Just picked up State of Emergency (1 Viewer)

[Yohan Pamudji]

I picked this up last night. I haven't had the control loss problem, but I agree that this game might be a renter for some. Call me crazy but I was expecting a different kind of game. SoE is more like Double Dragon than Grand Theft Auto 3. It's an arcade shoot-em-up/beat-em-up type game. It's still very fun, but there's only 4 maps and 5 characters, and the gameplay can get repetitive.

For those expecting something more similar to GTA3 prepare to be disappointed. I was, but then I remembered how much I wanted a Double Dragon-esque game, which this definitely is.

 

[WilliamS]

It's been said that in S of E that you can grab an object that resembles a GameCube (a pruple cube with a black handlle) and beat people up with it.

I saw this game at E3 last year, although the character models looked very primitive, there were a ton of them on screen, so i guess that was why it looked like a PSOne game.

If they port this to any of the more powerful systems like XBox or GameCube, hopefully they'll up the polygon count.

 

[Joseph Young]

There is indeed a 16:9 mode, and an option to turn the gore 'on' or 'off.'
This is an action game, and the 'Chaos' mode is the real star of the show. This is the sort of game that belongs in an arcade, meaning: it is best experienced in small doses.
I can understand peoples' disappointment in this title, especially considering most of them wanted GTA 3.5 and got a relatively shallow actioner instead.
GTA 3 is a better game, to be sure. But it's an experimental title, an interim game that plays with a concept and literally runs with it, uzi in hand. It's a pretty audacious game, and playing it for a while you realize that rockstar wasn't trying to overreach or make the 'story' mode as involving or epic as GTA3.. it's simply an aside to Chaos mode. The lack of online play is unfortunate, as I suspect more people would be anxious to play that way.
SoE won't make history though, other than marking a significant chapter in the rising social controversy with violence in video games.
Joseph

 

[Marc Carra]

I tried out SoE last night, and I have to say that it is a quite addicting, if pointless, game. The thing that impressed me the most was the surround sound. You have to go into the sound menu to enable it, and the game becomes quite enveloping. There are distinct rear effects that are really cool. You can turn your guy around to face you , and shoot offscreen, as you listen to the victims screams coming in back of you!

One thing that had me laughing myself silly was to go to the top of the escalators in the mall, and toss a grenade down to 'UP' escalator. Everone panics and tries to run back down, but they can't (because it's an Up escalator!) and then BOOM! Kewl stuff! Boy, are we a sick society to make such a game.

Marc.

 

[Frederick]

Quick update: No more glitches on the game. Must have been a loose controller or something. I couldn't get it to happen again ...

Mission mode consists of find the guy, get a mission, complete the mission, run back to the guy, repeat. The missions (so far) consist of stuff like escorting people to certain areas, taking out people, retrieving things from people once you take them out... nothing to complicated. I'm sure that I'll get to one where I have to destroy things eventually. I agree, it's not GTA3, but it's fun in it's own right. I'd still suggest people renting this one first, though. I'm still liking it, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea ...

Freddy C.

 

[Joseph Young]

There is an incredibly in-depth article over at Salon.com regarding SoE. Makes for some interesting reading.
Joseph

 

[BrianB]

You should have warned me it was by Wagner James Au.

In depth? Bah. It's an article of vox-pops on anti-capitalism.

 

[Joseph Young]

Knew nothing of the man's politics, didn't realize the article was advancing a man's pseudo political agenda.. my bad... :b
Did find this funny commentary on his writing though.
Back OT... I'm actually having a pretty good time with the game. I've all but given up on the relative tedium of revolution mode and spend all my time in Chaosmode. It's fun little arcade brawler, best consumed in bite sized chunks.
Joseph

 

[Ike]

I got this game tonight, and after an hour of play, can say for certain it's a fun arcade brawler. Sure it's mindless, but it's funny, and shocking, and addicting, which is certainly something for it. It's not as good as GTA3, as previously has been mentioned, but it's still darn good, and I'm glad I own it.

 

[JasonK]

I picked this up on Monday and have been enjoying the mission mode so far. As you guys have said, it's not up to GTA3 standards, but is a blast in small doses.

I got a kick out of shooting a passer-by in the face with a shotgun, blowing the head clean off, then picking the head up and beating other people with it. Warped, but fun.

The biggest beef I have with the game is the lack of a 2 player mode. I've fond memories of playing Streets of Rage, Final Fight, and their brethren with my buds, and this game would have benefited greatly with the option to play with/against your friends.

 

[Mitty]

I got a kick out of shooting a passer-by in the face with a shotgun, blowing the head clean off, then picking the head up and beating other people with it.

Hmmm, in Chaos mode, I sliced a guy's head off with a sword, and watched his headless body drop to its knees and keel over. It was pretty funny, but I didn't even think to pick up the head.
I wish you could hold more than one weapon. It would be nice to collect them rather than just having one at a time.
Overall, it's fun, but a little bit disappointing when compared to GTA3 or Max Payne.
Maybe I'll change my mind as I start exploring it a little more. It did take me a while to get into Max Payne.

 

[BrianShort]

I rented this a few days ago and am glad I did... it really doesnt hold my interest at all... Only had time the first evening to play for 10 minutes before the Olympics... then I played maybe 30 minutes the next day, got bored, and didnt pick it up again till today... tried out the kill the clones stuff, tried a bit more of the Revolution mode... then put it back in the case and am ready to return it to Blockbuster. I've been known to like games with mindless action and violence, but this one just doesnt cut it for me.

Brian

 

[Andrew_Sch]

I picked this one up yesterday. Considering that my favorite thing to do in GTA3 is to put in the all weapons code about 15 times, then go up on a rooftop and kill anything and everything that moves, it's right up my alley.

 

[David_Lu]

i'm glad i rented it first as well...maybe it was hyped to much--or probably nothing can follow up GTA3. the game gets kinda old pretty fast.