Have you played Rootbeer Tapper? Did you like Rootbeer Tapper? Good! Go play it. It’s the same basic time-management game as this vague take on the theme, only it’s more exciting, and you can probably find it for about 7 bucks cheaper. As Dr. Daisy, you must move pets from the registration desk to the examination table, check them and then administer treatment. Occasionally you will also find yourself having to use extra equipment, such as the X-ray machine or the coffee maker. The latter speeds Daisy up, teaching children that caffeine is a wonderful way to meet targets and enhance performance.

 
The key to “combos” is constantly having a stream of animals being registered, examined or treated, and then treating them before they get sad and disappear, teaching children that death doesn’t exist. Endure this mediocrity for long enough, and you’ll get enough points to continue. Or you could stick around and get good enough to shoot for the expert rating, which earns you a high pile of nothing. While there are a few levels that spin out the carpal tunnel symphony that is Pet Vet, they’re just vague elaborations of clicking in slowly but surely less convenient spots. This is basically a Flash game you’re paying 7 bucks for. Casual gaming can be good. This, however, is a symptom of the flood of low-quality but probably profitable shit that’s turning Steam into a spinning rack in Wal-mart.
 
Oct 15, 2008