Well, this is some serious nostalgia for me. I have very fond memories of playing Theme Hospital with my older sister as a child. We both loved the game so much, the challenge of each level, the sense of humour of the illnesses, cures, and even the tannoy announcements. I believe it may actually be the very first simulation game that I ever played, and easily cemented my love for the genre.
When I found out that the same people were making a spiritual successor to the game, I knew instantly that it was something I would be buying.
I can safely say that they have not let fans of the old game down as Two Point Hospital has perfectly captured the spirit of Theme Hospital, leaving nothing behind but adding plenty which only improves the experience. It still has the same sense of humour, but with all new illnesses and cures. There are new issues and challenges to think about – for example, the hospitals are all in different regions, some of which are either hot or cold, and you must regulate the temperature inside the hospital to keep the patients happy.
For those who are unfamiliar with the original game, the premise is pretty simple. You’re given an empty hospital and your starting funds, and you start building rooms and hiring staff members to run the place. Patients will arrive, check in, and make their way around the hospital getting a diagnosis and then hopefully a cure! You will need doctors and nurses to run the various facilities, receptionists to check the customers in, and janitors to clean any messes and repair machines as they deteriorate.
There are different hospitals for you to work your way through, and the challenge increases as you make your way through them with new illnesses, facilities and emergencies.
The game has a lot of replay value as there are plenty of different areas, and each has three stars for you to achieve, which will unlock different objects for you to use around the hospital.
One other small thing that the modern age brings is comparing your progress to your Steam friends – you can see when they have done a level, and how well they did!
I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys simulation/management games, and particularly those of you who played and loved Theme Hospital the way I did.
- Platform: PC (Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch release expected)
- Release Date: 30/08/2018
- Genre: Simulation, Business Management
Hobbits Of Hyrule 