Emergency 2017

Emergency 2017 is a real-time strategy and simulation game where players manage emergency services to respond to various crises. Set in a dynamic urban environment, the game tasks players with coordinating firefighters, police, medical teams, and technical rescue units to handle disasters and maintain public safety. The game emphasizes time management and strategic planning to effectively mitigate emergencies and save lives.

Emergency 2017: Review

A Flawed Tribute to Emergency Service Realism

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Introduction

In the pantheon of real-time strategy simulations, the Emergency series has carved out a unique niche since 1998 by letting players command firefighters, police, and paramedics. Emergency 2017, developed by Sixteen Tons Entertainment and released in 2016, represents both the strengths and shortcomings of this long-running franchise. This review argues that while the game delivers intricate disaster management mechanics and a commendable commitment to realism, it is hamstrung by outdated AI, repetitive design, and a lack of innovation, relegating it to a footnote in the series’ history.

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Development History & Context

Emergency 2017 emerged from Sixteen Tons Entertainment, a German studio founded by Ralph Stock, whose vision since the original Emergency: Fighters for Life (1998) has been to simulate emergency response with tactical precision. By 2016, the studio was grappling with the limitations of its custom OGRE-engine framework, originally built for Emergency 5 (2014). While the engine allowed for 3D environments and dynamic lighting, it struggled with pathfinding and unit AI—issues critics had flagged since earlier entries.

The game was released into a crowded strategy market, competing with polished contemporaries like Cities: Skylines and This Is the Police. Yet Emergency 2017 aimed squarely at its niche audience: players craving methodical, large-scale crisis management. As a standalone expansion to Emergency 5, it bundled previous content while adding new missions and units, a cost-effective approach that drew criticism for feeling more like DLC than a full sequel.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The game’s narrative structure splits between two campaigns:
1. A historic mini-campaign set in 17th-century Hamburg, where players combat witch hunts and mob violence using rudimentary units like city guards. This segment, while novel, feels underdeveloped, with simplistic objectives like rescuing citizens from pyres.
2. Modern counter-terrorism operations across German cities like Berlin and Munich, featuring bomb threats, floods, and mass casualties.

Thematically, Emergency 2017 grapples with the tension between order and chaos. Missions often escalate unpredictably—a burning building might collapse, or a hostage situation could devolve into a shootout. However, the writing lacks depth, with minimal character development or dialogue. The focus remains on procedural realism rather than storytelling, echoing the series’ roots as a simulation-first experience.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Emergency 2017 is a real-time strategy game where players deploy and micromanage units across four services:
– Firefighters (extinguishing blazes, rescuing trapped civilians)
– Police (crowd control, neutralizing suspects)
– Paramedics (triage, ambulance transport)
– Technical Rescue (hazard cleanup, structural stabilization)

Key Mechanics:
– K9 Unit: A new addition, allowing dogs to sniff out bombs or survivors—a rare bright spot in innovation.
– Dynamic Events: Missions shift mid-operation, e.g., a gas leak triggering an explosion.
– Editor Tools: Robust modding support for custom scenarios, a franchise hallmark.

Flaws:
– Pathfinding AI: Units frequently get stuck or take illogical routes, crippling time-sensitive operations.
– Repetitive Missions: Despite new scenarios, objectives often recycle “extinguish fires, arrest suspects, heal civilians.”
– Clunky UI: Overlapping menus and slow unit selection frustrate during high-stakes moments.

The multiplayer co-op mode, supporting up to four players, is a highlight but plagued by connectivity issues and a dwindling player base.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Emergency 2017’s portrayal of German cities is meticulous but unspectacular. Urban maps like Hamburg’s docks or Munich’s streets are functional, with destructible buildings and traffic systems, but lack the vibrancy of modern strategy titles. The 17th-century campaign offers a visual departure, with torch-lit villages and period-appropriate assets, though texture quality lags behind 2016 standards.

The soundtrack, composed by Benny Oschmann (Emergency 5), blends orchestral urgency with electric guitar riffs, evoking the tension of crisis response. However, voice acting is sparse, and unit barks (e.g., “Fire contained!”) grow repetitive quickly.

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Reception & Legacy

Emergency 2017 garnered mixed reviews:
– GameStar (Germany): 58/100, praising its simulation depth but lambasting “dull AI and inadequate scope.”
– Steam Reviews: “Mixed” (64% positive), with players citing bugs and lack of innovation.

Commercially, it underperformed, overshadowed by Emergency 20 (2017), an anniversary edition that repackaged its content with remastered classics. While the franchise’s mobile spin-off Emergency HQ (2018) found success, 2017 remains a low point—a game that iterated rather than innovated, failing to address long-standing flaws.

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Conclusion

Emergency 2017 is a paradox: a game that faithfully upholds the series’ dedication to emergency realism yet falters under the weight of its technical and creative limitations. Its earnest portrayal of disaster response will satisfy die-hard fans, but clunky AI, repetitive design, and a lack of meaningful evolution make it a hard sell for newcomers. In the broader context of video game history, Emergency 2017 serves as a cautionary tale—a reminder that even niche franchises must modernize to survive. Final Verdict: A flawed tribute, best left to completionists and series loyalists.