First
there was Law & Order, then CSI and now TV addicts
can enjoy interacting with another popular drama,
ER.
This
is a tough game to review only because it's not really
aimed at the serious gamer. It's definitely geared
towards viewer of the series which keeps it from getting
too deep and discouraging. It plays out like a linear
RPG and gets repetitive. The challenge is based on
acquiring more skills in terms of numbers than any
actual gaming skills such as puzzle solving.
ER
does its best to give you a insiders' look at the
world of an intern. Inside the hospital you will literally
live, eat and breathe this profession. You might begin
to feel claustrophobic since you can't leave the premises.
It's important to keep your health up which will require
alternate bouts of eating and sleeping. Hygiene, energy
and composure are metered and will affect your performance
and relationship with others.
The
more positive your relationship with superiors is
the more honed your skills will become. Skills will
deteriorate if your relationship sours with those
that are influential in your career. Skills are essential
to help diagnose and heal patients thus furthering
your missions and stature as an intern.
You
begin the game by creating a character based on skin
color, eyes, hair and of course sex. There are six
different medical skills with 10 levels each that
you can fill up. At times you will be required to
use more than one skill. Boosts in the form of regenerating
your comfort meter or boosting your energy are available
as power-ups but many of these boosts can only be
used once.
Interaction
is similar to that in The Sims as characters communicate
with one another using a conversation tree filled
with different options that range from polite to downright
rude. As I mentioned, the game is linear so if you
want to continue the storyline you're going to have
to become a likeable kind of guy.
Missions
include diagnosing patients, locating patients, treating
various diseases and disorders as well as sending
samples to the lab or assigning patients to doctors
that require attention beyond your skill level. Some
of these missions overlap each other and there are
time limits that you must heed. In this way the game
does a good job of replicating the chaotic environment
of an actual emergency room. Failure to complete the
most important tasks or making a serious mistake can
result in your getting fired which means it's game
over.
Serious
gamers will find the pace slow. It takes several hours
to complete an entire shift. It almost feels as though
everything takes place in real time. The camera is
not user-friendly. It will take some time to get used
to as you have to click on the bottom corners of the
screen to rotate your view. The graphics are good
but the real clincher is the professional voiceovers
from the cast of the televised show which include
Mekhi Phifer, Noah Wyle and Sherry Stringfield. These
actors really put in a lot of work. There are literally
hours of conversations which should satisfy any fan
of the show.
You
don't have to be a fan of the show to appreciate the
game. If you've never tackled a RPG strategy game
before this is a good place to start. Not to mention
that ER is budget priced. It's a good deal for the
right gamer.
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