- Engaging initial gameplay loop with high replayability
- Unique emergency dispatch mechanics and scenarios
- Intuitive controls and immersive stressful atmosphere
- Repetitive and shallow gameplay over time
- Game-breaking technical issues and crashes
- Overpriced for limited and unbalanced content
Emotions
Players experience significant frustration due to pervasive technical issues, including game crashes, freezes, slow loading screens, and lost save files. Additionally, repetitive gameplay mechanicsāsuch as monotonous voice lines, overwhelming call volumes, and lack of meaningful progressionācontribute to a stressful and unenjoyable experience. Poor UI design, unrealistic mechanics (e.g., micromanagement, understaffed districts), and bugs (e.g., non-functional buttons, inaccessible areas) further exacerbate the frustration.
Disappointment stems from the game failing to meet expectations in depth, polish, and replayability. Players criticize its repetitive and unbalanced gameplay loop, lack of meaningful progression, and poor optimization, which make the experience feel shallow or unplayable. Comparisons to its predecessor highlight regressions in controls, atmosphere, and content variety, while unresponsive developers and unfulfilled promises (e.g., strategic depth, co-op modes) amplify the letdown.
Players derive satisfaction from the gameās immersive simulation of emergency response, praising its challenging yet rewarding gameplay, strategic depth, and educational value. Improvements over the predecessorāsuch as better unit management, realistic scenarios, and stable performanceāenhance the experience. Successful operations, well-designed difficulty levels, and the sense of responsibility in saving lives contribute to a fulfilling and engaging experience.
Enjoyment is driven by the gameās engaging and dynamic gameplay loop, which involves quick decision-making, phone interactions, and managing emergencies in familiar or customizable locations. Players appreciate the flexibility in difficulty, modding support, and the variety of scenarios, which keep the experience fresh and replayable. The gameās premise and immersive atmosphere also contribute to its addictive and entertaining nature.
Amusement arises from the gameās humorous and absurd emergency scenarios, such as trivial complaints (e.g., āsuspicious sausages,ā ācat stuck in a treeā) or exaggerated mismanagement of resources (e.g., sending SWAT to a parking violation). Players also find entertainment in unique features like playing in their own city, collecting vehicle mods, or encountering localization errors and unexpected in-game events.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 69% Ā· Negative 31%. Score: 31 / 100
Positives:
- Players consistently highlight the game's addictive and fun gameplay during the early hours, praising its dynamic and replayable nature. The initial experience is described as immersive and enjoyable, though some note it may lose steam over time.
- Handling emergency calls is a standout feature, with players enjoying the variety, humor, and realism of scenarios. The calls range from absurd to dramatic, adding depth and educational value to the gameplay.
- The game offers a distinctive blend of real-time strategy and management, focusing on dispatching emergency units (police, fire, ambulance). Players enjoy the immersion and the feeling of impactful decision-making.
- Players appreciate the variety of scenarios, cities, and global locations, which enhance replayability. The scenario editor and diverse emergencies (from minor incidents to disasters) keep the gameplay fresh.
- The campaign is described as satisfying, with gradually increasing challenges and meaningful choices. It serves as a good tutorial and offers a balanced difficulty curve, though some note it may lack long-term depth.
Negatives:
- Players frequently report that the gameplay loop becomes monotonous, grindy, and lacks depth after a few hours. The lack of variety and repetitive scenarios significantly reduces replay value, making long-term engagement difficult.
- Players feel the game is overpriced given its repetitive nature, limited replayability, and lack of meaningful content. Many suggest the game is only worth purchasing on sale.
- Late-game stages introduce an excessive number of emergencies, creating stress and frustration. Players feel pressured to manage too many events simultaneously, leading to chaotic and unenjoyable gameplay.
- Numerous players encounter critical bugs, such as non-functional menus, crashes, and freezing, which prevent progression or make the game unplayable. These issues persist despite the game's age and lack of updates.
- Difficulty levels are perceived as uneven, with some missions being too easy and others overwhelmingly hard. This inconsistency, combined with repetitive scenarios, deters players from engaging with harder modes.
Gameplay:
- The game simulates the role of an emergency services dispatcher, including handling 911/112 calls, dispatching police, fire, and medical units, and managing real-time decision-making. Players experience realistic scenarios with response times and complex call content.
- Players can engage in free play mode across real-world cities or custom maps, allowing for open-ended gameplay with dynamic events. This adds replayability and personalization to the experience.
- The game features unpredictable and escalating emergencies, including riots, natural disasters, and absurd calls. Players must adapt to diverse and often humorous situations.
- The game offers a campaign mode with progressive challenges, narrative elements, and expanding map areas. This provides a structured, story-driven experience with escalating difficulty.
- The core gameplay involves dispatching emergency units (police, fire, medical) to incidents on a map, prioritizing tasks, and managing unit safety. Larger control zones are suggested for improvement.
Performance:
- Multiple reports highlight crashes during loading, failure to launch, and freezing at the start screen. These issues significantly impact the playability of the game, especially for users without admin privileges.
- Players experience stuttering, freezing, and lag, particularly during mid-game or high event volumes. Audio stuttering and high CPU/GPU usage are also noted, indicating optimization problems.
- While the game runs smoothly on high-end systems (e.g., i5 14600K / RTX 4070S), it struggles with performance on lower-end or integrated hardware, leading to overheating and FPS drops on laptops.
- Issues include the game not displaying in OBS, fullscreen exit causing tab blanking, and resolution reset bugs. Some players also report compatibility problems with Proton on Linux.
- Reports of memory leaks and system crashes suggest deeper stability issues, potentially indicating hidden processes or poor resource management.
Recommendations:
- The game is widely recommended for fans of management, strategy, and simulation games, particularly those who enjoy deep, immersive experiences with tension and problem-solving. Many reviews highlight its satisfying gameplay for this audience.
- Multiple reviews suggest buying the game or its DLC only during sales or bundles, as it may not justify full price. Some recommend waiting for discounts below 50% of the original price.
- The game is frequently recommended for short-term entertainment, such as a few evenings or hours of play, especially at a low price. It suits players looking for a quick but engaging distraction.
- While some DLC is worth purchasing on sale, reviews suggest buying only 1-2 favorite DLCs rather than the full set. The base game is often recommended over DLC expansions.
- Players who enjoyed games like *911 Operator* or are interested in emergency dispatcher roles are likely to find this game rewarding. However, those who have already played similar titles may not see value in purchasing it.
Miscellaneous:
- The game is praised for being suitable for all age groups, from children to older adults, making it a versatile choice for shared or casual play.
- Feedback indicates the game feels complete but lacks ongoing updates or expansions, which may disappoint players seeking long-term engagement.
- Players draw parallels to '911 Operator,' noting thematic and publisher similarities but differences in setting (Germany vs. USA). This may influence expectations or perceived originality.
- Players highlight the game's long playtime, described as 'to infinity and beyond,' suggesting strong replayability or open-ended gameplay mechanics.
- Criticism includes claims that the game capitalizes on the success of another title, raising concerns about creativity and value for players.
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