GamesMarkt

On 6 February 2025, [Aesir Interactive](/company/aesir-interactive) and French publisher [Nacon](/company/bigben-interactive) released the simulation game [Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator](/game/ambulance-life-a-paramedic-simulator) for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is the next simulation game from the Munich-based studio after [Police Simulator: Patrol Officers](/game/police-simulator-patrol-officers), which was developed in cooperation with publisher [astragon Entertainment](/company/astragon-entertainment). This time, however, the paramedic simulator is part of the Nacon's Life franchise. We spoke to Marc Bosch, Business Development & Publishing Director, about the launch, the challenges and the next steps for Aesir Interactive.

**GamesMarkt: How pleased is Aesir Interactive with the launch of Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator?** 

**Marc Bosch**: "We are over the moon excited about the launch of Ambulance Life. This project was a labor of love for the studio, and we are humbled by the community response. Our last simulator, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, started development over 5 years ago. Our studio, talent, and expertise have all grown significantly in that time and we have been eager to share what this team is capable of. The valuable feedback the community gave us within the first weekend of the game were amazing insights on how players felt about the game and the world we built. Our team put most of that feedback into a patch to value our great community and released it right away."


**GamesMarkt: How important are the console versions? Especially the number of user reviews on the PlayStation Store can easily compete with those on Steam. Has this surprised anyone?**

**Marc Bosch**: "The response for our console launch was overwhelming, but overall, not a total surprise in retrospect. Police Simulator has seen tremendous growth on PlayStation 4 and 5, especially after our partnership with PlayStation Plus. The Ambulance Life team toiled over the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series tirelessly until we were completely satisfied with the game's consistent visual fidelity and performance results. "

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**GamesMarkt: What's next for Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator?**

**Marc Bosch**: "We still have a hurdle or two to overcome before we can confidently lay out an official roadmap, but we are absolutely barreling down the streets with sirens blaring and lights strobing! The community is already drowning us in genuinely remarkable ideas for quality-of-life improvements, content additions, feature suggestions, and so much more. We're eagerly organizing and triaging their feedback into timelines, already trying to proactively solve development puzzles to see what's possible. We've never been more excited for the future of a project! What has already been revealed within the “Deluxe Edition” of the game - the “Bay Side Expansion” is coming soon already!"



**GamesMarkt: How did you come up with the idea of developing a paramedic simulator in the first place, and what role did publisher Nacon play in this?**

**Marc Bosch**: "Hot off the heals of Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, we knew we wanted to take our next simulator to the next level. With two former paramedics on our game design team, a simulator focused on the tumultuous world of first response felt like the obvious choice. We were excited to map out what such a game would look and feel like and bring this new brutal vision to life. On second thought, maybe some members of the art team weren't quite as pleased as we were with the prospect!"

"Nacon has a long history of incredible simulator games with their Life series, and we were honored to work alongside such a collaborative and talented publishing partner. Their team brought incredible insight to every conversation with the data to backup the most important decisions throughout the game's development cycle."


**GamesMarkt: What was probably the biggest challenge for Aesir during the development of the title?**

**Marc Bosch**: "That's a tough one! I think if we had to pin it on one single obstacle, it would have to be finding that perfect balance between realism and fun, engaging gameplay. This is something we found to be especially challenging because even after release, it's a constant tug-o-war about how realistic should our game be? Do gamers find this fun? How can we make driving more exciting? How realistic should the traffic be? Do we really want to be *that* bloody? Will paramedics understand if we make gameplay compromises with this scenario or intervention? "

"After many difficult decisions, we believe we struck a fantastic balance between the two that honors the medical profession and respects our players' time. Of course, what we believed was important and what players will find important may not always align, so we're always listening to how we can rebalance when necessary to improve the experience for everyone." 

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**GamesMarkt: Do you see the game as a platform and are you planning more content in the long term?**

**Marc Bosch**: "Ambulance Life was always meant to be a love letter to the simulator community, taking the lessons and learnings from Police Simulator and translating it into a grittier, more serious experience. What we built is only the beginning and, with the community's blessing and a throng of paramedic advisors itching to be reactivated, we have a massive development wish list to implement into the game. We're paying excruciating attention to the community sentiment to learn what their most profound wants and needs are for Ambulance Life and opening our own minds to what can be possible." 

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**GamesMarkt: How would you describe the simulation market? What are the current trends and challenges?**

**Marc Bosch**: "The simulation market has evolved significantly in recent years, driven by an increasing demand for immersive and authentic experiences. Players are looking for deeper realism, but also accessible and engaging gameplay. One major trend is the rise of "everyday hero" simulations, where players step into the roles of real-world professionals, from police officers to paramedics and firefighters. Additionally, the growing popularity of multiplayer and co-op experiences has changed expectations for simulators, as many players want to share these experiences with friends. 
One of the biggest challenges is striking the right balance between realism and entertainment. While some players expect an almost one-to-one recreation of real-life tasks, others want a more streamlined and rewarding gameplay experience. Another challenge is the technical complexity— realistic physics, AI behavior, and open-world environments require significant development effort to feel both believable and fun."

"Furthermore, the increasing presence of simulators on consoles is a notable shift. Traditionally, these games have been PC-centric, but console players are now embracing them at a high rate. This requires development teams to rethink interfaces, controls, and performance optimization for different hardware platforms."


**GamesMarkt: Will Aesir stay in the simulation market after Ambulance Life and Police Officers?**

**Marc Bosch**: "Simulation games have become a core strength of Aesir Interactive, and we are incredibly passionate about creating engaging, high-quality experiences in this genre. With Police Simulator: Patrol Officers and Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator, we've proven that there is a strong demand for detailed, immersive, and realistic profession-based simulations."

"One area where we have extensive experience is horse-themed games, and we're excited to bring that expertise to our (...)...

Aesir Interactive: "We Wanted to Take Our Next Simulator to the Next Level"