Big Pharma (Steam) - Review

Big Pharma is available now on Steam and is priced at £18.99.

In Big Pharma you are tasked with running a drug company. You have to create the pills, balance the books and basically make sure you turn a profit from selling your drugs. Which sounds like it'd be fairly simple, but watch the side effects of your drugs - too many and it isn't going to sell. Similarly if your drug is too perfect, you're gonna kill the market. It's a tough balancing act. 

I am a massive fan of Theme Hospital and every year or so I replay it and start looking for a game that comes close to its greatness. If, like me, you came to Big Pharma hoping for that I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

That's not to say Big Pharma is a bad game. It isn't, it's actually alright. But for me it just isn't in depth enough where it matters. You do have to put a lot of thought into creating the right drugs and working out which machines you need in order to do so yes, but the act of doing this is what cheapens the game. You end up with rooms full of winding conveyor belts that change your pill from one colour to another (increasing its abilities/side effects) before it reaches the end of the line. But it's just not very satisfying.

The magic of Theme Hospital was in the humour and Big Pharma sorely lacks in that department. It wants to take itself seriously but the game play is just too gimmicky in places for that to happen. I wanted FULL management, building, placing of rooms etc. not just pills and profit. The business management side of the game is quite good and will see you making some pretty questionable decisions ethics-wise, but for the most part the game just feels pretty lacking. 

The game works beautifully, I haven't yet encountered a bug. Controls are great and the interface is intuitive. At first it feels really complicated - the tutorials feel never-ending and aren't worded very well in my opinion, but it quickly becomes quite simple and repetitive. And in this price range I just don't think that's acceptable. Wait for a sale guys.

5/10 TRY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review. 

Smooth Operators (XBLIG) Review

Smooth Operators was released during the Indie Games Uprising III for the very tiny price of 80MSP.
I have to admit to not being too excited when I heard about this game, I didn't really understand how a game where you control an office could be fun, but I was VERY wrong!
I started the game and was greeted with some very catchy music, I was humming it to myself long after I had turned the game off. The tutorial was easy to follow and told you everything you needed to know to run your office. I started the game on normal, not being brave enough to go straight in on hard when I didn't know what to expect. You're given a good amount of money to start your business. The tutorial explains that you have targets, as in a real office, and if you reach them you're awarded but if you don't then you are fined. Not cool! So after a few 'practice' set ups, I set up 'KittenKomms' with plenty of offices, no toilets and no canteens. My workers are going to earn their wage! The first few days I hit target fine and gradually was able to give them the use of some facilities. So everyone ended up happy (ish!).
Each day gives you a new staff unlock. After a few you get a project manager, essential for upgrading and even building beyond a certain point. Account managers get you new contracts so you can expand your business. By this point I was hooked.
I have always been a fan of Sim games. Sims 3 can still keep me playing until I've missed two meals and whatever appointments I had that day. Theme Hospital too. I just never thought an office version would work. But it does, VERY, VERY well. It's an easy game to pick up and play and honestly is a great deal of fun. And at 80MSP it really should be a game that everyone picks up!

9/10 BUY IT!