Two Point Studios has brought back the management sim to the masses with the wonderful Two Point Hospital. Now, with the latest instalment, the developer has decided to focus on every child’s favourite topic: digging and dinos. Combining this with the already excellent gameplay and building on what has come before, Two Point Museum could be the best entry in the Two Point universe to date.
Ensuring that newcomers feel just as welcome as veterans, Two Point Museum begins with a comprehensive story mode explaining all the ins and outs of the curator game. With so many available features and parts of the museum to manage, it’s very reassuring to have your hand held through the initial hours. All duties follow a very logical step-by-step structure. First get the museum looking how your heart desires, hire suitable staff to manage specific areas and jobs, then go searching for the right artifacts to wow the clientele.
Getting those exhibits on the floor is a lot more complicated that a simple purchase order, with a random system deciding what is going to be on show. The expedition system involves hiring staff to head out into the unknown and bring back whatever they find for the good of public viewing. What comes back is completely up to chance, with multiple bones needing to be found to complete a dinosaur body, all of differing quality from barely worth showing to exemplar. Having this system in place means that it consistently has to be used to keep everyone happy. Each different location will require a specific skill of the staff or other requirements to unlock. The more you unlock, the better the chance of finding something a little bit special.
In the museum itself, staff are needed to clean, take the cash at the tills, and maintain exhibits. All will need constant attention to make sure they are fully satisfied. As time progresses new skills will be unlocked allowing them to perform at peak efficiency, which of course comes with the inevitable ask for a rise in pay. Manage the money and keep them happy for the best results.
As improvements have been made throughout the iterations, Two Point Museum has reached the peak with customisation options. This review copy also came with a bizarre and awesome Sonic the Hedgehog crossover, letting massive statues of the blue blur and his friends fill every corner with arcade machines to bring the cash in. Every object and aesthetic choice is very considered, fitting the museum perfectly; even the more absurd attractions still look like they were made to be there.
In this reviewer’s opinion, one of the best features is the tour option to generate cash. Donations keep the museum running. Choosing a guide, route and distance seems more strategic than previous tasks in the series, and it’s a delight to watch multiple groups enjoying the fruits of your labour. There is always a system to tweak or some new knowledge to unlock, keeping things fresh even if every part of the museum is running like a well-oiled machine.
