Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (Switch) Review
Release Date: April 7, 2020
Publisher/Developer: Granzella/NIS America
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4 (VR Compatible), PC
Price: $59.99
Disaster Report 4 has had a history as shaking as it’s own topic. Originally planned for release on the PlayStation 3, the title was canned shortly after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in 2011. In the years since, fans of the series have clamored for it’s return, and it is on it’s way next week. Thanks to this history and the support of real-world disaster relief specialists, this title may have a few places it struggles but ends up as more than the sum of it’s parts.
Disaster Report begins as your customized character is on their way somewhere when an earthquake upends the bus and leaves you in the middle of a chaotic metropolis. As you move around the city, supporting others as you find them, while also dealing with aftershocks that cause buildings to collapse around you. Stories of many different characters unfold around you, and the survivors you support end up working with you to survive and escape the chaos of the city. One of my favorite parts of the game is how I help create the story as I go along, even if it seems inconsequential. I got to choose things like whether I was going to a business meeting or for a stroll in the park right before the earthquake hit. I see no reason why this matters, yet there are fully voiced Japanese lines for each and every option, no matter how minuscule.
This title was rebuilt from the ground up after it’s prior cancellation, but it still feels as if it has limitations that hold it back to the last generation. I did review it on the lower-powered Switch console, and would have loved to see it with some more horsepower in PSVR. However, certain gameplay elements must be uniform throughout that feel rather simplistic for a disaster game. Early in the game, walking toward a particular road caused a building to collapse. Expecting major chaos to develop from this twist, I was saddened that, from a gameplay perspective, it was a kneejerk button press to avoid damage and a blocked-off road. It didn’t help that other than bracing for the shake, nobody else seemed to care much about the newly destroyed high rise, and continued panicking in place. (Side note: I can say the Nintendo Switch version makes good use of the HD Rumble, which my wife heard and felt rumbling when I played it handheld near her on the couch.)
The restart is not without it’s bonuses, however. Developers worked directly with the Kobe Fire Bureau and found out the best course of action when in emergencies that they integrated into the game, to where a lot of the best options are truly the best course of action (there are a few romanticized moments to keep the story going, I doubt anyone should crawl under a giant pile of rubble through a tiny hole when the area they are in is currently safe). Also, there are tons of other survivors, and you can help each other. It appears there are scores of people, and your choices, right down to whether you go in a building or not or choose to investigate a plot thread or not, will change your experience. In the beginning, I had people telling me about a particular woman who had gone missing, but could not find her. Looking at the official website, she is a fully fleshed out character but I don’t see myself finding again. With all the choices you can make and random actions and events you can run into make me feel as if the replay value of this game can be very high if you feel like roleplaying a different attitude.
It is sad that Disaster Report 4 got cancelled when it was first developed, but I think that it has come out better for it. Attention to detail for realistic disaster reactions makes this game almost educational. I would like to see more care in NPC AI reactions. I’d have preferred to have a physical instruction manual or tutorial section, as I sadly spent too long unable to figure out the “run” button, or what exactly I needed to do to progress the story. Overall, though, the benefits outweigh the rough spots, and Disaster Report 4 is a wonderful upgrade to the series that brings realistic responses to extreme circumstances to light.
Pros:
-Important and inconsequential actions are enmeshed in each other to create a living world
-A variety of survivors you may or may not discover adds variety and replay value
-Developers worked with real crisis workers to bring real solutions to problems
Cons:
-Disappointing AI reactions and aftermath of certain chaotic events
-Confusing startup could benefit from manual or tutorial
Special thanks to Granzella/NIS America for providing a code for review!