R?MJ: The Mystery Hospital (Saturn, PS) (1997)
Developer: K2C and Bandai

Review by Faididi and Co.


Needs more cute nurses


Story: Average

When Hajime travels to a hospital to visit a friend, an explosion suddenly occurs, and some killer viruses break out. Hajime and those with him become trapped after the emergency shutters clamp down, locking the place into quarantine. What's even more alarming, however, is that the phone lines are completely dead, and there's no way to contact anyone outside. As Hajime makes efforts to escape, he'll uncover a conspiracy connected to the mysterious outbreak, but this is where the story falters. The beginning parts can be scary, thanks to the great atmosphere created by the deserted hallways and the presence of something unseen yet lethal. Toward the end, though, the horror becomes ruined by the cheesiest twists. But, hey, at least the nurse who joins Hajime's group is hot.


Gameplay: Average

K2C and Bandai's R?MJ: The Mystery Hospital (also known simply as MJ) is a graphic adventure that's played from the first person perspective of Hajime. Initially, this game looks a lot like Warp's D no Shokutaku. The hero and his friends walk around in the hospital building via a node system, investigating objects and picking up items. Their progress can be saved whenever they reach certain points in the story.

Of course, The Mystery Hospital is more than a clone of D no Shokutaku that comes with a save feature. There's a real-time element where Hajime can die if he hangs around in areas filled with deadly viruses. This isn't to say that the game forces him to rush, because he can stay indefinitely in safe spots to think over his next moves. The puzzles are less abstract than the crap found in Myst and its ilk, which is a relief for those who love to solve things with logic instead of blind experimentation. For example, when Hajime's friends fall gravely ill from the viruses, our hero can observe their symptoms and then use what he learns from exploring the laboratories to administer the correct antidotes.

If there's one thing that really sucks about The Mystery Hospital, that is its clunky interaction system. Working through the game can be frustrating at times, because Hajime must observe certain objects from very specific locations and directions. Walking around the entire damn hospital to find these arbitrarily determined spots is a pain in the ass.


Controls: Average

The controls would be perfect, if not for the interaction system being excessively nitpicky.


Graphics: Average

The visuals are okay. The characters are generally animated well, although their hands appear too stiff during the final parts of the game. The hospital's deserted rooms and empty corridors give off a creepy feel at first, but they grow dull when Hajime just needs to keep walking around to find other characters or items.


Audio: Above Average

Whether they're the footsteps of Hajime echoing through the silent corridors or they're the dead tones of disconnected phone lines, the sound effects do a perfect job at conveying how trapped and alone the good guys are. Hajime himself is a silent hero, but the voice acting for all the other characters is great, especially when they start panicking and when they are being killed. The quiet, pulsing music changes over the course of the game, turning darker and darker as Hajime and his friends venture deeper into the hospital and uncover more of the conspiracy.


Overall: Average

Despite its strange name, R?MJ: The Mystery Hospital is little more than a mediocre graphic adventure. Its visual and audio effects may be decent, but its story's wasted potential and its unpolished interaction system aren't likely to impress anyone.


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