Dark Cut (1 & 2)
Dark Cut and Dark Cut 2 are surgery games where you use the mouse to make incisions, stitch, scrub, saw, whatever is required to save the patient in each case scenario. These are not games for the faint of heart, both in terms of graphics and gameplay; therefore, they are recommended for mature audiences only.
The Dark Cut series is a gory, more intense Web alternative to Trauma Center for the DS and Wii, with a historical premise. The first Dark Cut takes place in medieval times, while the second takes place in the Civil War. The medical tools you use fit the respective period in sickly humorous ways: whiskey for the 19th century, rose water for the middle ages (and you thought your HMO was bad).
Gameplay consists of clicking the mouse over stars that mark key points on the patient, and sometimes tapping the arrow keys to saw (Dark Cut 1). Instructions are given for each case, but the stress of a patient whose vitals are constantly dropping, coupled with abrasive sound effects in the background, makes for a difficult experience. For example, bandaging (Dark Cut 2) involves taking the mouse cursor to the eyeball in the upper right corner and circling around it. Go through all the steps of the procedure without killing the patient and you pass.
Analysis: The two games are interesting to compare, such that the first one gets some things right that the second one breaks, and vice versa. For example, having to select tools from a tray in Dark Cut 2 is cumbersome, both from the click detection and by having to visually identify the particular tool. Since there's no health boosting item as in Trauma Center, this selection handicap seems unnecessary. Conversely, the first Dark Cut simply hands you the item you need and is therefore a much more playable experience. Dark Cut 2, on the other hand, is a massive improvement in terms of production values and overall aesthetics: you really feel like you're a civil war surgeon trying to focus on saving a man's life with bourbon anesthetic, some gauze and a scalpel. You feel the dirt, sweat and blood and it succeeds as a phantasmic experience, beyond being merely fun; but, unfortunately, the interface gets in the way of the latter.
If you can handle the mire of pre-Modern health care, and the mire of taxing difficulty, the Dark Cut games will deliver a rare experience.
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough for Dark Cut 2:
Surgery #1 (Minie Ball Puncture Wound)
Give the guy a few shots of Deathwish Whiskey - Premium Scotch Whiskey (45% alcohol in volume, Since 1699).
Use the Sponging Rag to clean the wound.
Purify the wound with the Medical Alcohol.
Warning:
Pouring Medical Alcohol on his wound reduces his lifeline by 10.
Gently open the wound with the Forceps.
Carefully remove the bullet from the wound with the Forceps.
Use the Suture Needle to sew up the wound. Do it in a criss-cross pattern.
Use the Sponging Rag to clean the wound again.
Purify the wound with the Medical Alcohol again. Remember, pouring Medical Alcohol on the wound reduces his lifeline by 10.
Bandage his arm. You're done.
How to do it:
A dial will appear in the top right corner of the screen. Hold down your mouse button on it and spin it in the counter-clockwise direction until you see his arm bandaged up.
Surgery #2 (Shrapnel To The Forehead)
Give the guy a few shots of Deathwish Whiskey to dull the pain.
Dry and clean the wound with the Sponging Rag.
Use the Scalpel to cut the major wound for extraction.
Use the Forceps to pry open the wound.
Open the second layer of skin with the Forceps.
Use the Sponging Rag to apply pressure to the wound and soak up the blood.
Remove the piece of shrapnel with the Forceps.
Warning:
Do not remove the shrapnel by dragging it to the left. It is similar to taking the shrapnel piece and jamming it further into his skull. You will fail the surgery if you do this.
Place the shrapnel onto the tray.
Slide the skull fragment back into place with the Forceps.
Grab the skin graft with the Forceps.
Place the skin graft onto the exposed skull bone.
Use the Hot Iron to fuse the skin into place.
Use the cotton from the Bandages to pack the wound.
Grab the leather wrap with the Forceps.
Put the leather wrap over the wound.
Use the Suture Needle and sew the leather wrap into the flesh (in a clockwise direction).
Pour the Medical Alcohol onto the deeper cuts. Thankfully, this patient does not lose any points of his lifeline (tougher, probably?).
Pour wax from the beaker (Automatically changed from Medical Alcohol to Wax) onto the wounds. You're done.
Surgery #3 (Infection In The Leg)
As usual, drug up your patient with a few shots of good old Deathwish Whiskey.
Use the Snips to cut the old bandages off the patient's leg.
Use the Scalpel and cut open the patient's first 'boil'.
Use the Forceps to pinch the maggots inside his leg.
One of the maggots will spray onto the screen (your face). Yech.
Use the Sponging Rag to wipe the remains of the larvae.
Use the Scalpel to open the second boil.
Pus will spray onto the screen again, at which you will move a hand up to wipe it off, along with the maggot's guts earlier. If you notice closely enough, you'll see blood on your fingers
Use the Sponging Rag to wipe the excess pus off.
Use the Syringe to extract the remaining pus in the second boil.
Bandage the guy's leg.
This is where it gets interesting:
Just as the second wrap of the bandage is done, you'll hear a soft whizzing sound...
Would you like to live?
Yes
Then prove it.
No
Surgery failed.
Surgery #4 (Self Rescue) - Then Prove It.
Dull your pain by drinking your Deathwish Whiskey.
I have a will to live.
Keep tapping the spacebar with your free hand. If you have only one hand, then use a foot and keep tapping the spacebar. Use your other hand to do the surgery.
Bandage your leg.
Use the Saw.
Click the Saw on your leg once, then let go of the mouse button. Keep moving the saw left to right (preferrably from one end of the screen to the other) until you watch yourself moving your amputated leg while screaming in agony. You're done.
Achievements:
Apprentice
Complete Surgery #1.
Brain Surgeon
Complete Surgery #2.
Infection
Complete Surgery #3.
Master Surgeon
Complete Surgery #4.
Take the Pain
Complete Surgery when patient's lifeline is under 5. Usually achievable in Surgery #4.
Good Sport
Hit 100% Will To Live once in Surgery #4.
Town Drunk
In any surgery, when patient's Drunkeness meter is full, keep giving Whiskey.
Easter Egg
On title screen, click on the number 2 in the title Dark Cut 2.
What the spoiler is:
Author's very first complete flash animation made in 2002
Posted by: Gatenka | January 25, 2008 12:19 AM