I’ve played my fair share of time management games in my gaming years but I can’t remember one that was based on controlling the emergency services during critical situations, unless you count the alien attack in Sim City!
This is what you get to do in Emergency, the 13 situations that you have to manage range from train and plane crashes, gas explosions, burning submarines and even an alien invasion and you have a whole range of emergency services at your disposal, from the day to day services such as the police, ambulance service and fire brigade to helicopters and the secret service.
Each of the 13 campaigns are introduced with a short animated video showing the incident taking place, don’t worry, while the scenarios are pretty intense the videos aren’t too graphic, although whether you’d want younger children playing this game is up to you as the themes are obviously pretty dark.
Once the campaign starts you can’t stop, or even slow down, as there are lives at stake here and one false move could see one, if not all of the injured become fatalities. As with the introduction videos none of this is graphic in nature as its all completed in a Sim City like environment.
There are continuous themes throughout most of the levels. Put out fires, rescue people, tend to their injuries and get them to hospital, this is all interspersed with scenario specific actions such as cutting people out of train carriages, stopping and arresting terrorists and of course the alien destructions.
Actions are controlled by tapping on the person or vehicle and then selecting the available action. Some people and vehicles have multiple actions available but only the ones that can be used at the time are highlighted which helps direct you. And over the initial levels you are also guided by a help system.
As with most time management games the basic activities are pretty similar throughout the levels but with the campaign specific actions thrown in create a nice variety that keeps things moving along nicely and the difficulty level keeps raising also to keep the challenge level raising too.
The graphics look good and there is certainly no problem telling what is what and interacting with the people and vehicles even when they are close to each other which is all via touch controls.
Medals are awarded throughout the game based on points earned and these are earned through completing the various objectives in each level and based on how quickly you complete them too. It’s the speed that is the biggest challenge and while you may be ok with just scraping through with a bronze medal as you take your time completing each task if you do things too slowly you could end up with a catastrophic event on your hands as a gas line explodes!
I’ve very much enjoyed playing Germany’s number #1 rated App Store game, it could certainly do with more levels, but the variety between the different scenarios is fun, if fun is the right word when dealing with catastrophic events.
At $3.99 it’s not cheap but if you are a fan of such games you can’t go wrong with Emergency for iPad and comes highly recommended.
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
Chillingo has produced a plethora of quality titles and the latest game to hit the App Store from them is Inkvaders HD a sideways scrolling shoot em up which sets you the task of defending the earth from an alien invasion.
While the story line may be a tried and tested one, the unique style of the game certainly isn’t and Chillingo of produced a great looking app that comes to life on the iPad despite the fact that the whole game is in the style of a notepad, hand drawn cartoon.
The whole game utilizes this style from the hand that turns the pages and replaces you character after he’s been killed to the torn paper objects that add depth to the game the whole game oozes style and creativity.
The game is easy to pick up and after a few seconds spent in boot camp learning the basics you are set free to slaughter as many aliens as get in your way. Four virtual buttons control your character, two directional buttons in the bottom left hand corned of the screen while two action buttons in the bottom right control your jet pack and weapon respectively.
As you walk to the left the screen scrolls with you and as you do the aliens will appear, some simply walking from off screen and others appearing directly in front of you as they are beamed down form above.
A swift shot of your active weapon will soon see the aliens exploding, disintegrating and dismembering before your eyes and soon you will find your self having completed the first of thirty levels across 3 different environments.
As you make your way through the levels there are crates that can be opened to increase your ammo, health and jet pack fuel. However, the method used to open these crates is one of my complaints about this game. To open the crate you have to tap it, unfortunately though you can only tap it when you are standing next to it and as your character predominately stays in the center of the screen you have to remove your hand from holding the iPad so that you can reach and tap the crate to open it’s reward.
As well as the bonus items found in crates you can also purchase enhancements to your weaponry via machines placed on each level. Each of the three weapons can be upgraded once you have enough cash of course and as you do they will kill with more power and greater results.
You earn money for your weapons by not only killing the aliens but also grabbing the various meteors as they fly over your head. This is where your jet pack comes in although with the limited fuel you must use it wisely. The jet pack can also be used to avoid the aliens although the avoidance is only temporary as they will chase back after you even when you do fly over their heads.
As this is a Chillingo game you also get access to their Crystal Leader boards and achievements of which their are many adding a degree of re-playability to the game.
While the controls, game play, graphics and sound all add up to yet another quality game from Chillingo there is a lack of variety and while after 10 and 29 levels new environments are added the gameplay remains the same and your right finger or thumb that is in control of the shooting may get a little sore from the constant shooting.
This game is of course a port from Invaders for the iPhone/iPod Touch and if you’ve already played it on either of those devices you aren’t going to find much more here other than sharper graphics.
If however you enjoy blasting aliens and Chillingo’s style of humor then Inkvaders HD could be just the game you are looking for.
Price: $2.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Jul 17, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
Size: 71.9 MB
Language:English
Seller:Chillingo Ltd
© Games Faction Ltd
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
I had the privilege of reviewing Space Station: Frontier by Origin8 in early January. It was one of the most polished, fun, and challenging game I had ever played on the iPhone platform. I now have the privilege of reviewing Robot Rampage by Origin8 and I’m glad to say they have a bit of streak going. Robot Rampage maintains the quality and level of fun exhibited in Space Station: Frontier.
Gameplay in Robot Rampage is simple and to the point. Whereas a lot of games pit you against a rampaging robot from outer space, Robot Rampage turns the tables. You are the rampaging robot at spearhead of an alien invasion and its your task to sow destruction as far and wide as possible. An impressive array of weaponry is available in your quest to reek havoc on humanity. Not only can you punch and kick at your enemies, but a powerful death ray and nuclear attack will dispatch your enemies with ease.
Punching and kicking is accomplished by a quick tap around the hand or foot of your robot. While physical attacks are fine to clean up any one that gets too close, explosive death is much more efficient. A death ray shoots from the robot’s eye and can be used continuously without penalty. Simply tap and hold against the target of choice and the ray will do the rest. Use the ray to effectively dispatch enemies or the city blocks you must level to move through the game. Also available is a nuclear attack that can clear a city block of enemies and buildings. Your robot starts out with no such attacks, they charge up over time to a maximum of two. One is regenerated after each use.
Opposing your rein of terror are humanity’s armies. At the beginning of the game you face mostly ground soldiers. Units escalate in firepower over time, moving from tanks to helicopters to bombers and ballistic missiles. Attacks are sporadic at first but the scale and speed increase over time as well. You will soon find yourself fighting to keep up with the size and intensity of attacks. I found that holding the nuclear attack until these more intense levels is the best strategy. Humanities only real defense against your robot is in size and scale of their assault. Having a weapon in reserve that can clear a whole city block will come in handy when things start turning into a hot mess.
In case my enthusiasm for this game hasn’t come through yet, let me make it clear: I love Robot Rampage. I admit to not knowing much about Origin8 before reviewing Space Station: Frontier but they’ve turned me into a believer. Both games have had the right combination of polish, challenge and fun to make them successes. If you haven’t played anything by Origin8 yet, first download this game and then search iTunes for their entire catalog and get that too. You won’t be disappointed. Robot Rampage also has full OpenFeint support for social gaming. You and your friends will have endless fun acquiring achievements, comparing high scores, and competiting in every aspect of this engaging game.
The Good:
The Not So Good:
Reviewed By: Erin Peterson
Robot Rampage
Price: $1.99 (iTunes Store)
Released: Feb 12, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0
Size: 8.8 MB
Languages: English
Seller: Origin8 Technologies Limited
© Origin8 Technologies Ltd.