks 95% of the time. Only the very minor characters ever come off as complete failures as voice actors. The beeps of the vitals, the cutting and suturing, it all sounds wonderful. The background music is a mix of calm melodic songs to some light and fast rock for the more intense operations. The music itself is so good that halfway through a mission you'll quicky think "Damn that fits in so nicely...oh crap vitals are low!".
http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/835/835977/trauma-center-new-blood-20071116023822209.jpg
Okay, so do I get it?
If you are a hardcore gamer, yes, get it. This game is not for casual gamers at all. It's for those with fast reflexes and fast brains. It is certainly a title to add to your library as there is a replay value with different difficulties which change the mission up a bit. There is also a co-op mode for your friends to join in. Expect this game to last you at least 10 hours of tons of fun, by fun I mean mental exhaustion.
Cleril would never be a surgeon in real life. Unless the surgery involved reviewing. But not very often is it that someone is sent to the ER regarding a reviewing incident, sadly.