Textbook case of a diamond in the rough.
This review is mostly a reaction on the GameSpot review. It spews a lot of criticism and most of that is justifiable. Actually, there are a lot more negative points to mention, but that doesn’t really matter, because they can be overcome.
When starting this game, remember that it is a game that came out before the great “Tycoon-hype” of recent years. This has its pro’s and con’s. Most notably it is quite different, i.e. not based on a “Tycoon game template” which feels quite fresh. But it also lacks certain options that makes the managing task a lot easier and less stressful.
For instance, you can click to a screen which lists all your personnel. You can easily spot who is tired and who is unhappy, so you can adjust that on the spot. Unfortunately, such a screen is missing for your machines. They require maintenance, but because you don’t have a handy overview screen you are forced to search your hospital for machines by hand. In later levels, your hospitals are crowded with machines, which means you spend to most amount of time speeding through your hospital to keep your machines operational. All the other important tasks get pushed to the background.
Furthermore, if you build a room the game keeps going. So if you are in the process of building a big and complex room, like the Research Rooms in the later levels, you can’t pause the game. This means that you have to leave your hospital unattended and that is a big no-no in this game.
Basically, that’s the one big problem with Theme Hospital. Your hospitals need your full attention every second you play the game. You can not build a hospital and sit back and enjoy it or just tinker a little. No, you have to monitor everything carefully and since there are not enough specific management screens you have to spot the problems yourself and deal with it on the spot. Although one might say it keeps the game lively, I say Theme Hospital is more hectic than ER (the TV series that is).
Than why reward this game with a fairly high mark? Well, it tends to hold you by the throat and does not let go until you quit the game. It is rewarding to finish off that incredibly hard level, it is rewarding to have the highest cure count. But the one reason for me is the contradiction in this game. You have to build a hospital to make profit, not to cure people. The cruel humour when you fire a patient from the hospital when he’s almost dead, because you do not want him to die in YOUR hospital. Decide about the live your patients is a nice cruel layer to the game. I do not know if the designers had that aspect in mind designing the game, but if they did it really shows of the typical Bullfrog-humour.
All in all, this game is a textbook case of diamond in the rough. It lacks certain management options and it tends to get insanely hectic, but the rewarding feel and typical humour makes this game a classic one.