As a 22-year-old woman who has now completed all tasks in this charming little vet game in around 16 hours of gameplay, I feel I can now safely review this game. I will start with a list of pros!
[b]Pros:[/b]
- Graphics are good; not mind-blowing by any means, but standard for this kind of game. I'm particularly impressed with the animal models - again, they aren't knocking things out of the park, but they're certainly better than those of games in the same vein as this one.
- I also like that the animal models move about a bit. They aren't just static, like you see in a lot of other vet games. The movements are, however, quite robotic.
- The animal models have varying "skins", which I can appreciate. Love the calico cat!
- I like that the cursor turns into a little sprite of the tool you are using.
- There is a good range of diagnostic tools you can use in the game, such as a swab, syringe, stool samples, ultrasound, gloves, etc. Some of the tools can be used in both diagnostics and treatment.
- There is also a good range of medications that can be used on your animals.
- Game play is generally simple - ideal for growing minds. There is, however, a lack of tutorials in this game, which I will come back to.
- The animals make noises, which generally aren't annoying. My mum actually remarked that she likes the cat noise! (Probably while simultaneously wondering why her 22-year-old is playing a game aimed at children...)
- Characters are voiced, which is a nice touch. Most characters have the standard performance when it comes to voicing.
- Clients leave after a certain time if you haven't called them into the vet's room. I strangely like this touch, as it adds an element of time management between the other tasks in the game and seeing patients.
- Over time, you can add to your practice, having the ability to house budgies, cockatoos, cats, dogs, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses and inpatients. You can play with, feed and stroke these animals!
- You can buy your very own horse, and take it on trail rides! Perfect for horse-lovers.
- Housing animals as inpatients leads to a bigger paycheck from the client, however, inpatients are very time-consuming.
- Your character can go to an academy, and take a test for each level of veterinary practice (small animals, cats, dogs, etc). Before you can take the test, you have to read a book, that you then have to answer three questions related to it. This is a good tool for increasing memory retention in children, and it adds a bit of challenge.
- Resources are not infinite. You have to learn to manage your money between animal feed and medication for your practice.
- I like the terminology used in the game. Rather than very basic words used, the game does use some genuine veterinary terms, which could be a catalyst for further learning for children.
- The settings menu is very simple, which is great for the intended audience.
- There is nothing that could generally upset a child in this game. No graphic injuries, etc.
[b]Cons:[/b]
- Control of the main character is possible using the arrow keys, but is very clumsy. Use a mouse!
- The game manual, found in the game files, is not in English. Understandable, since I believe the dev company isn't English, but it would be nice to have an English version.
- The lack of English manual is a particular problem, seeing as the game (apart from when treating an animal) as no replayable/revisitable tutorials.
- What your client pays you for each animal [b]does not scale[/b] with the level of treatment you provide, nor does it scale with the type of animal you're treating. Naturally, you'd expect the cost of treatment for a horse to be more expensive compared to that of a hamster, but the game does not reflect this.
- The above can lead to issues with resource management, seeing as some animals demand more treatment, but this is not reflected in what the client pays you. You use a lot more resources treating an animal with serious nutritional issues as an day client compared to a minor issue. There is no increase in pay, so you've effectively using more resources for little payoff.
- Some of the 'hitboxes' on the bodies of the animals, most notably the mouth on every animal, are very small and almost fiddly to find. If you misclick even the slighest, you can make a mistake, which uses a resource.
- [b]There is not enough time in the day![/b] I know this is true for real-life veterinary practice, so I kind of appreciate the realism in that respect, but in a game, it leads to a frustrating experience. It can be hard to manage everything within the given time: attending to clients; inpatients (which includes cleaning, feeding, and treatment for a good paycheck at the end of their stay); buying resources and feed; taking tests for new qualifications and; the other things you can do within the game.
- Because of this time restraint, sometimes it can be impossible to tend to all your inpatients needs in a day, which means the client won't pay you at the end of their stay!
- Some of the voice lines are genuinely hilarious(ly bad), and for some reason, the male feed and animal dealer sounds like the early version of male Siri. Made me chuckle.
[b]Generally, I like this game![/b] It isn't breaking any records, but it really is genuinely enjoyable. I reckon kids would get a lot of playtime out of this game, and plus, it's constructive for them! They get to learn whilst they play, and develop empathy as they treat a whole host of animals. I can imagine this game sitting in my Steam library, and then being replayed alongside the future children of my own. A purchase that is well worth the money*, in my opinion.
*(Please note: I did buy this game whilst it was on sale)
