Life & Death

Here's a new spin on computer simulations: Play Doctor! Yes, with Life and Death, you'll be training, diagnosing, operating and more often than not, making your superiors wonder how you got to Medical School in the first place. It's E.R. (well, remotely) with a point and click of the mouse.

When the game begins, you will be required to enroll either as a new student or re-enroll with a name you have entered previously. After which, you will report to Med School or then be assigned to a waiting patient.

Life and Death, unless you have had some kind of experience with medical procedures, will puzzle you as to correct procedure and the game punishes you dutifully if you fail with it. Fortunately, for every time you make a mistake, whether it be examining or operating on a patient, Med School will tell you where you went wrong. However, you will make a LOT of mistakes before you even start to become competent with correct methods. Have patience (pun not intended). The operating room is the height of the game in regard to getting procedures right (remember, open the draws from the handles by clicking on them before you do anything, wash your hands, apply the relevant disinfectant, etc.) and it is here where even the slightest mistake can cost the life of the patient (which, for sadists, may even be to your satisfaction!)

You can also enter the office, the first door visible from the left on the main screen, and change certain settings, like drawing your own signature which will be applied automatically to patient's charts when they're examined. There are also a few easter eggs on this screen - try clicking on some objects other than the obvious ones. Also you may be paged and have to answer the phone - don't worry, enter in any number when you're at the phone and you'll magically dial the right person, thanks to the crack.

Life and Death seems to be great fun for all those who would never be allowed anywhere near an operating table. The graphics are varied and well drawn with just enough sound to add the right atmosphere to the game. When you quit the game, it states that no one should think him or herself qualified to use any of the procedures used in the game and indeed that NO-ONE should use experience from the game. Too bad for all those players who love to get bloodied hands and don't normally quit programs properly...