Despite there being a well-worn cliché about judging books by their covers, we’re forced to admit that the boringlooking Emergency 5 went to the bottom of the review pile. Even the fireman on the front cover looks as though he’s struggling to stay awake, and the box blurb suggests gamers will be taking on the role of a telephone operator in a cubicle-infested call centre.
Despite there being a well-worn cliché about judging books by their covers, we’re forced to admit that the boringlooking Emergency 5 went to the bottom of the review pile. Even the fireman on the front cover looks as though he’s struggling to stay awake, and the box blurb suggests gamers will be taking on the role of a telephone operator in a cubicle-infested call centre.
Getting over this lacklustre presentation isn’t hard, though, and it makes the surprisingly invigorating gameplay and thrill-packed visuals an even bigger surprise when they blaze across the monitor.
Following on from three previously successful titles in the same franchise, fans of the series have been waiting for a UK localisation of Emergency 5 for around two years. It’s finally here, and delivers the accident-riddled delights that European gamers have been obsessively rubber-necking over. As the yawn-inducing box suggests, it is indeed a game about co-ordinating the emergency services, but we’re not talking about attending domestic disputes or cats stuck in trees – this is Red Adair on LSD-based steroids.