Finally, an awesome game about operations that doesn't involve Solid Snake or Sam Fisher.
Here's the rundown:
Story: 9/10
The story in this game is quite an interesting one, with many twists and turns along the way. The story follows young doctor Derek Stiles, who works at Hope Hospital in Angeles Bay. Initially he is a very inexperienced and neglectful doctor. As time passes and more patients are treated he matures and masters a hidden power known as the "Healing Touch" which allows him to temporarily slow down time in order to treat serious conditions effectively.
Eventually Derek faces a new threat, a deadly synthetic virus called GUILT (Gangliated Utrophin Immuno-Latency Toxin) created by the bioterrorist group "Delphi". GUILT causes the body to basically kill itself in various ways within a short time of being infected. With his nurse, Angie Thompson, and the rest of the hospital staff behind him, he joins "Caduceus", an organization dedicated to curing GUILT. Derek battles GUILT in 7 different forms and eventually is able to overcome each, thus ending GUILT's grip on humanity. Yay.
The Second Opinion part comes in the form of Dr. Kirishima, a Japanese doctor who operates on a new side-plot that intertwines with Stiles's. She has mastered a Healing Touch as well, one that allows her to quickly raise a patient's vitals when they begin to falter. The whole story is very original and fresh. Even though it is basically a re-hashing of Under the Knife's story, it continues to impress (especially if you skipped UtK like I did).
Graphics: 7/10
OK, so the graphics aren't that great. But that's not what Wii owners bought the system for, so I won't grade as harshly. The organs all look like they should and the GUILT all have very unique designs that are clearly distinguishable in the middle of an operation. All in all, how this game looks is not really all that important. As long as I can clearly tell what I'm operating on, I'm happy.
On a side note, even though it is a game about surgery, it's not overly bloody or gruesome. Blood doesn't come gushing out of the patients or anything like that. The organs appear somewhat cartoony and the whole thing reaches a nice middle ground. But if you really don't need to see blood, then go and play Wii Sports for a while and leave this game alone. If you do need to see blood, then go play some God of War.
Music: 8/10
There's really not much music in this game. You have a few themes that play through cutscenes, a "Hurry Up!" kind of song when something bad happens, a standard operating theme, a GUILT theme, and a few boss tunes (yes, BOSS music. There are bosses in this game. Took me by surprise too.)
However, the music suits the activities and for a game like this I don't think a truly epic score is necessary. I DO like the chanting during one of the boss themes though. It made the battle much more epic.
Gameplay/Controls: 10/10
Man, am I glad Trauma Center went with dual controls on this one. Makes the whole thing much easier. The Nunchuk stick controls what tool is being used and the Wiimote is used to aim and use it. The whole control scheme seems intuitive and very natural, even if it is a bit unwieldy at first. When you use the forceps, for example, you actually have to push both the A and B buttons, giving the feeling that you're actually grabbing the thing instead of just clicking on it.
My only real complaint control-wise is the difficulty in pulling off a successful Healing Touch when you really need it. You have to draw a star on the screen and if it's not good enough or if you don't do it fast enough, it doesn't count. Even with the pointer to guide you, it seems consistently hard to do.
You are given several tools to operate with. First there's the scalpel, used to make incisions and reveal embedded objects. Then comes the antibiotic gel, capable of healing minor wounds and restoring a small amount of vitals to the patient. Next are the forceps, used to grab objects or tissue. Sutures are used to stitch wounds closed. Then there's the ultrasound, used to detect things within organs, the drain, which is used to clean up excess blood or toxins, the syringe, which allows for vital stabilizer or other solutions to be injected, and a laser used to burn or cauterize.
All of these tools are used not only in typical ways but also in imaginative ways as well. In one mission Derek must disarm a bomb using only the tools in his medical kit. In another the drain is used as an offensive weapon rather than just a cleanup tool. The missions cover a wide variety of surgical procedures, both real and imaginary, and there are many missions that keep me coming back.
At the end of operations you are given a grade based on how long you took, how many mistakes you made, and how many successful actions you chained together. Other mission-specific bonuses are added, and then you receive either a grade of C, B, A, S, or XS (though I've never seen a grade of XS on anything except the final unlockable bonus missions). It helps to add to this game's replay value, at least for those perfectionists out there.
Difficulty: 7/10
This game's difficulty stems from two things. The first is the need to switch tools quickly during an operation, which is something that just comes with practice and knowing ahead of time where each tool is. The second is the precision that this game demands. It's not unreasonable. I mean, come on, it's a game about surgery. You'd better be precise.
The game has four difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Extreme (Extreme only for the final 7 bonus operations). The missions themselves vary in difficulty as well. Some are fairly easy (Glass extraction), others continue to frustrate me to this day (Bomb disarming, for example).
The real difficulty lies in the game's 7 unlockable bonus operations once the game is completed. In each of these missions, you treat a specific form of GUILT on an extremely high difficulty. I'm not kidding. One or two wrong moves and your patient will die. I once lost literally about 15 seconds into the operation because my patient bled to death. It's just that hard. Beating them gives a nice sense of satisfaction, though.
Replayability?
It definitely has its charms. The higher difficulties, unique missions, and story will keep you coming back for more, even if it is just for a little bit at a time.
Final Verdict: 9/10
Trauma Center: SO takes Under the Knife's system and improves it greatly with enhanced graphics and a new sidestory. All Wii owners should at least give this game a try, even if you don't end up buying. It doesn't take very long to work your way through the game and it's certainly more than worth your time.