Grey's Anatomy-free

FREE DOWNLOAD LAPTOP | Let’s just get one thing clear right now: this review is not a debate on whether or not Grey’s Anatomy the TV show is good or not. I like the show, you may hate it, and that’s fine, but this is Gamervision, not Television…vision. I’m here to tell you about Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game, which is, of course, based on the TV show of the same name. Published by Ubisoft, Grey’s Anatomy follows the characters from the show through five drama-filled original “episodes”, made up of acts and scenes, in which you will occasionally be asked to do something to interact with the situation. Does it sound awesome? If so, you might need a neurological exam.

When I heard that Ubisoft was making a Grey’s Anatomy game, I expected it to be a Trauma Center clone with more sexual innuendo and awkward elevator scenes. Well, the innuendo is there (and then some!), but most of the “operating” consists of playing various micro-games, which are usually around 30 seconds in length. Actually, the only action you’ll see is these exercises, making the whole thing feel more like a vaguely interactive episode rather than an actual game. While this formula has been tried before, the problem with Grey’s Anatomy is that the player has so little influence over anything that happens that it almost seems pointless. For example, the first “scene” in the game has Meredith hinting that she wants Derek to come over that night. (For a wholesome game of Go Fish or something, I’m sure.) She’s given the option to play hard to get, or be flirty, through an accompanying micro-game. However, no matter what the outcome, Derek’s going to get on board; there are no wrong choices, and no real consequences.

It is possible to “fail” scenes; you are given five lives in each scene, and using them all will cause the scene to restart. However, each scene is only a few minutes long, so that’s not too steep a penalty; additionally, many of the exercises are so mind-numbingly simple that you won’t need any extra lives. Time limits are given for every game, so you must simply finish before time runs out. In the later episodes, you are given more to do in a short amount of time, but it still never felt particularly challenging. Surgical procedures are a bit different, as there are usually several steps to complete, but the basic set-up is the same. The operations could have been where the game shined, but any actual doctoring in the game is usually boiled down to a few button presses and the occasional swipe of the Wii remote.

Developer Longtail Studios worked in conjunction with the producers and writers of the TV show for this game, and it does seem like it was written by someone with a really good working knowledge of the show. It feels like it’s set about a season ago, with some stale storylines re-appearing, but that’s not a major issue, since the game also introduces some characters new to the Grey’s Anatomy universe. My problem is that the game feels like it was written by an internet fanfiction author. Every character is reduced to one trait (Meredith has commitment issues! Cristina is ambitious and it makes her seem bitchy! Dr. Bailey is balancing a family and a career! Dr. Sloane likes to sleep around!) While all of these characteristics are true to the show, the game just beats the player over the head with them. Additionally, the patient storylines also feel like a rehash from past seasons (An outbreak and the worst crisis at Seattle Grace ever? Again?).

The visual style of the game, if nothing else, is very interesting. Instead of going for realism (which would not have gone over very well on the Wii), Longtail went with a cel-shaded look, which actually was not a bad choice. Character models often closely resembled like their human counterparts, although occasionally they just looked really creepy. I would have liked it if more of the show’s actors lent their voices to the game, instead of just two supporting characters. Hearing someone else’s voice come out of Patrick Dempsey’s animated face can be a little off-putting.

For the most casual of the casual gamers who also happens to own a Wii and be a die-hardGrey’s Anatomy fan, this game is for you. For everyone else, the game just doesn’t have enough to offer in terms of actual gameplay. With five episodes ranging from an hour and a half to two hours each, there is little replay value, and even for a Grey’s Anatomy fan like myself, I can’t imagine paying $30 for this game. While there were some entertaining moments during gameplay, most of them stemmed from the rest of the Gamervision staff watching incredulously over my shoulder as I completed another inane micro-game.

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