Two Point Hospital....

While I've been continually pottering away at different game elements, it's been some time since I really tried some of the DLC content. The last few days or so I've been trying to 'get into' some of the three DLC's that I'd started (briefly) some time ago but could never 'do'.

I like the idea of them. I like the narrative and story lines of the broader Two Point world universe.

Yet when I play them I'm almost immediately disinterested. I'd no such issues with the first DLC - Bigfoot. I've been doing and enjoying all the other content in the game. Especially the R.E.M.I.X. additions.

I think the efforts I've seen my wife go through have made me not want to go through the same. Pebberley Island in particular with it's wave based objectives which I find super annoying.  Close Encounters seems fun but I've seen and heard my wife play and utter some expletives, which in a post game analysis didn't inspire me to go through the same.

It's all a matter of gameplay. The DLC is more 'hardcore' in ways. For the dedicated only. I guess I'm not as dedicated to it as I thought; Or at least not the DLC's kind of dedicated. While they are themed, they are also based around different gameplay mechanics.

The Off the Grid DLC seemed to be the one that drew me in more than the others. All that despite having one game mechanic I really don't like. For the first map anyway. The 'hospital' occupies the same look as the grounds. It's all open air.

Sounds harmless enough but when you try plotting out rooms pre planning goes out the window and I tend to get confused as to what is in and outside. It's hard to tell when it all looks the same. Pebberley was the worst for this but at least with Off the Grid I got to place some cheap items to more clearly mark boundaries.  Even zoomed out the maps stone outer limit markers fade into the artwork. A me thing for sure. At least map two and three are very much building based!

Map one isn't that much of a challenge. It's the games usual hospital management. On it's third star it's very much a grind for cures and percentages. A lot of hospital management and staff training. Two Points version of a 'grind' I guess. With the added % of 'greenness' to keep an eye on as it's an immediate fail condition if it drops too low.

Some perseverance, luck as well as research gaming and the third star popped after a while, to my relief. I had been on the verge of save and quit(for now). Least it all worked out! There's gameplay motivation in that.

One down and two more maps to go. Map 2 and 3 at least are back to being in buildings.

Maybe the other DLC's won't be so bad after this....