Emergency Mayhem

Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Release Date: April 15, 2008
System: Wii
ESRB Rating: T

In a nutshell: Mayhem is an accurate description of the game design.

0:00 I like games that do things differently, and taking control of emergency responders is pretty different in today's gaming environment. That said, the fact that the game has been in development since 2004 doesn't bode well.

0:01 The loading screen lets me shoot at a yellow caution sign with the Emergency Mayhem logo. This doesn't seem to fit with the emergency prevention ideals espoused by the title.

0:02 I'm loving the trumpet-heavy swing music on the title screen. Feels like I'm in a '30s crime thriller.

0:03 I choose Medium difficulty (how hard can it be? It's a Wii game!) and I'm off to the industrial district. I choose the police first. "Oh no, the industrial heart of the city is in mayhem! Get to your vehicle and sort it out quick." Cartoony, over-the-top voice acting here.

0:04 The cel-shaded town is pretty nice, lots of bright primary colors and simple, undistracting designs. The B button accelerates and the A button brakes and goes in reverse. This is the reverse of pretty much every other driving game I've played on the Wii.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer