Usually when you think of Ubisoft’s
“Petz” franchise, you think of having cutesy animals that you collect in order
to add superficial improvements like hats or sunglasses. However, one of the
publisher’s most recent entries to the Petz franchise changes up the formula,
instead playing out like a cross between the game’s predecessors and doctor sims.
Petz Rescue: Wildlife Vet borrows
quite liberally from other titles on the Wii, namely the Trauma Center franchise
of games. As a wildlife vet, you’ll be encountered with a variety of injured or
sick animals, learning how to treat them and diagnosing them as you discover
their symptoms. The game requires you to employ the motion detection controls of
the Wii remote just like Trauma Center, pointing at the screen and performing
specific moves in order to heal and treat your animal patients. When you’re
between missions, you’ll spend most of your time within a medical compound in
Florida, where you’ll be able to walk around and speak with scientists and other
doctors.
Aside from the wildlife healing
elements, there are a few times where you’ll have to go out into the wild in
order to heal animals. This will often require you to perform other motion-based
mini-games, sometimes cutting down a tree and tiptoeing across it to get to the
other side, or even roping in a disagreeable baby elephant.
As you progress through the main
campaign, you’ll gain some pet projects where you’ll have to take care of a baby
tiger as well as tend to a pregnant dolphin. Each one plays out like a
sub-mission, as the tiger requires you to take care of him and feed him as well
as discover a cure for an ailment that it suffers from. The “research”
sub-mission requires you to go around the compound and interact with other
scientists in order to collect special molecule pieces in order to come up with
a cure for the tiger cub. As you talk to people, you’ll get special clues to put
you in the right direction and help you find the pieces of the puzzle.
The pregnant dolphin sub-mission
requires you to keep tabs on her by checking in on her and performing
ultrasounds to see the baby’s growth progress as well as heal whatever ailments
are currently bothering the mother.
Petz Rescue: Wildlife Vet is an
interesting approach to the formula set out by games like Trauma Center, but
ultimately plays out like a lighter version of the latter. The game isn’t
terribly difficult, and while the missions do grow more complex as you go,
they’ll never really tax your mind too much.
Additionally, the experience is very
short-lived. Going through the five chapters is a breeze and won’t take you more
than a few hours to complete, while the side-mission is also very short. When
all is said and done, most players will be completely done with the game after a
few days of play.
Graphically, the game looks pretty
good. While the characters aren’t the most detailed, the game has a nice
cartoony look that is well-animated and moves at a smooth clip. The music and
sound features some decent voice work and music that works well with the game’s
theme.
Petz Rescue: Wildlife Vet is a nice
approach to the doctor sim genre and moves beyond its franchise to be something
new and different. Unfortunately, too much of the game treads familiar territory
from other games, and doesn’t offer a lot of longevity.
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Gameplay: 7.0
The Trauma Center-inspired gameplay is varied and easy to grasp, but the
whole affair is very short-lived, even with the side-quests.
Graphics: 8.0
The look is quite cartoony, but looks and moves quite smoothly.
Sound: 8.0
The music works well with the game’s theme, and there is some voice work
here and there.
Difficulty: Easy
Concept: 6.5
The gameplay is pretty derivative, owing a great deal to the Trauma Center
titles, and the game is very short and pretty easy.
Overall: 7.0
A decent entry to the series and a nice change of pace, but far too
short-lived and easy.
