Two Point Campus....

Two Point Hospital had a big impact on the gaming community as the spiritual(and otherwise) successor to Theme Hospital. Hype was high for it and it did it all so well on release that it's not going to get knocked off it's pedestal any time soon. So in considering Two Point Campus, expectations need to be managed. Campus isn't a ground breaking follow up; There's no 20 year old nostalgia to go with it. If you've been into Two Point Hospital and into expanding the Two Point County game world then Campus is a logical step..... Compared to TPH, Campus is a game with similar mechanics on a new theme's fresh coat of paint. No bad thing but expectations need to be managed. 

For me Two Point Hospital essentially wore out it's welcome as the DLC's went on. So it's fair to say I have baggage. So my expectations for Campus were pretty non existent. Very much a me thing as a gamer but I've seen shades of that attitude in regard to the game in online talk. Too much same'ol same'ol with a fresh coat of paint. My wife was bigger into the TPH DLC but was as disinterested in Campus as I was.

Having said all that, what brings me to waffle here about Campus is that the game on release was part of the XBox Ultimate(gamepass) subscription. I've played a lot of games through it recently(like PowerWash Sim). Seemed a waste to not take a look at the game for myself(on PC).

So one quick install later I was in it. It's very much got the same Two Point mechanics, the same but different. There's familiarity which for me didn't 'do it for me'; Same'ol same 'ol strikes again. My wife on the other hand seems to have a greater tolerance for the game mechanics no mater the paint job(Hosp or Campus). She was all in on. Different strokes for different folks. Makes me wonder how many Two Point Hospital fans were disappointed or 'put off' when seeing Campus in the flesh.

In playing it, it's as much the little things that are similar which I dislike as much as the new little differences that are 'cool'. 

The announcer is the same and the announcements are funny and apt as usual. The workers and patients students all have fun animations, characteristics and stats. The classes/activities are all fun, look good etc. But the pause menu kills the audio like a pillow on a speaker(interesting in some games(Battlestar Galactica Deadlock), not here for me). Pause is not really pause as a lot still happens like worker popups for challenges etc. So pause doesn't have the 'safe zone' feel. Kudosh items are needed more often(very very often)for those in map challenges.... Like place X Kudosh item in Y location. That said Kudosh isn't as 'rare' a currency as it was in TPH. So yea it's the little things.

I've only scratched the surface with no interest to see more. My disinterest alone casts a shadow on what I was seeing from the start. I've seen a lot more as my wife has progressed her playthrough; knights jousting, cheesy gubbins sports .... It's got fun, it's got comedy and its got the Two Point good mechanics..... 

I just can't bring myself to get lost in those mechanics in Campus. Lightning not striking twice and all..... I'm a gamer with other games to play.

As for the Achievements I've unlocked; Some stats are interesting.

Less than 27% of players got a student to graduate.....

Less than 25% earned 1000 Kudosh....

Less than 45% of players earned the first star(of three) on the first map....