Wait a second, what's going on here? A game where not only do you not try to kill people, but you actually have to rescue them? In a time when far too many games are being blasted for their excess violence and gore, Take2 interactive and Syscom Entertainment give us their take on a day in the life of a rescue helicopter pilot. Sounds weird, huh? That's what I thought, too, until I had the chance to play it. City Crisis gives you the choice of 5 helicopters (2 of which are locked) and lets you do your best to put out fires, save the victims, and chase runaway fugitives through the city. City Crisis offers two initially available modes of play, Rescue and Chase, and two that you must unlock, Final Rescue and Time Trials.

In Rescue, you must pilot your chosen helicopter from one end of the city to the other in order to put out fires, using water missiles and a water cannon, and then rescue the victims ( a la Choplifter - everyone remembers that one, right?). Along the way you can also pick up optional victims in need of rescue, and you must dodge other helicopters, exploding debris and most importantly, the other buildings. Which brings me to my first problem with this game, the control. Even with the brief but functional Training Missions, there were many times throughout my career as a rescue pilot where I found myself banging off neighboring buildings while trying to rescue the poor people trapped on the sides of the burning skyscrapers. Although admittedly I've never flown a helicopter in my life, the controls just seemed a bit loose, and hard to control in tight spaces. The other mode you can choose from the beginning is Chase, in which you must follow a criminal in a runaway car through the city at night until the police can set up a roadblock and keep him from escaping the city. Not only are you required to fly low enough and close enough behind him to keep your spotlight on him, but you have to do this while dodging the buildings that surround you. Which, ironically enough, brings me to my other problem, the camera angle. It can be downright cruel. Although you won't have too many problems with it in Rescue, where you can fly well over the city until you arrive at the fire, in Chase you are forced to fly low, and too many times you will smash into the side of a building you couldn't see because of the camera. This could have easily been fixed with the option to choose from multiple camera angles, but it wasn't.

I don't want to seem too pessimistic, though, this game did definitely have its good points, too. Although the graphics and sound were a bit simplistic, I'd say they were solid and well done and certainly do the job. The real star of the game, though, was the gameplay itself. Everyone knows that if the gameplay sucks then it don't matter how pretty the graphics or how tight the controls. And as simple a concept as this seems, you will find yourself trying to plan the best route to the next fire so you can pick up a few extra people, or trying to force the fugitive towards the police roadblock so you can get a better grade, and you will find you are having fun. When its all said and done, this game has a very arcade feel to it, and aside from unlocking new levels and helicopters, and getting the best grade on each mission, there really isn't a lot of depth. But that is not always a bad thing, because there is enough variety, in time of day, building layout and location, and even in choosing what helicopter to pilot, that even though you won't be playing this game continuously, you will keep coming back to play just a little more, for just a few more hours.
 

Install: N/A

Gameplay: 8.3
This game has a very unique feel to it, and a very original concept. Even though there are obvious problems, overall this game is a blast. Who ever thought saving lives could be so much fun!?!

Graphics: 7
Very average, there isn't a whole lot to make this game stand out, graphics wise. But this is also the type of game where the graphics take back seat to the fast and furious gameplay.

Sound: 7.5
Once again, very average. The music is your standard arcade-techno, probably not anything you're going to want to buy the soundtrack to. From the whup-whup of your helicopter blades to the sound of sirens racing across the city, though, the sound effects were well done, and certainly add a lot to the feel of the game.

Difficulty: 6
Unfortunately, the poor controls and shortsighted camera angles did nothing to make this game easy to pick up and get the hang of. 'Nuff said.

Concept: 8.5
If nothing else, City Crisis is a very original concept. Who would have thought we'd be flying across the city, rescuing survivors from burning buildings and chasing criminals, and be having fun doing it!

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 7.8
In an atmosphere where most companies are kicking out clones like they're going out of style (I guess they kind of are, by their very nature...), I have to give credit where credit is due. Sure, there could have been more depth to hold your attention longer, and yes, the controls could certainly stand a tweaking, but this game is fun, and just challenging enough to keep you coming back for more. So get out there pilots, and lets bring this city back from the brink of disaster...