Kill or cure patients, it's up to you

Type of game: Hospital management

Created by: Bullfrog

Published by: Electronic Arts

"This bullshit f**kin’ C++ better work!" Peter Molyneux got up on the wrong foot today as he hopelessly tried to get the beta version of "Dungeon Keeper" working. For months he was working on his new masterpiece. But every day he began to hate Dungeon Keeper more and more. The publisher on his back, the fans nagging about the release date, the review magazines killin’ the poor man’s good nature and the beta-testers whining about multi-player bugs almost made our dear friend fall in a gap as deep as the Grand Canyon. Mark Webley, one of Peter’s friends and fellow programmers recently had this conversation with Peter:

Mark: You certainly look lovely this morning! That stubble beard of yours really is a fresh sight!

Peter: Thank you for yor keen insight... (Said with a remarkebly high level of sarcasm)

Mark: But wasn’t this going to be your masterpiece, your Hamlet?

Peter: Hamlet? Ha! It’s more like a cheap-ass sit-com to me! If things were as fun and relaxing as making Theme Park. God! Where were the times? (Deep, creepy cough) Damn motherf**ker! This cold keeps getting worse, I’d better go to a hospital.

Mark: Wait a minute...

Theme Hospital (TH) is the newest Bullfrog family-member. It boldly is Theme Park (TP) in a hospital. Here, instead of running your own amusement park, you (try to) make a well-and effeciently running clinic. But although TH is originally based on the concept of TP, the déjà-vu-feeling I had was quite weak. The Advisor is someone who really came back from TP. But now, he’s wearing a doctor’s coat, to make sure that you’re not playing TP. He always gives you tips and advises and is really helpful (read: annoying). The game’s intro is very funny but tends to lose it overall attractiveness if you’ve played TH a lot. But you certainly won’t get that smile of your face, I garantuee! The main menu is controlled by the Professor, a quite pathetic "Einstein". The game starts up in high-res SVGA and it looks good. The music is great and the announcer can be very witty. One of the announcements I could never forget and I believe that what’s the objective: "Look out for other Bullfrog products!" Talk about shameless advertising! Anyway, after you made a decent hospital with all the facilities and staff, people start coming in. Their AI routines are very good and (generally) logical. For example: When you don’t make benches, they must stand so they’ll quicker become unhappy, fed up and eventually leave. A distasteful side-effect of this are vomit-waves. These really can be a terror. Other "disasters" earthquakes, which damage your machinery and epidemics. A lack of money can also be very annoying. A loan can help, but they are, as usual, very risky, especially when your balance is negative. And if you try to be economical, the reputation meter won’t go far. All these things make TH a tough game. But, it is since TP the most charming and friendly game I’ve ever played...

EP sez:

TH is a good game, and really can entertain before Dungeon Keeper arrives. And I’m sure it also will after it comes!

(c) 1997 Erwin's Pages
Erwin "Reaper" Husin

Score

Gameplay: 9,5

Graphics: 8,5

Sound & Music: 8,5

Addictiviness: 9

Overall: 91%

P.S: These are the persons of the TH team who joined Peter Molyneux to Lionhead:

Mark Webley, Jonty Barnes, Russell Shaw and PR-Star Cathy Campos.

Links

> Bullfrog
> Electronic Arts