The ripped flesh and shattered bone visuals will impress the commuters this game is aimed at, but despite life-and-death options, switching between base challenges and easy surgeries risks boredom
Spil Games
3/5 stars
Run a hospital, show off your skills as a surgeon, and save life and limb – that’s the general idea behind Operate Now: Hospital (available for Android and iOS).
Hospital simulation games are far from new – Theme Hospital and Hospital Tycoon were both cult releases in their day, appealing to types who find satisfaction in light-managerial tasks at a sterile place of injury and death. Operate takes things a little more seriously, no doubt inspired by the slew of gore-filled games of late, including the tongue-in-cheek Surgeon Simulator.
Here, your surgeries are filled with ripped flesh and shattered bones, all gloriously recreated in photorealistic visuals. Tools are briefly explained before being thrust into your hands, and time limits, alongside ever-quickening heart monitors, are always in the background. Your patients can and will die, costing you not only your reputation but valuable experience points.
That’s only a small portion of the game, though – it’s mostly made up of standard managerial tasks such as hiring staff, dealing with egos, renovating rooms, assigning schedules. None of it’s really challenging, and you can either play through its many tasks, or pay to fast-forward things to a place you’re happy with.
Still, most people will dig Operate Now: Hospital – as the developer’s goal was to entertain casual players on their commute to and from equally dreary real-life jobs.
