911: Fire Rescue Review (no fat)

Game Description

Fighting fire has never been more realistic, as you take on some of mother natures deadliest creations. Natural creations, that is-with proper training and a ticking clock, Fire Rescue hones your reflexes and memory.

A full arsenal to fight fire and save victims is provided, as well as an in-game training to help along progression. If you think you have what it takes to be the greatest firefighter in the world, then here is your chance to back up your talk.

911: Fire Rescue Gameplay

At its most basic level 911: Fire Rescue represents real life firefighting to its fullest, with the same everyday wrinkles. Realism plays a big part with the limitations in certain equipment, and the mandatory unlocking of later levels. You wouldn’t expect to get promoted immediately and tackle more dangerous fires as a rookie, now would you?

The first few levels provide the necessary training that you will need to complete the rest of the game. As the firefighter gets stronger, and eventually gets promoted, the mission objectives become increasingly harder.

In the beginning, obviously there will be smaller fires, and only one objective. It is actually a lot more fun than the average in-game tutorial, as a hands on approach to the firefighting tasks is a lot smoother in the beginning.

Controls mirror that of a first-person shooter, and is simplistic enough to where young children can learn the layout without much fuss.

911: Fire Rescue Equipment

Not as in-depth as other games in personality, 911: Fire Rescue isn’t exactly glamorous and even lacks a ‘create a firefighter’ function.

Your weapons for combating fire include the trusty truck hose, with unlimited water. The more limited equipment in your arsenal includes a portable foam sprayer, Carbon dioxide extinguisher, level hose and a portable hose.

A meter in the corner of your screen shows your firefighters health, and throughout your adventure you will have access to first-aid kits, as well as oxygen masks. When dealing with smoke and fire the safest thing to do is crouch, but more times than not you will find yourself on the unhealthy end of a mission.

With a limited supply of oxygen, as well as a mission timer, the deeper the game gets the harder it becomes.

911: Fire Rescue Mission Objectives

Timed missions can end in two ways, with the obvious being when time runs out. The second and less likely, would be when your firefighter dies from lack of oxygen or injuries. Nevertheless, the most annoying way to die would simply be failing mission objective(s).

Mission objectives are as simple as rescuing a victim by clicking on them, or clearing an area. Sometimes both, but wherever the level takes you it is not always clear what you should be doing. Despite that, the game is small enough to where starting from point A is a lot more forgiving.

A trial and error process to finishing all 17 levels accompanies this budget title, and somehow fits it perfectly.

911: Fire Rescue Graphics

The Prism 3d engine is ahead of its time, but just a tad bit over-hyped in this offering. The horde of smoke that gamers will encounter is impressive, as well as the fire animations. But lack of programming on the AI of said flames makes it look very unrealistic.

The water is also dumbed down and, even at full blast, it looks outdated. The character models are average, but the environments (as dull as they seem sometimes) are well done.

911: Fire Rescue Sound

Limited but good voice acting, with a barrage of your average gaming sounds. There is a nice selection of sound effects to help you along on your missions, some which will become vital when it is impossible to see where you are.

911: Fire Rescue - Summing up

Part of the attraction is the ability to play a fireman in a game, the other part of that attraction would have been the gameplay. Where Fire Rescue falls short is rounding out to an average romp in terms of innovation.

Beyond the short life span of this adventure that gamers will get, there is the added frustration of gratifying tasks made minimalistic…for case and point, ‘rescuing’ a victim is nothing more than a click and Houdini. The fires let the game down as well, from the beginning of time till now they have not, even as yet, learned to spread nor burn out.

Despite the shortcomings, the price speaks for the title itself, as it was made to be a budget from the start.

911: Fire Rescue Cost

911: Fire Rescue retails for $0.97 on Amazon.