EMERGENCY 20

About

"EMERGENCY 20" is a real-time strategy game that features 10 classic missions from the past 20 years, as well as the campaigns and multiplayer modes from EMERGENCY 5, EMERGENCY 2016, and EMERGENCY 2017. As an incident commander, you must coordinate rescue workers from four different branches to contain various disasters and make optimal use of your limited units. This edition is suitable for newcomers to the EMERGENCY series.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 904 reviews

story48 positive mentions

stability30 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience with remastered missions from earlier titles, providing a sense of familiarity for long-time fans.
Graphics and sound design are praised for their quality, enhancing the immersive experience of managing emergency situations.
The game includes a variety of missions and units, allowing for strategic gameplay and the opportunity to manage multiple emergencies simultaneously.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and poor AI pathfinding, which can significantly hinder gameplay.
Many players feel that the game lacks depth compared to earlier entries in the series, with simplified mechanics and less complexity in gameplay.
The modding community has not developed as expected, limiting the game's replayability and customization options compared to previous titles.

story
286 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
81%
2%
The story aspect of the game is largely centered around its mission design, which features a variety of scenarios that players find engaging and challenging. While some players appreciate the remastered missions from previous titles and the nostalgic elements, others express disappointment over the lack of a cohesive narrative and the absence of cinematic introductions. Overall, the game offers a mix of new and classic missions, but many reviewers feel that it lacks a strong overarching story.
- “It's an awesome game, very detailed and with lots of missions and campaigns to choose from.”
- “One of the standout features of Emergency 20 is the attention to detail in its mission design.”
- “This level of realism adds depth to the gameplay and ensures that no two missions feel the same.”
- “☑ no story”
- “Unfortunately, the impressive short films before each mission are missing from this game.”
- “I want to love this game but a number of bugs plague my progress, for example in the campaign game Hamburg flood, it seems that only two vehicles appear hence unable to complete the mission and move on.”
graphics
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
5%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the improvements over previous titles, describing them as "great" and "gorgeous," particularly in gameplay. However, some users have reported performance issues, including crashes and lag, especially on lower-end graphics cards, and noted the presence of glitches. Overall, while the visuals are generally considered a step up, they are not without their flaws, and some players recommend adjusting settings for optimal performance.
- “Graphics and lighting are amazing, gameplay is super immersive.”
- “Graphically, the game is gorgeous.”
- “To start off, emergency 20 is a massive step up from the previous titles; its graphics are breathtaking enough for a mid-range PC to handle and the audio is simply very impressive.”
- “First of all, I would like to say that this game doesn't like my graphics card.”
- “Poorly tested; the developers updated the graphics to this game and broke it!”
- “Graphics suck, don't recommend this at all.”
gameplay
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
4%
The gameplay of the Emergency series, particularly in Emergency 20, has been described as fun and immersive, with a variety of interesting missions that add depth to the experience. However, many reviewers noted that the core mechanics have not significantly changed from previous iterations, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and simplicity that some found disappointing. While the graphics and audio received praise, issues such as bugs, AI behavior, and a lack of complexity in gameplay mechanics were common criticisms.
- “Graphics and lighting are amazing, gameplay is super immersive.”
- “The gameplay is very fun, there are a wide variety of missions and personnel, and it is generally one of the best I have ever played.”
- “This game is just simply amazing, the visuals, audio, and gameplay, as if my respect for emergency services wasn’t enough some missions increased that tenfold.”
- “The gameplay is too simple (not too easy, just too simple!) they took all the complexity out and delivered a foolproof game.”
- “Overall frustrating gameplay experience.”
- “The graphics are great but the long animations, laggy & buggy gameplay don't do the game any favors.”
stability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game is generally enjoyable but plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in single-player and multiplayer modes. Players report issues such as unresponsive units, failed missions due to glitches, and long animations that contribute to a frustrating experience. While the graphics are praised, the overall stability remains a significant concern, with many users advising potential players to be aware of these issues.
- “Generally not buggy or glitchy and can keep you entertained.”
- “I've been struggling to complete challenge achievements with bugs making me fail missions, for example, not being able to break down doors on certain buildings and unable to return the drone when it glitches out.”
- “However, the game is buggy and really stressful, both in single-player and in co-op.”
- “This game is just so buggy; units disappear over time or become unusable, especially SWAT units most of the time.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
60%
27%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, often requiring significant time investment, with some humorously suggesting it feels like needing a "second life" to keep up. However, there are mixed feelings, as some appreciate the vast content and achievements available, noting that grinding is minimal for unlocking new missions and vehicles.
- “Aside from the enormous amount of content you are given, there is even a free endless mode and a ton of achievements to obtain. Although the meteor mission did make me frustrated a tiny bit, the game is difficult with strategy and fun, of course. Do keep in mind there is no grinding to do aside from obtaining tiny amounts of points to unlock new missions and vehicles. I have yet to encounter a bug with this game, so this is a plus. Sure, the vehicles may take a tiny second to get unstuck from an area, but it doesn’t affect any aspect of the game.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent crashes and overall poor performance. However, some players have noted that it runs smoothly on specific hardware, such as the M1 Mac at high graphical settings. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires significant updates to improve its stability and performance.
- “Run smoothly on M1 Mac in high graphical settings at 1920x1080 resolution!”
- “But could you update it and make it run smoothly?”
- “The game is not well optimized, and you will experience frequent crashes.”
- “It crashes constantly and is very poorly optimized.”
- “The performance is still not the best.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
Overall, the game offers a mix of high replayability due to challenging missions and extra content, providing hours of fun. However, some users feel that certain scenarios are short-lived and lack depth, which may limit their replay value. The inclusion of creative features allows players to enhance their experience and test their skills, contributing positively to the game's replayability.
- “Some missions are quite challenging, with a lot of extra content on this one, providing high replay value.”
- “This feature adds a significant amount of replayability and creativity to the game, allowing you to test your skills as both a player and a level designer.”
- “It may be missing building interiors, but it's just as great as the others, offering hours and hours of replayable fun.”
- “Sure, the scenarios provided in the game are neat but lack replayability and are short-lived.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is praised for being heavy, gritty, and original, with no reused tracks, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the great soundtracks as a significant aspect of the game's appeal, alongside its fun gameplay and affordability.
- “The soundtrack isn't reused; instead, it's heavy, gritty, and fresh.”
- “I recommend this game because it has really fun gameplay and great music soundtracks. It's very affordable and offers high discounts for those who already own Emergency 2016 or 2017.”
- “The soundtrack isn't reused; instead, it's heavy, gritty, and fresh.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, indicating a lack of value for players and a focus on profit over quality.
- “Quick cash grab.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive sound design, featuring realistic sirens, radio chatter, and ambient noise that collectively create a believable and engaging environment.
- “The sound design adds to the immersion, with realistic sirens, radio chatter, and ambient noise creating a believable and engaging atmosphere.”