Overview

The Wii's Trauma Team, known in Japan as Hospital: 6 Doctors, was more expansive than its predecessors in a number of respects. Spanning some 76 tracks, the soundtrack was the series' biggest to date and offered a more elaborate accompaniment to the gameplay and events. Atsushi Kitajoh returned from Trauma Center: New Blood to take the lead role, assisted by newcomer Ryota Koduka and guest artist Shoji Meguro. Together, they produce arguably the series' best soundtrack to date.

Body

The opening track "A Rose" mirrors its predecessor's prologue with its sonorous melodies and backing rhythms, but proves more elaborate in a number of ways. It captures the sedate, sometimes mournful, mood of the hospital perfectly with its opening acoustics, highlighting a violin solo. The decisive shift at the 1:10 mark, complete with anime-flavoured beats, nevertheless ensures the track is a motivating one. Once again, Atsushi Kitajoh integrates the theme extensively in the soundtrack in both obligatory event pieces, from the mournful piano solo "Regret" to the 'last stand' version "Pieces of Rosalia". There also some surprising moments when the theme pops up. For example, while the bulk of "Power of Spirit" is an edgy blend of rock riffs and electronic beats, the interlude featuring the main theme is revealing and sobering. It is developments like these that bring depth to a series often dominated by linear and one-dimensional approaches.

It is often clear that the team tried to push barriers with this score, unlike their predecessor. "Firm Ground" and "Sense of Mission" are closer in style to the trance anthems from Trauma Center: New Blood, but have more substance overall. Meanwhile "Red Zone", "One Disaster After Another", and the climactic "The Bloody Rose" bring a strong rock emphasis to the score, clearly inspired by Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2. While hit-and-miss, some of Koduka's are especially interesting: "Life-or-Death Crisis" is a bizarre hybrid of The Exorcist and The Rock — with a clinical touch — while "Glimpse of Fear" mesmerises with its contrasts of legato and staccato phrasing. Koduka also offers a spectrum of tracks featuring Japanese stylings, most notably "Tachibana-ryu Naishikyoujutsu-ichi-"; their best aspect is not the traditional instruments themselves, but how they're seamlessly integrated into the modern, moody soundscapes of the rest of the score.

Like its predecessor, Trauma Team includes a surplus of brief and predictable tracks, used mostly in event scenes: "Tense Situation" with its stabbing cellos, "Heartbroken..." with its piano wanderings, or "Hero's Back" with its jubilant horns, to name a few. These tracks are adequate in context, but won't offer much of interest for the seasoned score listeners out there. Nevertheless, those who have played the game are bound to find charm in some of the more humble cues. For example, the 90 second long "Sartor" — one of Meguro's guest contributions — manages to be silly and deep at the same time thanks to its divergent forces. Laid-back jazz-tinged tracks such as "Daily Life" or "How's It Going Dr. Cunnigham" also fit the scenery well and will be embraced by many listeners. The soundtrack ends with a series' first, a theme song: "Gotta Be Here". This track does sound contrived with its soft male vocals and exuberant rock instrumentals, but at least it receives a much more enjoyable bonus chiptune arrangement.

Summary

Trauma Team is a big step up from Atlus' previous scores to the series in both quantity and quality. Kitajoh and Koduka both offer plenty of memorable melodies, emotional soundscapes, and creative experiments here that give the title more depth and drama. The soundtrack still has its rough patches and grow repetitious, but there are enough highlights for this to be worthwhile. Those who have played the game or have affinity for Atlus' music will especially enjoy this.