Surgeon Simulator 2 (2020)

"Lack of 'Surgeon' in this Simulator" | Surgeon Simulator 2 | VGBC Podcast #29 (REMASTERED)

When it comes to sequels for anything, whether it’s video games, movies, etc. - the first thought is to make a sequel that is bigger, badder, and beefier than the original. And Surgeon Simulator 2 does just that. The game has expanded from single player to full online co-op multiplayer (one of the main reason we decided to play this game in the first place), it has an incredible boppin’ soundtrack to mutilate limbs too, there are quite a few different levels and large expansive areas for you and your friends to mess around in - and the game even has an interesting overarching story. Visually the game has also gotten a complete facelift, and the overall design of the game is fantastic and appealing to look at - futuristic retro vibes everywhere.

HOWEVER; along the way, the game seems to have lost the core DNA and reason why so many people gravitated towards the first game in the first place… the surgeon simulating part of it. The reason why the first game was so appealing to many people is because the controls were intentionally made awful, which led to a lot of hilarious moments when trying to perform a surgical operation. Sure it could be frustrating at times, but that was the whole point - trying to perform an impossible task with impossible controls - that was the fun of it. Making a mess of the whole surgery, restarting and trying again.

This game seems to have forgotten that - and while I do like how it’s trying new things with the environmental puzzles, and brief platforming sections… it just doesn’t feel like a true surgeon simulator game. It feels like a puzzle game, with surgeon simulator elements sprinkled on the top of it. Once you’ve performed one surgery, it’s literally a rinse and repeat throughout the game. Nothing new is really added, and it’s more or less the same - the puzzles to get to the surgeries get more complex, but the surgery themselves remain the same.

Much potential, sadly squandered. The premise of the game is great but the execution is less impressive. The solo game is fairly dreary and thankfully very short, but the multiplayer is where the potential goes to waste. It feels like the kind of game that would have suited couch co-op and as a PC online expert that fun from the chaos quickly turns into frustration as other players mess around, cause levels to fail or generally just tend to spoil the feeling of actual cooperation.

There is a level creator in the game too that I've played around with but honestly it feels like making more levels that basically all inherited the flaws of the main game is a somewhat silly idea. There have been one or two really good levels in the player made catalog, but the majority are pure garbage which highlights the games sad flaws. If UGC is your thing there are already much better tools and games out there.

As a final thought, I think the games matchmaking is either broken or the game isn't selling as I rarely seem to get matched with anyone. Though given the crap chute that is the multiplayer maybe this is for the best.