Surgeon Simulator 2: My journey into medical malpractice
Surgeon Simulator 2 injects a delirious dose of co-op fueled adrenaline straight into the heart of the original, cranking everything up to a whole new level.
The original Surgeon Simulator, first known as Surgeon Simulator 2013 was born from the Global Game Jam held that year. Developed in 48 hours, it was a wacky idea made from a single theme: “a heartbeat”. The premise was so ridiculously simple at first glance, but it quickly gave way to a unique brand of hilarity that was an intentional consequence of its clever, and physics-based gameplay loop. The tightly designed core mechanic that made the original game so entertaining to watch as well as play helped to create an almost endless amount of comedic gameplay videos for content creators and streamers.
After several ports and a re-release, the developers Bossa Studios are back with a sequel that improves and expands on the original in every conceivable way from core mechanic, to user interface, to its addition of level creation and online multiplayer. Now you can botch your patient’s operation with the help of up to three of your friends!
Playing solo, the game doesn’t waste any time throwing me straight into a room in front of a wooden desk; the game’s tutorial. A disembodied voice informs me that my invitation “[was] mysteriously sent out a little early” and that the facility hasn’t been tested for trainees, nor is it yet open to the public. A nice in-universe set up for my preview arrival here. Another voice has conceded that I will be their beta tester!
With that, the intercom clicks off and I am ready to go. The room is somewhat disorganised, but the first thing I see in front of me is a poster telling me the keyboard controls to move around. As I move around to get my bearings, I can’t help but look around to see the body my outstretched hand is attached to. Unlike the original game, your character can move freely around the environment. You can see your whole body from the neck down and the game’s collision affects the arm. I found this out by walking into a nearby door that was chained shut. My character’s hand simply responded with a limp-wristed motion. It was amusing to see; I don’t know why I thought I could try and unlock it.
I look around to find another path. The game is designed a lot more like an adventure game of sorts with a puzzle element. It’s a refreshing advancement on simply being in one spot at the operating table in the original game. Those new puzzle elements come into sharp focus when I see the large red light above the door. The button to unlock it is here somewhere. After finding the path into the control room and seeing the controls to control my arm, I push the nearby button to unlock the door. Like the original game, the player can only control the character’s left arm. I suppose I should be grateful for that. If you could control both, things would get pretty complex pretty early on! I just don’t have that kind of coordination!
As I progress into the next room, I can’t help but get a flashback to first-person adventure games with puzzle elements à la Portal 2. It definitely feels like a natural evolution for the Surgeon Simulator series and I’m really liking that extra dimension it adds to the gameplay.
I slowly make my way through the rooms, taking in the Bossa sense of humour that also was in their previous game I Am Bread. I find that it’s a very uniquely charming, British sense of humour. You can see the elements of storytelling through the haphazard environments without a hint of dialogue. I search for a card key that I have to pick up and hold to open the door. Finally, after a few moments of crouching and jumping through vents (all part of learning the game’s new controls), I make it to the next level where I meet my first hapless patient: Bob. For those familiar with Surgeon Simulator and I Am Bread, Bob will be a very familiar face.
Like the first game, Surgeon Simulator 2 asks you to complete certain procedures in each level. However, unlike the first game, the gameplay goes to a deeper level by expanding the size of the operating theatre. There are new rooms you’ll need to go in to grab the tools you need.
The heads-up display is minimal, and you have to use the new scanner tool to diagnose what is ailing the patient before you operate. Those screens by the operating table and across the theatre are the only ways to know how much blood is in the patient and how quickly their blood loss is progressing. It functions as a sort of timer, and there’s a fun balancing act between making sure the patient is okay and scrambling around, looking for the tools you need to operate successfully. I can imagine how wild things could get with four players around and how you would need to strategise to succeed.
The first task is to grab the blood syringe — which is now available from a dispenser in the wall — to boost the patient’s blood level enough for me to find the hacksaw in the other room and clumsily saw Bob’s right arm off to transplant the new one. I made the mistake of cutting the arm off without getting the replacement first and Bob quickly bled out while the excised arm went gangrenous; I stood there incredulously.
Luckily for me, there are infinite supplies of Bobs to commit my medical malpractice on! There’s a tangible feeling of reward in learning from your mistakes, retrying and coming back to be a better surgeon.
The puzzle elements get deeper in the levels beyond the tutorial where there are more limited quantities of the equipment and require more tactics and planning to complete, especially if you’re playing with friends. Completing levels will reward you with cosmetic items that you can use to personalise your character in the way you see fit and there are several unique ones to choose from with a range of different genders, skin tones and body types.
Surgeon Simulator 2 drops on PC August 27th via the Epic Games Store. You can pre-order now from the Epic Games Store to get exclusive pre-access to play from August 21st-26th, in addition to a selection of time-exclusive cosmetics!
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