War Hospital Reviews
War Hospital is a bleak and brutal management game, but one with an incredible theme and plenty of depth to keep you engaged.
There’s another way to look at War Hospital which is as some sort of RPG/visual novel. I think this change would actually benefit the themes of the story. There are already existing characters in the story. They are where the game comes closest to realizing its vision. The randomly generated patients by comparison, all feel like unimportant NPCs. War Hospital is all about taking on a role, but you express yourself through tactical decisions. If I spent less time choosing the mortal fates of random named guys, maybe I could have spent more time learning to be Major Henry Wells.
As much as this engages as a sobering alternative to the likes of Two Point Hospital, a large chunk of it just sees you cycling through familiar motions. The rich atmosphere and worthy setting are compromised by a narrow vision.
War Hospital is nowhere near the most sophisticated, nor the most polished strategy game money can buy, but it nonetheless does a commendable job of making you feel what managing an overwrought war hospital at the forefront of one of the most deadly wars in human history could be like. Though it's relatively simplistic tactical beats might not appeal to expert strategists, War Hospital's more narrow scope and poignant subject matter do make it a much more easily digestible proposition for both genre newcomers and perhaps more crucially, for first-person shooter folks who have ever given thought to what happens after they pull the trigger on an enemy soldier.
War Hospital is a pleasant surprise.
Review in French | Read full review
War Hospital's anti-war sentiment is commendable, but its gameplay and narrative are simply too lacklustre compared to its contemporaries to make it worth purchasing at full price.
War Hospital is an interesting take on the hospital management scenario. It offers up some unique challenges and has some genuinely difficult choices throughout while nailing the tone. Gameplay can get a little repetitive, at least early on there's not a huge number of different tasks to complete to keep it varied and interesting, but with all that said, I enjoyed War Hospital for the most part. Aside from a few instances of audio dropping, seemingly at random, it was a bug-free experience that ran well for the vast majority of my time with it. This isn't going to be for everyone, even those interested in this genre, but it's worth a look nonetheless.
War Hospital is a primarily functional World War I management simulation game that struggles to establish a meaningful connection between players and their staff and patients. As you progress beyond the initial hours, the gameplay becomes bogged down by repetitive mechanics exacerbated by an inadequate user interface with insufficient tooltips and unclear instructions, accompanied by a host of frustrating bugs that compelled me to frequently reload older save files and restart entire chapters.
War Hospital is not for everyone, but it does offer an intriguing insight into 1918's war support operations. The game's bleak and unforgiving nature is compounded by a huge plethora of systems and databases that become monotonous and cyclic.
There’s undeniably an intriguing concept at the heart of War Hospital. The potential for a gripping and stressful experience set amidst the chaos of a World War I field hospital is undeniable. Unfortunately, the execution veers into frustrating territory, where the stress stems from technical hiccups and clunky mechanics, rather than the game’s intended thematic weight.
War Hospital offers a decent management experience with nice flavor. There aren’t many games that use World War I as a setting and even less than ask fans to actually heal people rather than kill them. The game’s management aspect is well-executed, although the core gameplay loop tends to become repetitive.
War Hospital has a good idea and the core system has some logic and depth to it, but the game itself is boring and lifeless. In short, it's wasted potential.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
"Brave Lamb Studio's War Hospital powerfully depicts the horrors of World War I, highlighting the harsh reality of not being able to save everyone due to limited resources and staff. The game’s management system, including resource production, soldier rotation, and reconnaissance, is well-designed. However, War Hospital falls short in conveying atmosphere and personality due to a lack of music and dialogue, as well as repetitive cutscenes and complications. While the game is challenging and engaging, it misses opportunities for added depth with the absence of a sandbox mode, difficulty options, and the Marie Curie storyline locked behind DLC. These features could have enhanced its personality and replayability."
Review in Dutch | Read full review
The title, unlike others, shows an entirely different experience of war, which is not often presented to players. Instead of standing behind the visor of a machine gun, you will be standing over an operating bed. It's not entertainment for everyone and delivers a depressing experience more than anything else. This is added to by both the grey colors of the visuals and the music accentuating the sad atmosphere. Unfortunately, the latter is often too bland and sterile, even though it may seem like it belongs with Scalpel. The poorly designed UI and the absence of keys will make you shake your head that such a crucial thing was not detected by the testers earlier. More than having fun, you will suffer from the pathetic technical state and wonder how someone could waste such great potential with not only an uninteresting story.
Review in Czech | Read full review
War Hospital does indeed offer a new, unique perspective on World War I, but it's lacking in several aspects. There's plenty of technical issues and janky mechanics, and the story kind of falls flat.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
War Hospital is definitely a well-thought-out, well-planned and well-thought-out game. Due to the type of game, it is obvious that it will not appeal to everyone. If you like to do wonders with your business strategy from scarce resources like this, and if you are prone to strategy, you should give War Hospital a chance. If what you're looking for is more movement and action, then behind the façade isn't for you. Let's get you to the front.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Overall, War Hospital is an enjoyable game and does its job well. I would recommend it to people who regularly enjoy management simulators. However, some minor improvements would drastically improve the experience. I found it challenging to get more staff. The only way to get them is as a reward for events via Staff Permits (ordering them at the train station) or helping VIP patients. It made it hard to progress as sometimes I wouldn’t earn a staff permit from events or VIPs for long periods. Additionally, I wished events popped up more frequently so I would have more opportunities to get staff permits or other rewards.
War Hospital puts players in front of difficult situations and even more difficult decisions, with most choices moving in shades of gray.
Review in Greek | Read full review
War Hospital is ineffective when it comes to its story's relationship with death, while also failing to impress with its uneventful, buggy management sim gameplay.
“War Hospital” is a game that bravely tackles a challenging theme with depth and sensitivity. While it excels in creating a thought-provoking and emotionally charged experience, it is somewhat hindered by its gameplay mechanics and technical issues. Still worth a look, especially for fans of “Frostpunk” or other more intense and somber strategy games.