Sega and Two Point Studios recently, rather out of the (icy) blue, released a downloadable content pack for their top rated PC video game, Two Point Hospital. The in game reasoning behind the new Bigfoot content is that a local “celebri-yeti” Bartholomew F. Yeti has successfully campaigned for better healthcare for the Pointy Mountain region. Bringing in a mixture of snowy mountain illnesses, new hospitals and items this adds a slice of new content to the game. However, is this more of the same in a good or bad way? Let’s find out!
Three brand new locations are begging for your help, in an order of course. Underlook Hotel is a hotel and resort with plenty of accidents, and is much in need to a medical facility. As part of the resort players are not able to earn money via normal means, being paid for completing Underlook Hotel targets. This shakes things up nicely as you will need to prioritise somewhat differently. Rather than spamming the top profitable treatment rooms based on per person attendance players will have to focus on the targets – or face the funds dry up and bad press mount up.
Svalbard… I mean Swelbard… is a remote research station like hospital. The task here for players is to kickstart the failing research coming out of the hospital, while servicing the needs of the local patients. Being remote comes with problems such as a severe shortage of trained staff. Thankfully, players are able to train up staff, with speakers able to somehow easily get to the hospital! While the research element is an okay one, it is after the research is done and new rooms are available that the fun truly begins.
Last but certainly not least is the rather grand Roquefort Castle – quite possibly the (dare I say it) best level in not only the DLC but the game. This is mostly due to a rather awesome cable car entrance for patients and crenellated walls with cannons mounted along the rim of the snowy castle. Roquefort Castle is an enormous level, spanning a lot of ground but with narrow sections. Though, as usual you can find yourself running out of room to put even more GP offices in!
Coming in with the cold weather are a range of new, and still comically pun-tastic, illnesses for customers to contract. Alongside some incredibly named chilly illnesses such as Cold Shoulder, a few non-cold or mountain related illnesses sneak in too, with the likes of Bard Flu and Knightmares bolstering the illness ranks! This helps these new levels to stay fresh above the visual theming being used, much like the way each hospital in the base game offers a slightly different experience.
A pleasant, almost undersold element of the DLC, is the introduction of new decorative items for your various hospitals. One aspect that slowly draws form the experience of the base game was the limited range of items that became repetitive. Adding to the available list, though needing to be unlocked via Kudos, lets players have something to aim for other than just reaching three stars in the new hospitals. Ranging from skiing equipment and furnaces to new rugs and Christmas wreaths there is plenty to add extra flair to your hospitals. While items included can be used elsewhere, once unlocked, they very much fit the theming of the three new hospitals. Fitting the snowy theme almost too well, with some looking a little disjointed elsewhere; for example when seeing a Christmas tree in the middle of some of the base game hospitals.
One thing that new players should be aware of is the inability to play the three DLC levels instantly. Following the format of the of the rest of the game players must get at least one star in the first to unlock the next. On top of this the first Pointy Mountain level, Underlook Hotel, is not even playable until players have gained a star on the Flemmington level. Given the holiday season style feel to the levels it wouldn’t surprise me if new players want to pick up the game and this DLC to play these themed levels only to find them unavailable until a good few hospitals later. This does guarantee that these level do not have to be a tutorial in style but still it is something to be aware of when purchasing.
Verdict
Bigfoot is a DLC that captures the same comedic elements of the base game. The new hospitals, with differing objectives, and the awesome list of new items to add to the hospital, from the cube of sitting to the festive items, only help the replayability and longevity of the title. Matching the base game illnesses in style players will literally be sending patients to the dog house at times, something which fits perfectly with Two Point Hospital. The only issue is the fact new players won’t be able to jump into the holiday season content now, so for new players it would be best to grab the base game, play that and then get this DLC. However, for those already sinking hours into the game this is a phenomenal way to extend the experience!
[Editor’s Note: Two Point Hospital Bigfoot DLC was provided to us by the publisher for the review.]
