Galacticare review: Stars align in this alien hospital sim

The question of "What if it was in space?", I feel, is something of a goldmine when it comes to creating a new IP. After all, Alien got started with the single-sentence pitch of 'Jaws in Space'. It can be used in almost any scenario, the stars are the limit. Well, the same thing applies to hospital sims too - and Galacticare is just the ticket for scratching that alien itch, on console or PC.

As you build your hospitals in the game, and unlock new methods of treating patients and their various afflictions, you'll be left with a smile on your face that you'll struggle to wipe away (you may want to get that checked out - I know a good hospital a few galaxies away).

It’s about to get gloopy

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Starting as a new Director, you'll be charged with various hospitals to build up, maintain and save patients from their various debilitations. Alongside their ailments, you'll have to manage your finances, the hiring and firing of doctors and keep your hospital in tip-top condition with your army of Medibots by your side.

As it says on the tin, Galacticare offers your traditional assortment of hospital sim tropes from the Theme Hospital and Two Point playbook. There are a slew of patients experiencing every disease under the sun you're orbiting, from your typical shattered limbs to complete Jellification.

As with any management sim, getting your rating up is paramount if you're going to create a successful and autonomous space hospital. Making sure your rooms are appropriately spaced, corridors decorated and doctors trained and ready will get you through the game's various scenarios.

A-star alien autopsy

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Along the way, you'll experience the running commentary of the likes of Heal, Medi and a whole cast of characters who are quite happy to pick at your faults and help you get back on track with helpful tips and tutorials. They're sarcastic and quippy and deliver some excellent lines to liven up the mood. The patients you treat are also pretty unique, from the humble ET-like Ohde, to the Colossal space whales that make up your big-ticket treatments and reward you with unique items and opportunities.

No one day is ever the same in the hospital, with space concerts gone wrong, to a plethora of pandemics. Occasionally, to build up the tension a little, you'll experience a few events that will shake your space station and require you to get things back in order, from high-priority clients to meteor shows that will damage your rooms and equipment. Learning how to combat and problem-solve these encounters is part of the charm, and keeps you on your toes once you've got your hospital running like a dream.

Star Warts and all

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When starting the main scenario, you'll work your way through various tutorials and unlock different rooms and gadgets that will help you treat the slew of ailments that come your way. While it can be a little slow to get going in this segment, once you do, and you have patients lining up to be treated, you're in for a treat.

Galacticare often left me smiling after every mission. One moment I was treating jellified patients, the next I was curing those with Space Fright and Star Warts, all to the backdrop of a wonderfully spacey soundtrack. While you'll be starting in the main scenario, you'll soon have the opportunity to freestyle between assignments, using the resources you'll have become accustomed to along the way and picking up more using the Galactic Exchange and in-game currencies you earn from completing objectives. These feel like ample rewards and help provide new inspiration for how you want each medical facility to be decorated.

The Verdict

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Galacticare will have you reaching for the stars as you build your cosmic hospital up and treat the denizens of the furthest reaches of space. While it may be a little on the slow side to start with, putting in enough time into creating your optimal medical facility is incredibly satisfying, with a cast of characters that help make each of your spaces feel alive.

The game is an incredibly charming hospital sim that, while not breaking the boundaries of the genre, provides an assured and confident game that will have you curing the ailments of your extra-terrestrial clientele for hours on end.

4/5

Reviewed on PlayStation 5. Review code provided by the publisher.