Autopsy Simulator Review: A Decent Psychological Horror, But A Below Average Sim

In Autopsy Simulator, you take on the role of an experienced pathologist named Jack Hanman as he performs a total of five autopsies over the course of five days. As you do your job, you'll discover secrets about the bodies and come to conclusions about their deaths, all the while trying to come to terms with the death of your wife by the hands of deadly serial killer Red Pete.

Given the game's title, many players are likely expecting a full-fledged autopsy sim - I mean, that's exactly what it says on the tin. Ironically, though, if you're looking for an autopsy simulator game, Autopsy Simulator might not be your best bet. If you're looking for a great psychological horror, on the other hand, you've come to the right place.

While the autopsies are interesting and thorough - you'll get to do every step from donning an apron and gloves to completing forensic tests - the game is much more than just a repetitive autopsy simulator. It's a narrative-driven psychological horror title with some simulation elements mixed in. Developers say they're planning on adding an Autopsy-only mode in the future, which will likely satisfy those who are looking for a true simulator game - but as it is, that's not what Autopsy Simulator is.

For the record, I really enjoyed Autopsy Simulator's story, and found it to be well-paced and interesting. For a psychological horror title, Autopsy Simulator is a bit better than your average game; it's eerie, unsettling, and makes you question yourself and your theories throughout. The characters are well-written, and the voice acting gives them a lot of life and uniqueness. The developers also do an excellent job of handling heavy topics, like grief and substance abuse, with both realism and tact.

Overall, I did enjoy Autopsy Simulator for what it was, a story-based horror game - but I was bothered by (what looks to be) the use of AI to create some of the medical illustrations on the walls. AI art might be improving, but it's far from being able to create anatomically correct diagrams of the human body - and this strange imagery sticks out like a sore thumb.

To me, it doesn't make sense to so heavily market the game as "medically accurate" while using art that simply isn't anatomically correct, and to display it so prominently in the game's main hallway. This blatant inaccuracy makes me hesitant to recommend Autopsy Simulator as a true, medically-accurate simulator like the game is billed, despite how much I enjoyed it as a horror game.