SOS: The Final Escape - PS2

Also known as: Disaster Report', 'Zettai Zetsumei Toshi

Got packs, screens, info?
Viewed: 3D Combination Genre:
Adventure
Simulation
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: IREM Soft. Co.: IREM
Publishers: Big Ben (GB)
Agetec (JP/US)
Released: 7 Mar 2003 (GB)
2002 (US)
2001 (JP)
Ratings: 11+
Accessories: Memory Card
Features: Vibration Function Compatible

Summary

An Earthquake sim? Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. Irem's SOS: The Final Escape is one of the few games we've seen that we can call genuinely innovative. It's a survival horror game of sorts, just without the blood and zombies, and it plays host to some of the most interactive environments ever seen.

When a violent earthquake hits Capital Island, the city is ripped apart and its inhabitants are scattered. Hundreds are dead and thousands are missing as the fight for survival begins. As the aftershocks continue to ripple through the wrecked city, your need to escape becomes more and more desperate. But your route to safety is littered with unknown dangers. As you dig deeper, something tells you there's more to the situation than meets the eye. Was the earthquake actually a natural disaster, or is something else to blame...?

There's only one way to find out, and that's to play the game. Your adventure begins in a bus on a wrecked bridge. After regaining consciousness and wandering outside to take a look at the damage, your first plan of action is to get off the collapsing bridge in one piece. But with a hefty collection of overturned lorries, buses and torn sections of road blocking your path, it's no walk in the park.

Health plays a major role in this survival epic, and in this case your recovery items are water taps, which can be found in various places within each area. Keep yourself hydrated and you'll be fine, but if you find yourself low on energy, you'll find you are physically slower and far more susceptible to injury.

Your game world is strangely devoid of human life in the beginning too, but as you progress deeper into the game, you'll run into several survivors who will either aid your quest or hinder it. Some can be very helpful, but others may have a hidden agenda.

The game itself is played in a standard third-person perspective, with a reasonable camera following behind. Camera controls are largely changeable, and given the amount of randomly placed objects, it works very well, rarely obstructing the player's view.

From a visual and technical standpoint, although Final Escape initially seems bland, lacking in any major detail, you have understand that early environments not only feature never-ending chunks of tarmac, but that each area is bustling with interactive objects and scenery. Walking in certain areas will trigger other shocks and, in some cases, cause entire parts of the landscape to crumble in real-time in front of your eyes.

SOS: The Final Escape isn't the most polished game for PlayStation 2, but the end result is an intriguing puzzle-based survival game that's well worth a few hours of your time.