EMERGENCY 4 Deluxe
- April 24, 2018
- Sixteen Tons Entertainment
- 103h median play time
Get on SteamEmergency 4 Deluxe is a realistic emergency management simulation game. As the commander of various emergency services, you'll manage resources, respond to incidents, and ensure the safety of your city. The deluxe edition includes the base game and the "Facts of Life" expansion, offering new missions, vehicles, and scenarios. Cooperation and strategic planning are key to success in this immersive and challenging game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is very fun, especially with mods that enhance the experience significantly.
- Despite being released in 2006, the game still holds up well and offers engaging gameplay.
- The modding community is active and provides a wide variety of mods that improve and expand the game.
- The base game can feel empty and lacks depth without mods, making it less enjoyable.
- There are frequent bugs and glitches, particularly when using mods, which can disrupt gameplay.
- The graphics and AI are outdated, leading to issues with pathfinding and unit behavior.
- story44 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered minimal and generic, primarily consisting of basic mission scenarios presented by an audio announcer. While the campaign features around 20 missions that are described as intense and filled with surprises, many players feel that the narrative lacks depth and could benefit from more engaging content. Overall, the focus seems to be more on gameplay mechanics and mission variety rather than a compelling storyline.
“The game offers a realistic and immersive experience, with detailed missions and a variety of vehicles and equipment to manage.”
“20 mission long campaign with original and challenging strategy-based operations.”
“The campaign missions are intense, and they also have lots of surprises changing the situation (for example, new accidents and new dangers suddenly show up, forcing us to react immediately to save lives), which adds to the thrill.”
“☑ no story”
“☑ story?”
“Its a good game, but they need mods, and also I would really love it if there was more in the missions.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game, released in 2006, are generally considered decent for its time, with some players appreciating the realism and overall aesthetic despite acknowledging that the graphics engine shows its age. However, there are notable issues, particularly for users with AMD graphics cards, leading to glitches and performance problems. While some players find the graphics enjoyable, others criticize them as outdated, suggesting that they detract from the overall experience.
“Honestly, a really good game to play and the graphics are surprisingly good for a game made in 2006.”
“The graphics are definitely great for the game's age, although the graphics engine is showing its age with the coming years, but it still looks great.”
“Graphics quality, even though it's a bit older, is still solid, and it's a lot of fun.”
“Linux/Proton users beware, very finicky game especially on AMD graphics in my experience.”
“I'm talking between 4-17 frames per second regardless of graphics settings.”
“However, graphics and resolution are not too good anymore, compared to today.”
- gameplay25 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Emergency 4 is praised for its addictive nature and detailed mechanics, remaining enjoyable even years after its release. While the vanilla game offers a solid experience with 20 missions, the extensive modding community significantly enhances gameplay, introducing new mechanics and improving realism. Some users note occasional bugs, but the overall fun factor compensates for these issues.
“A game that is older than a lot of people, but somehow still offers gameplay that is yet to be equally matched.”
“One of the things that really stands out about Emergency 4 is the level of detail in the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is good, but if you want the true EM4 experience, modding is basically a requirement.”
“If you had played older emergency games, you know the gameplay, and you know what to do.”
“Why, why, why didn't it work for gameplay but you stole my money $17.99?”
“Basically said, I would 100% recommend this game, while the vanilla game is not bad by any means (in fact, it's quite decent), I would say the biggest plus are the many, usually well-made mods that are out there, some even change the game by adding in neat small mechanics (like the LA mod), or even change the game completely (like the RTS Bieberfelde and RTS Winterberg mods, which turn it into a full-fledged paramedic simulator, complete with patient and medication simulation.)”
- stability13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players appreciate the graphics and the efforts of the modding community to enhance the experience, many still encounter persistent issues that detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is described as janky and problematic, with stability issues being a major concern for players.
“The game is janky, buggy, and all around a mess.”
“I can't play the game; it glitches when I try to place any unit. The texture glitches and then the game becomes a black, glitched mess. I've searched and didn't find anything that could help me fix this.”
“When you try to mod it, it doesn't really work; it glitches and then crashes your game. Waste of money; graphics are not really good and need to be fixed!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Players consistently express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time that feels overwhelming. The repetitive nature of the tasks can lead to a sense of tedium, diminishing the overall enjoyment.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Though the micromanaging and lack of autonomy on the AIs may still feel a bit tedious at times.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some users report smooth performance even on older hardware, others criticize its lack of improvements or updates since its 2018 re-release on Steam, indicating a failure to optimize for modern systems. Overall, the game maintains its retro feel but may not meet the expectations for performance enhancements.
“I'm just gonna say this: retro, good performance (I'm on a 6-year-old laptop that isn't even meant for gaming).”
“Control is a bit flaky, but overall a great game that runs smoothly on a less powerful computer.”
“Considering the game was re-released on Steam in 2018, Sixteen Tons appears either incapable of or unwilling to improve its performance on anything even vaguely approaching modern hardware.”
“I would accept the price if they had updated the graphics or optimized it somehow, but it is the same game as it was in the past.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game generally complements the gameplay well, with soundtracks that enhance the atmosphere and match the intensity of various situations. However, some players have noted issues with volume control, where music persists even at minimal settings, and the soundtrack can become repetitive and annoying after extended playtime.
“The music usually works fine, but there are moments where you can lower everything to almost 0% and you will still hear the music, sounding like it's at 100%.”
“The soundtracks are awesome; they really fit well with the situation you're in, perfectly intense when something bad happens and perfectly calm when the pace is slow.”
“The soundtrack can also get annoying at times, especially if you play for 50 hours.”
“Music usually works fine, but there are moments when you can lower everything to almost 0% and still hear the music as if it's at 100%.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, particularly due to its unique features and the availability of mods that enhance the experience, making it a highly recommended choice for RTS enthusiasts seeking something fresh.
“Highly recommended if you're looking for something a bit new and unique in your RTS games. Plus, there are mods to add lots of replay value to this already great game.”
“The variety of gameplay options and different strategies keeps me coming back for more.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the dynamic events and choices that can change the outcome.”
