Among the things that has upset me most in gaming over my lifetime, the acquisition of Bullfrog Productions by Electronic Arts, and to have the great game series they’d made disappear or get ruined, is among them. Probably my favorite title of theirs, Theme Hospital, was just such an unusual mix of simulation elements, silliness, and loads of personality. Over the years I’d played through it multiple times, always hoping that somehow one day its legacy could be honored. Thankfully, Two Point Hospital absolutely picked up that torch and ran with it, bringing back all of its silly diseases, the lady making announcements, and plenty of quirk. Now, having missed out on Two Point Campus, we have a new entry in the series that is taking on museums instead.

I’ll admit that I was curious how this would work out when I heard about it, and I had some real concerns with whether or not the pretty dry and more informational aspect of a museum would suit the series. Thankfully, I’m happy to say that my concerns were pretty quickly set aside by a development team that didn’t simply switch contexts and re-skin everything, they’ve obviously been invested in breaking new ground as well to make the experience even better. Concepts like diagnosis and treatment rooms being replaced by exhibits, there still being a need to manage your staff and give them time to relax, and working on training programs to help build new skills and improve your capabilities are all at play, creating what I’d call the baseline experience for the franchise. Paired with a very workable UI that only tripped me up on occasion, stopping there could have at least made for a reasonably good time.

What’s terrific is that there are some new elements at play here, chief among them being expeditions. These will send members of your staff out to different corners of the world in search of new finds to use in your exhibits, but of course they aren’t without their decision points and risks in themselves. Who you send, what perks you choose for them, and potentially what tough choices you’ll need to make in the event that something goes awry will all have an impact on your success. Boosting the experience of everyone involved can be very advantageous, but the risk of injury incapacitating someone while they’re being treated is also worth addressing. Another key element, one that helps the game feel more like the Rollercoaster Tycoon series, is theming which you’ll need to help generate buzz and pull more people in. There are some great elements that will let you customize your exhibits, and smart placements with the right elements can really drive up both public interest and some cashflow in the form of donations. 

Throw in the ability to create tours, research educational stations for the kiddos, trying to thwart robberies, and a number of other features, and the game goes from being merely a solid new entry in the series to being a new high water mark for not just the Two Point franchise, but sims like this in general. The game is oozing with charm and silliness, but underneath that is a legitimately smart and well-thought-out base that continues to add new aspects to the mix the further you go, helping to keep you from being overwhelmed by too much at once and continuing to reward your time investment rather than too quickly feeling stale. I’m absolutely looking forward to where the series can go next, and hopefully continue to refine what’s already become a terrific franchise.