Trauma center: Second Opinion Review (WII)

Trust me, I’m not a doctor…

Trauma Center: Second Opinion is good clean fun for anyone who has harboured a desire to be a vet, doctor, surgeon etc or just likes the idea of legitimately cutting people open.

I’m glad I’m not a proper doctor

You play Dr Stiles who is a bit of an incompetent buffoon to begin with but who develops as the game goes on as, hopefully, do your own skills. The game makes good use of the Wii technology and you use the remote and nunchuck to wield scapel, forceps, laser (ooh yeah!), syringe, ultrasound and so on. A typical operation: make an incision, drain fluid, excise a tumour, stitch the patient back up, apply a bandage and all in under five minutes. However, there are more complex operations and situations (such as diffusing a bomb at one point) to keep it interesting. You also get to play another character for a few operations.

Additionally, the main characters have something called ‘healing touch’ which is a special opportunity you will encounter a short way into the game. I probably didn’t use this as much as I could but at times it was very helpful. Effectively, it slows things down for a short period so you can get something done. For example, if there is a tumor to excise, it gives you a little leeway to get it out or if vitals are dropping, it can give you time to administer an injection. Be aware, though, that it isn’t the easiest thing to do. You need to be able to draw a five pointed star with your remote. Easier said than done! With practice it becomes considerably easier though.

There is a storyline of sorts (other than Dr Stiles’ personal development). A deadly virus has been manipulated and unleashed and as the story develops you seem the effects of this ‘GUILT’ virus and work to target it. I found the story very secondary to the fun of chopping up bodies and found it became a little dull as time went on. However, the developers have clearly made an effort to provide a theme, rather than just a string of operations so I’ll give them some credit for that.

Graphics are OK. People may argue that they are a little basic at points but this is a game where you need to be focused on a particular area so I feel this is actually a plus point. Sound can be quite annoying – the accents get a little bit wearing after a while, as do some of the effects and comments in ‘theatre’. There’s an easy way round this – the mute button.

Be prepared to do the same operation two or three times before you crack it on some occasions but they are all possible in the end and the game provides good entertainment. I didnt find it too repetitive, even though I repeated several operations.

For those of you concerned about blood, it’s minimal. Unless you’re extremely squeamish, I think this is safe for everyone. It does lack a little realism in terms of anatomical structure but this is also a probable plus point. Too much realism could only make it very complicated.

The game has certainly taught me one thing – I’m glad I’m not a proper doctor and – if any of you see my operating work – you’ll be glad of the same :). In the meantime it has certainly passed several good hours and I’m eagerly hoping for a follow up.