Autopsy Simulator Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

Pathology isn’t a fool’s errand; it’s a perplexing career choice that derives itself from a combination of factors and questions with oftentimes unattainable answers. It’s a melancholic art form that, while still satisfactory in its own right, takes even the most hardened of souls to comprehend and evaluate in a manner that befits a certain tone of professionalism and selflessness. These are, without a doubt, the values that drive pathology: understanding the solemnity of the situation, and learning how to balance morbid emotions with empathy for the deceased. And I’ll be honest, Autopsy Simulator might not get all of these things right, much less treat the profession with a layer of ironclad authenticity — but where it falls short in several areas, it finds another means to an end, in the form of a compelling narrative and a series of thought-provoking challenges of a slightly disturbing reality.

At first glance, you could just argue that Autopsy Simulator isn’t much more than your bog-standard, bread-and-butter job simulator with a couple of extra screws loose. Matter of fact, I could resonate with you on that one; the visuals, although gloomy and fittingly depressing, still bear the traditional hallmark qualities of a familiar trade-centric IP. Add the fact that it also contains the irreplaceable wheel of tools, to-do lists, and linear episode-based timeline, and what you have, really, is a textbook example of a copy-and-paste module — only with a few more corpses.

With all of the above said, I have to say, there is a lot more to Autopsy Simulator than a few bits of fodder for you to supplement your morbid curiosity. For the sake of filling in all of the checkboxes, though, allow me to dial it back to the prologue—to the first case.

Someone Has to Do It

Autopsy Simulator plays out in a linear fashion, with the bulk of the campaign consisting mostly of several episodic stories—cases, if you will, that each paint a vague image of the deceased’s attributes and tales. As the pathologist in this dilapidated and mysterious husk of an underbelly, you have the monumental task of connecting the dots and collecting information on the subjects in question—a grizzly process that often involves examining the human body with the tools of the trade, analyzing vital organs and other specimens, and gathering data to determine the cause of death. It’s depressing work, I’ll admit, but with a sense of accomplishment hanging in the balance between each report that you successfully put together, it’s also work that effectively gives just as much as it takes.

Of course, Autopsy Simulator isn’t just about clocking in to do your job. Well, it is and it isn’t; it’s also about unraveling an underlying issue that connects to the protagonist. More to the point, the story is about the pathologist’s unprecedented discovery of a relic that brings him back to his beloved wife’s untimely death. To start out, you have a slew of textbook cases, each containing their own unique stories and investigative assignments. But, the longer you subject yourself to these cases, the more these aforementioned relics begin to play a common part in your journey—a long and oftentimes emotionally taxing journey that, while not necessarily riveting, much less unpredictable, has a profound impact on your mental health.

Relics From the Past

Autopsy Simulator is just as much about solving your own mystery as it is threading the needle in other cases that you might find on your table. For the most part, though, the game aims to supplement these brief story beats with in-depth pathological insights and hands-on interactive storytelling. There is a purpose to this quest of yours, for sure, though you needn’t concern yourself with the finer details of it, for it opts to frontline the centerpiece of the game—the patients and the lore behind their seemingly fruitless endeavors.

As you’ll come to learn relatively early on in this multi-tiered series, the patient is the priority, as is a structurally accurate diagnosis of the problem at bay. In a typical scenario, the patient winds up on your icy slab with a criteria to fill—a traditional to-do list that doesn’t necessarily resort to the usual whodunnit checkboxes, but rather, a collection of convoluted medial exercises and questions. As you gradually peel back the iron curtain that is the human body, these boxes eventuallt begin to tick themselves, allowing you the opportunity to take a peek inside and enact your intuitive thinking process. And if that sounds like a walk in the park, then let me just burst your bubble by saying that it isn’t. If you want simple, stress-free work, then you ought to divert your attention to Cafe Simulator. Still here? Then let’s press on.

Not Your Average Day at the Office

Autopsy Simulator is, first and foremost, a horror, which technically means, while the bulk of the game has all of the usual trade-like features and progression beats, several of its sections also contain a couple of cliches—jump scares, ominous sounds, and a creepy ambiance that goes hand in hand with the rest of the job. It’s a fitting combination, death and horror, so this doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, really. But as for whether or not these sprinkles of horror pose enough of an incentive to warrant a casket full of goosebumps is another matter. Eh — it does some things right, but at the same time, the protagonist’s lack of interest in these events is also an indication that you, the player, shouldn’t care about them, either.

With all of the above out on the table, the fact still remains: Autopsy Simulator is still a fantastic piece of work. Don’t get me wrong, it has its flaws, mostly due to the unlikable protagonist and relatively mundane plot points. Still, if you can excuse the lack of polish and context, then you might actually find a solid anchor point for aspiring pathologists here. And, if the horror aspects aren’t to your liking, then there’s always the Autopsy Only mode — which is a boon in itself.

Verdict

With thanks to the pathologists and forensic doctors who helped bridge the gap between a shot-in-the-dark emulation of a commendable medical procedure and a comprehensive representation of a real-world sim, Autopsy Simulator stands tall as one of the most immersive trade-based games on the current market.

To say that it’s a perfect game wouldn’t be true, mind you, as it does indeed feature a couple of loose nuts and bolts in the general framework of the game’s core mechanics. And that isn’t taking the fairly lackluster storyline into account, either, which is a lull in the grand scheme of events that orbit the campaign, to say the least. It’s predictable, and it doesn’t touch base on a lot of underlying issues that take place along the way in the conclusion, either. But, with thanks to the Autopsy Only mode, a lot of these downfalls are cast aside to allow you to feast on the meat of the game, which is analyzing, documenting, and producing authentic reports on your own experiences.

Autopsy Simulator is a lot like yeast extract — you either love it or you hate it. It’s a niche market, I’ll say that much. However, if you’re hell-bent on catching a second wave of The Mortuary Assistant, then you might find what you’re looking for here.