Four years ago, Two Point Studios burst onto the simulation scene with their spiritual successor to Bullfrog Productions’ Theme Hospital. Titled Two Point Hospital, the game was well received by fans and critics for its goofy humour and nostalgic value. The success has encouraged the developers to try something new by stepping out of the medical field and into education. With Two Point Campus, they have enhanced the gameplay experience by expanding upon mechanics and introducing new features.
Across the land of Two Point County, players will venture to different areas where they will build and run a university campus. There will be objectives to complete with management skills being tested. Finances, staff and students are just some things that require plenty of focus. Good management in these areas will guarantee a successful campus. Let’s take a look at some of Two Point Campus‘ exciting gameplay features and options.
Student Personalities
In Hospital, patients would be in and out. You didn’t know anything about them besides their illness. This time around, however, students are present for up to three in-game years. This increased period of time means you are able to learn about how each pupil lives their life. Some will have unique personalities such as ‘Goth’ and ‘Class Clown’, with their appearance hilariously reflecting so. Each personality also comes with positive and/or negative traits that can affect themselves and fellow students. A ‘Class Clown’ may struggle to get good grades, so you may feel like wanting to help them succeed. You’ll become invested in their growth which is an experience similar to The Sims.
A unique bunch of students to say the least
Friendships and relationships will be formed throughout your campus. Personalities will mesh together as students experience university life. You can have an influence on this by placing leisure items that encourage interaction. Some may even encourage romance, and who doesn’t enjoy a good love story? Two Point Campus‘ gameplay gives you plenty of control here. Of course, wellbeing is also important. Learners who go out too often will see their grades suffer. It’s up to you to decide whether to step in or risk them dropping out. The latter will not be good for your reputation.
Important Management
Great finances are crucial to long-term success. As a university owner, courses and staff, and more, need to managed well in order to keep bringing in students. There are a nice variety of courses in Two Point Campus, ranging from Knight School to Scientology, and each one requires upgrading. This will increase student intake, for example, but remember that a higher intake results in a lower learning rate. The maximum qualification level will grow also, which means being able to hire better teachers. Editing tuition fees is an option if you’re struggling for cash. This comes with the risk of alienating people.
Courses need consistent management to run smoothly
Managing your staff’s training and wellbeing is very important. Without them, your students won’t be learning anything. A quality break room is essential to keep up employees’ basic needs and morale. They can take up extra work, though, in the form of training. This feature has changed slightly when compared with Hospital. Each staff member has three training slots, but skills advance by levels when trained instead of an enhanced version taking up another slot. A Wizardry teacher, for example, can be trained multiple times in that skill until it reaches its maximum level. It’s a small gameplay change, but it makes a big difference.
In-Depth Customisation
Players have more freedom when building and designing campuses. A building’s exterior can now be customised, meaning more doors can be added and benches can be placed outside. The layout is also editable. If you wish to expand a structure without buying a new plot of land, you can do just that. In the previous game, hospitals never quite felt like properties which you owned so it’s nice to see that change in Two Point Campus‘ gameplay. Rooms are fully customisable as always. Now, though, they can be copied. If you want two of the same dormitory, for example, then it takes two presses of a button to get that.
Don’t like the look of the buildings? You have the power to change that
A new feature is object customisation. Carpets, walls and even bed sheets have colour options that you can choose from. One design looks to follow a purple wizardry theme, which makes for an ideal colour scheme for campus buildings that host the Wizardry course. Something as small as plant pots can also be edited, so you can have a square or circular pot. This amount of depth emphasises the freedom that the developers want players to have this time around to really make a campus their own.
Detailed Menus
Navigating the in-game menus is easier in Two Point Campus, with everything more simple to find. Management is divided into three tabs for courses, people (staff and students) and campus, for example. Clicking on a tab will reveal more tabs related to that area. Campus management is where you’ll be able to manage loans and also see an overview of your establishment. This shows you profits, course success rate and a less detailed look into your staff and student’s performances. For a better analysis of the latter, the people tab is where you’ll want to go. The menus could seem a bit overwhelming upon starting a new game. Soon, though, you’ll be grateful that whatever you want to see is just a couple of clicks away.
A visually pleasing UI for Two Point Campus
Visualisations is one of the most useful, quick-to-use menu tabs. Through colours, you’ll be able to see the thermal comfort of your campus, its attractiveness and more. You can also visually check on the amount of food resources you have and the state of hunger levels for employees and pupils. A well-fed janitor, for example, will be highlighted in green whereas a hungry teacher will be red. It’s an easy way to evaluate what more your university needs to improve further.Â
Hilarious Animations
Of course, Two Point Campus‘ gameplay is full of the charm and comedy that helped its predecessor become a hit. Watching your students and staff engage in different classes looks like a joy and a nice break from managing finances and wellbeing. You’ll witness spies in training go through obstacle courses and trainee wizards battling against one another. It’s easy to see that the developers enjoyed putting the animations together because of how wacky they can be.
Work hard, party harder in Two Point County
Outside of education, you can see social activities come to life as residents party on dancefloors and even hold their own concerts. Players who have experienced university and/or college themselves may remember their own fun times. These events will also provide the opportunity to check in on relationships and how people are interacting. Perhaps a friendship will implode before your eyes? This game offers much more than just making sure a campus is financially successful. August 9th can’t come soon enough.
What are you most looking forward to in Two Point Campus? Let me know in the comments below!
