Two Point Hospital

Theme Hospital is one of my favorite games of all times, and one I still played on occasion up to recently. Ever since reading the news of a successor, I didn’t think twice about pre-ordering it. Created by Two Point Studios and published by SEGA, Two Point Hospital is all I could hope for, and then some.

Much like in Theme Hospital, Two Point Hospital eases you into the process of running and managing a hospital. Starting small, you learn the basics, and slowly move on to bigger and more complex hospitals as you complete goals and open up new areas in the map. The fun part is that even the hospital layouts are reminiscent of its predecessor, and if you have ever played it, you will feel right at home in Two Point.

Having to explain the game in detail would probably make for a rather boring review, since it’s a micromanagement strategy game at its core, and there are several menus and functions to watch over. So I’ll focus on what I liked the most and what surprised me throughout my experience as a virtual hospital administrator.

The learning curve can be a little steep, but it’s necessary. The first few levels are a breeze, without major concerns. Then things get a little more complicated, be it emergencies, recovering destroyed hospitals, lightning storms, epidemics, earthquakes, meteor showers, constantly unhappy staff, raging patients, or staff that’s not trained.

I love the research function. Back in Theme Hospital, we’d send patients that we didn’t know what to do with to research, but now we actually research improvements, or just to raise money. A separate currency can also be researched, Kudos. This currency allows you to purchase extra decorative items for your hospital, which are unlocked as you progress through the game.

There is now a marketing room where you can launch promotional campaigns to improve reputation or attract a particular type of staff… provided you have the funds.

Training is especially important, and I’ve actually found myself going back to early stages just to improve my staff’s stats. For example, having a general practitioner with all five levels in GP training means faster and more accurate diagnosis, while a nurse with level 5 ward management will be perfect for the wards. Certain rooms require qualified staff in that specialty: radiology for X-Ray and MEGA Scan, genetics for DNA Lab, surgery for the operating room. Depending on staff qualifications, you assign them to the rooms that require that set of skills.

Location is everything! Some hospital layouts have areas that are spread a bit far, so it’s important to have a good flow and not scatter rooms all over, so that patients aren’t wasting time and their health running back and forth. I place my diagnostic rooms near the GP offices, and any treatment rooms can go a little further. In the same way, bathrooms and staff rooms should be easy accessible to cut down on “travel time”.

I love how the announcer’s voice is still just about the same as I remember. Of course, I have yet to hear “The hospital administrator is cheating!” in her lovely accent, but she says enough random hilarious comments that have made me laugh quite a bit. The radio announcers are equally funny and worth listening to in between the light tunes.

Humor is everywhere, and it wouldn’t be the right game without it. We had a crazy set of conditions and diseases back in Theme Hospital, and it’s no different in Two Point. The conditions are bizarre, the names are clever, and the patient animations are great! I had a few good laughs from seeing psychiatric patients with Night Fever and Mock Star having dance-offs in the hallways: one looks like John Travolta, the other like Freddie Mercury. Watching the patients and what they do is entertaining, as is seeing how the strange machines and devices cure them. There is no shortage of giggles in the hospital grounds!

Furthermore, with all the stages and challenges (you can raise each hospital to 3 star level), or trying to beat your friends’ scores, there is plenty to keep you entertained. And if you’re a perfectionist and want your staff properly trained and your hospital layout to be efficient, you will more likely do some “renovations” once your cash flow is in order. With all this, I admit I have not touched the last stage yet, but I’m logging just over 100 hours of gameplay and counting.

Two Point Hospital takes the classic gameplay we know and love from Theme Hospital, and adds so much more. Plus, its user-friendly for beginners and a management paradise for veterans. I can honestly say Two Point does EVERYTHING right.