Trauma Team
Paging Doctor Wii-Mote
Posted May 21, 2010
The Trauma Center series of games just got a little bigger with the release of Trauma Team for the Nintendo Wii. This anime infused title centers around the ability to perform surgery and investigate causes of medical incidents. This title is somewhat less difficult than previous entries in the series, likely to make operating more accessible for a younger audience. The player takes control of several of the doctors seen before in the series. They are attempting to stop a lethal disease from spreading across the U.S. and each doctor has a portion of the story to unravel. The most interesting plot line involves a surgeon with amnesia that that’s at the operating table because he’s also a prisoner. Each successful surgery knocks several years off his sentence. The presentation is definitely unique in style, but the cutscenes may feel too niche for a Western audience.
The game is molded around six different aspects of medical procedures: diagnostics, forensics, first response, orthopedics, endoscopy and of course surgery. Different players will have preferences over modes, but I enjoyed first response and forensics the most. Switching between patients with only a minimal amount of tools is wildly fun. You really have to be quick moving around and monitoring vitals. You aren’t dealing with massive injuries the majority of the time and are simply stabilizing them before they reach the hospital. It’s also one of the more satisfying co-op experiences as partnering with a friend allows for a more balanced approach. (or imbalanced if your friend is a terrible doctor.)
Forensics has an opposite level of pacing, requiring you to think through and deduce what happened. It obviously has a CSI feel to it and ties into the overall game mechanics perfectly. You go between crime scene to suspect, dissecting the scene with forensic tools and eventually questioning the killer. The game is fairly clever in the way it words the majority of the questions, although some answers are far too obvious.
Diagnostics was my least favorite mode, likely because the game hides the detail you need the most to solve their medical problem. You basically question a subject about their symptoms and find a way to get to the core problem. It’s like an episode of House, but far less entertaining. My eyes glazed over at some point when trying to tell the difference between two CT scans. The developers did a poor job of balancing the action in this mode, but I suppose that’s how diagnostics works.
Endoscopy was mildly interesting due to the required Wii-mote skill. You are basically guiding a very thin camera through a patient’s insides and staying away from damaging anything vital. It has a steeper learning curve than the other medical fields and it’s more like the Operation board game than any other mode.
Orthopedics and Surgery are two of the core gameplay modes from Trauma games of past. In orthopedics, the player is supplied with the tools automatically from a nurse and is tasked with keeping the camera under control. Basically, there’s a meter that builds up during the procedure. If you keep the meter building up, the operation goes swimmingly and the doctor keeps his cool. If you do the opposite, the camera becomes shakier as to represent the doctor’s nervousness. In regards to surgery mode, veteran players will find less of a challenge here. It somewhat slower paced than previous renditions and more forgiving during the actual procedure. But it’s still one of the more entertaining modes.
Fans of the Trauma Center series are going to be right at home with this version of the story, but newcomers may find the title too odd for their tastes. Trauma Team has a solid presentation and story line as well as a large amount of content to play through to finish the story. You are looking at about 20 hours of gameplay on the first run through, perhaps up to 30ish if you play through the game on multiple difficulty levels. Also, co-op mode helps extend the life of the title considerably as you are working together with a partner to complete the operations. All this being said, you will likely find that certain medical practices aren’t as entertaining as others; diagnosis for instance. I am glad that the developers are continuing to innovate and try new modes though. Overall, Trauma Team is worth the $39.99 retail price if you are looking for a quirky new Wii title.
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The game is molded around six different aspects of medical procedures: diagnostics, forensics, first response, orthopedics, endoscopy and of course surgery. Different players will have preferences over modes, but I enjoyed first response and forensics the most. Switching between patients with only a minimal amount of tools is wildly fun. You really have to be quick moving around and monitoring vitals. You aren’t dealing with massive injuries the majority of the time and are simply stabilizing them before they reach the hospital. It’s also one of the more satisfying co-op experiences as partnering with a friend allows for a more balanced approach. (or imbalanced if your friend is a terrible doctor.)
Forensics has an opposite level of pacing, requiring you to think through and deduce what happened. It obviously has a CSI feel to it and ties into the overall game mechanics perfectly. You go between crime scene to suspect, dissecting the scene with forensic tools and eventually questioning the killer. The game is fairly clever in the way it words the majority of the questions, although some answers are far too obvious.
Diagnostics was my least favorite mode, likely because the game hides the detail you need the most to solve their medical problem. You basically question a subject about their symptoms and find a way to get to the core problem. It’s like an episode of House, but far less entertaining. My eyes glazed over at some point when trying to tell the difference between two CT scans. The developers did a poor job of balancing the action in this mode, but I suppose that’s how diagnostics works.
Endoscopy was mildly interesting due to the required Wii-mote skill. You are basically guiding a very thin camera through a patient’s insides and staying away from damaging anything vital. It has a steeper learning curve than the other medical fields and it’s more like the Operation board game than any other mode.
Orthopedics and Surgery are two of the core gameplay modes from Trauma games of past. In orthopedics, the player is supplied with the tools automatically from a nurse and is tasked with keeping the camera under control. Basically, there’s a meter that builds up during the procedure. If you keep the meter building up, the operation goes swimmingly and the doctor keeps his cool. If you do the opposite, the camera becomes shakier as to represent the doctor’s nervousness. In regards to surgery mode, veteran players will find less of a challenge here. It somewhat slower paced than previous renditions and more forgiving during the actual procedure. But it’s still one of the more entertaining modes.
Graphics
- The visuals in Trauma Team are definitely not spectacular, but certainly passable for the Wii audience. The cutscenes aren’t as polished as they should be, perhaps more at home on the DS. The in-game visuals during the operations are clear enough, but the mutli-colored internals of a body are a bit distracting. The physics engine is perfectly fine for operating though and works very accurately with the Wii-mote.
Audio
- Considering the source, voiceovers were actually much better than I expected. I only had a problem with one or two voice actors who ended up having minor roles. The in-game musical cues were on the money as well, highlighting changes in pace throughout the various operations.
Conclusion
Fans of the Trauma Center series are going to be right at home with this version of the story, but newcomers may find the title too odd for their tastes. Trauma Team has a solid presentation and story line as well as a large amount of content to play through to finish the story. You are looking at about 20 hours of gameplay on the first run through, perhaps up to 30ish if you play through the game on multiple difficulty levels. Also, co-op mode helps extend the life of the title considerably as you are working together with a partner to complete the operations. All this being said, you will likely find that certain medical practices aren’t as entertaining as others; diagnosis for instance. I am glad that the developers are continuing to innovate and try new modes though. Overall, Trauma Team is worth the $39.99 retail price if you are looking for a quirky new Wii title.
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