Keely Pals Around With House M.D.

"Doctor! The patient is flatlining! I shall click on her."

I'll admit it, I get to do some pretty cool things via this blog.

For instance, I get to play all sorts of new Ubisoft games, like the new House M.D.: Critical Cases. And it's fun. Really, really, fun.

It hooked up through my Facebook account and I was ready to go- once, that is, I picked out new features and accessories for my avatar. (Anyone else play Facemaker back in the early '80s? No? Well, ever since then I've had a thing for getting to choose features.)

The game sorta tosses you into the middle of the action without too much pre-information or rules. And actually, I really like that. That's sorta how I fly. No Knowledge Flynn, that's me.

It placed me smack dab in the middle of House M.D.'s stomping grounds, Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital. Right off the bat I got to diagnose a stroke victim simply by turning over squares on a board to match images. Turns out, I could've been a stellar doctor. I ROCK at Memory.

My first day, and I even got to use the defibrillator on someone. I saved his life, no big deal.

I spent a goodly bit of time wandering the hospital, picking up items in the pharmacy (for later use, obvie), and randomly treating patients in the clinic. This is definitely a game that you figure out as you go, and I can see how easy it would be to get hooked; skills and levels keep building, and it's super fun to unlock new rooms in the hospital.

"Keely, we don't give amphetamines to five year-olds."

I did get a little annoyed, however, at the fact that you need a certain "energy level" to keep going- and energy can be bought. With real money. (Which I don't do.) Or you can earn energy by completing offers from outside sponsors. (Which I also don't do.)

On top of that, I wasn't able to treat a walk-in patient (who had a runny nose) with meds until I gave her an MRI. What kind of hospital are we running, here?

But, bottom line, it was a fun diversion. Nora liked helping me click on the arrows, and she wanted me to keep poking people to see what they'd do. (Which, full disclosure, is also how I play games like this.)

Want to try this free, fun game for yourself? (I know.) Give it a go here: http://ubi.li/A357z 

And look for the sassy young doctor with sweeping bangs and a stylin' blue labcoat.

I'll be the one giving the itchy poison ivy victim a bag of heart meds.

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #UbiChamps