Yes, my wife
and I watch the show; in fact when I saw that the game was coming out, I
actually requested it because I knew my wife would get a kick out of it. And to
kind of summarize what is actually happening, you need to understand that this
game is a large story arc taking up several episodes. And that the timeline
falls somewhere in a story arc from two seasons ago. Characters are that aren’t
currently on the show are there as well as situations surrounding them.
So the game
works like this, episodes, acts and scenes are played out in a very stop
motion-like way on the upper screen, you read what happens and then a mini-game
will present itself. Whether the scene calls for blood to be drawn, bandages to
be changed or medicine administered, it’s all very, very simplistic. The stylus
is used to manipulate these actions and they are really dumbed down. As the
story plays out you are constantly doing things like this. Only as the story
engages in plot devices will you actually perform surgery or make a major
decision.
Again,
stylus action is used, but when you want to make a decision, you are forced to
actually work at that decision, rather than just selecting what way you want to
take a scene. For instance, you don’t know how to deal with a patient’s wife,
you can act aloof, or be compassionate. then pieces of two pictures are
scattered around, and you must pick the pieces of the picture that reflect your
decision. SO even if you want to act aloof, you could actually be compassionate.
Yes, it makes simple decisions somewhat silly.
"Could you put some bactine on that before ya sew me up Doc?"
Add to this
the silly ways you must deal with the very dramatic lives the characters carry
around with them. Yes, I realize the drama is what makes the show good, but
flicking away little puff balls that represent distractions in order to get
things moving is just plain goofy. It should be noted that during each and every
mini-game – whether its sticking a sytringe in a patient or swatting away the
forementioned puff balls – there is a timer bar disappearing at the bottom of the
screen. Your task must be completed in the time allotted or "gasp" you have four
other tries to do it. If you can’t get it done in the full five attempts, you
are forced to play the scene over, this can happen indefinitely.
One can’t
help but feel the game was filled with nonsense where the stylus is applied. Yes,
you perform surgery, but it is neither difficult nor challenging, I was honestly
looking for some scenarios where long, challenging brain surgery was involved,
or a quadruple bypass with tricky bleed-outs constantly popping up. But the game
just does not get it done in the challenge department.
"Well I wouldn’t want you either; you’re a walking
Botox commercial!"
All the
characters are pretty much represented here in the game, they look like mannequin
versions of themselves in the upper screen, but the lower screen does a better
job of detailing the actual actors’ faces on their medical ID on the bottom
screen. There is no flowing movement while "watching" the episode and the the
game’s actual gameplay screens seem like they are missing a final glossy finish,
the whole game feels like it is lacking some production value when it comes to
the visuals.
Not that the
sound is much better. The Grey’s theme is surprisingly absent as are the voices
of the actual actors since the game is read and not heard. A low point in the
game is the absence of any real tangible sound.
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Gameplay: 5.0
What should
have been a really challenging and exciting medical game is really quite boring
and uninteresting.
Graphics: 5.5
Its simply
missing something, I don’t care for the character renders and I didn’t think the
game had a good look to it when engaged in the mini-games, there are a couple
that look better, sure, but not by much.
Sound: 4.0
There was
sound?
Difficulty: Easy, so very, very easy
Concept: 6.5
It had some
potential going in, and knowing Grey’s history will help pull you into the
storyline, but then you start losing brain cells by engaging in the game.
Overall: 5.0
Not what I
had hoped for in the least. The idea is solid, the implementation is lacking.
