Last year’s Surgeon Simulator 2013 was an absolutely ridiculous, yet somehow completely entertaining, take on the simulation genre that was becoming super populated. By forcing players to control a doctor’s hand directly it provided the most “accurate” of surgery-based simulations yet. Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition grants players another opportunity to return this hospital of horrors. Is this edition worth the time of players who already laughed their way through the previous edition?

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First, new players need to know that the purest joy of Surgeon Simulator is experiencing all its weirdness for the first time. Without spoiling anything, the gameplay is quite simple. Players control a man’s right (or left) hand directly for use in surgeries. His fingers contract in a grabbing motion by pressing R1 and R2 on the DualShock 4. Either tilt control or the right stick control wrist motions while left controls the arm’s extension. Finally, L1 and L2 push the entire arm down or up to help you dig into a surgery victim. The controls are at first unwieldy, although less so than on PC. Via that platform you are required to control each finger independently. On the other hand, holding the PS4 controller in a death grip seems to cause more hand pain than hammering on keyboard buttons.

Such a weird control scheme takes time to learn. While trying to learn how to control a hand, five different types of surgeries must be performed. No matter the surgery, there are always a great set of tools at your side. Scalpels, needles, bone saws and even hammers sit in wait for a bumbling hand to grasp them. Although it might not look like it, Surgeon Simulator is effectively a puzzle game. Your goal is to discover how best to accomplish whatever surgery is underway. For example, in some surgeries you must know to cut specific areas in order to dislodge an organ. Each surgery follows a sequence of actions that must be performed before you can succeed. Even failure can be fun when you start messing around with terrible tools such as an axe or drill. Returning players should enjoy the two new surgeries (eye transplant and tooth extraction).

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Five surgery types might not seem that exciting, and on its own that’s true. Its existence, however is fueled by players who enjoy the awkward controls. If that layer of difficulty isn’t enough then the new hospital hallway stage is just what the doctor ordered. This is unlocked after an initial playthrough of all surgeries. The patient is now strapped onto a moving gurney that rushes down hallways. Along the way trays with surgical tools are routinely rolled away. As such, you need to grab what you need quickly, work on the patient, and hope that another gurney comes by soon. Considering how hard it can be for some players to even pick up a scalpel, the speedy mode will prove very challenging to many. Performing surgeries in an ambulance and space still exist too - if you can unlock them.

Seeing all these surgeries on a large TV set as opposed to computer monitor showcases how grisly they really are. Blood coats the doctor’s unsteady hand, organs wobble about weightlessly, and some gruesome stuff happens in the new surgeries. Sure, the visuals are still brightly colored and unrealistic, but some players might not love it. Unfortunately, modes like the Team Fortress 2 character swap (which make the game feel extra cartoony) are not in the PS4 version at all.

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Closing Comments:

At its core, Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition on PS4 is still effectively the same game as it was on PC, just with a few more additions. The biggest change is going from far too precise keyboard controls to still somewhat precise controller support. Once you get past the gimmicky tilt control, it becomes a more manageable gameplay experience. Those who obsessed over the original do not need another version in their life. Players who have yet to experience Surgeon Simulator, however, will get a fully-featured and slightly easier version on PS4. Who knew medical malpractice could be enjoyable?

score3.5

Version Reviewed: PS4