Posted in: Conventions, Events, Games, Indie Games, Summer Game Fest, Video Games | Tagged: Brightrock Games, Cult Games, Galacticare, indie games, Summer Game Fest
Galacticare Preview: Getting Proper Health Care In Space
We gave Galacticare a spin during Summer Game Fest, as we tried to heal aliens from around the galaxy in a state-of-the-art hospital.
In the middle of Summer Game Fest: Play Days, we got a chance to try out Galacticare, the latest title from indie game publisher CULT Games and developer Brightrock Games. The game had been teased just a short time before the event, hyping up the fact that it would have a playable demo during Steam Next Fest. Ironically enough, that starts today, so you can play that demo now, running all the way until June 26th. But before you do that, here are our thoughts on what we got to play.
The short premise to this is that you are working to bring a better healthcare system to the galaxy as you set up new hospitals, as well as improve on established ones, to give people the best care possible. If this sounds familiar, it should, as the most common game out there that compares to it is Two Point Hospital. However, this one goes beyond just being a standard medical/business simulator title, as there are a few elements to it that will keep you on your toes and play out differently than the other game in comparison.
You will need to set up a hospital in the standard format, as Galacticare will require you to set up offices for doctors, examination rooms, treatment rooms, and a receptionist area to keep track of everyone coming and going. Some of the cool elements to the process of setting the place up are that you have technological options as opposed to people. Such as a small robot janitor who will roam around and clean things up for the messy people who refuse to use the trash. As well as a holographic doctor who can examine patients in a hurry and get them to where they need to go a little faster than real doctors, although sometimes they might have an error or two. Real doctors will require training in various areas to help patients out beyond standard care, but that's a simple process of giving them the info they need and the pay they desire.
Another cool aspect is that there is a giant purple alien roaming about that acts like a sort of roaming trade center. You can purchase black market equipment, as well as never-before-seen items that might help out the process of healing or managing the facility a little smoother. When they're working properly, that is. Keep in mind that it's a big galaxy, and there are a ton of diseases you've never heard of, so being on top of whatever may be in the neighborhood and beyond is a priority for everyone. So sometimes you need to get gear that isn't what you would call "standard" in order to help species that are far beyond your reach. And trust me, there are a lot of weird cases that require special attention, and they look pretty awesome to both diagnose and treat. There's great fun to be had in just discovering what's wrong with your patients.
Galacticare is a pretty wild take on the genre, and I feel like the demo we had wasn't even long enough to scratch the surface. I had a lot of fun with it and tried to see what else I could do, but like a lot of sims, there's always too much to do. If I had the time, I would have spent hours trying it out. In any case, the demo is live today for you to experiment with, and the game is set to be released sometime in 2023.