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Surgeon Simulator 2: Access All Areas
By David Chapman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Gory comedic medical sim is dead on arrival.
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Surgeon Simulator 2: Access All Areas
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Based on 1 parent review
yes.
What’s It About?
It's time to sharpen those scalpels and polish those plungers in SURGEON SIMULATOR 2: ACCESS ALL AREAS. This sequel to 2013's original Surgeon Simulator brings more camp, more wackiness, and more mayhem to the operating table. Welcome to BOSSA Labs, the medical facility where anyone off the street can (and does) try their hand at wonderful world of professional surgery. You can go it alone or consult with other armchair doctors in co-op and versus play for up to four players. Whether it's limb replacements, organ transplants, or even something as simple as a bifrontal craniotomy, no one should be held back from fulfilling their career dream by silly things like proper training or a medical license. After all, here at BOSSA Labs, malpractice makes perfect.
Is It Any Good?
Some games are relaxing ways to pass the time while others challenge your brain power or dexterity, but the most important thing is that they need to be fun to play. Somewhere along the line, Surgeon Simulator 2: Access All Areas misplaced this important lesson, likely collecting dust next to its copy of Gray's Anatomy (the book, not the TV series). It's probably easier, and shorter, to start with the game's sole positive. It's got an entertaining art style. The game leans heavily into its absurdity, with a cartoonish look and feel that one can never take seriously. After all, it's hard to expect much realism after slapping a fishbowl on your head, grabbing a bloody hand saw, and replacing a kidney with a coffee mug.
As far as what Surgeon Simulator 2 gets wrong? That's just about every other part of the game. The controls are meant to be awkward in order to make for more goofy moments. But these controls go far beyond simply awkward and well into the nigh impossible territory. And the more time you spend, the more irritable you get. Add the stress of the timer as the patient bleeds out all over the room, and even the most level-headed gamer will have to resist the urge to toss their controller or keyboard across the room. The game pushes hard for players to jump into some online team play, which can admittedly make missions just a touch less frustrating. But that's usually only if you team up with friends. In the random matchmaking, more often than not, you wind up teamed with people who seem to relish in messing each other up and causing as much chaos as possible. Surgeon Simulator 2: Access All Areas is neither fun nor satisfying. In fact, the only gratification comes when you've had enough and finally just pull its plug.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Surgeon Simulator 2: Access All Areas affected by the cartoonish, over the top visuals? Would the impact be intensified if the visuals were more realistic?
Can games like Surgeon Simulator 2 encourage players to look into actual medical training? What are some ways that modern technology has improved medical procedures and care?
Game Details
- Platforms: Windows , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Bossa Studios
- Release date: September 2, 2021
- Genre: Simulation
- Topics: STEM , Science and Nature
- ESRB rating: M for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore
- Last updated: September 5, 2021
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