14 DAY TRIAL // Ahh, the joys and perils of being a doctor, or a surgeon. You have to think quickly, watch the timer, use your instruments with great care, look after the patient, pay attention to your staff's behavior and sometimes even fight a bit against bioterrorism. That's the game treatment that made Trauma Center a hit on the Nintendo DS system.
Now, Nintendo is seeking to recapture the magic of saving lives with Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2, starring Dr. Stiles and old-time Nurse Angie Thompson as they once again deal with life-threatening diseases and the effects and mysteries of the defeated GUILT virus from the first game of the series.
Atlus, who is developing the game, says that they have heard players crying out about the difficulty of some of the levels and are taking action. Apparently, the surgical instruments you work with will now have "improved functionality" to make sure that everyone has a chance at beating the game. The stylus-based input system will also be significantly better, allowing the player to tackle harder situations.
As in the previous game, each patient will present a new combination of tumors, internal lacerations and GUILT strains which spawn various cuts, small or deep, and many other ailments. You have to disinfect, stitch, cut and remove, then patch up and use things like a magnifying tool to concentrate on certain areas, or an ultrasound to locate moving targets.
The only help you get are suggestions from other medical staff and something like the "bullet time" from shooters, which allows the player to act quickly in order to heal the patient while real time slows down. The sequel is likely to feature more interesting situations and maybe a more appealing plot.
The game is set for a North American release in June and more details will be available as the launch date approaches.