Disaster Report
Disaster Report is a Japanese series originally developed by Kazuma Kujo and his team of former SNK developers who joined Irem to make new IP, Disaster Report being one of them. Disaster Report is an adventure game series played from a third person perspective that deals with escape scenarios during a time of crisis in a Japanese setting. It's a series that plays with the fantasy of "what would I do in this situation" and frequently pushes the player to make decisions and play very carefully as they make their plan to escape. The games are of a linear design but offer a lot of fun through their branching paths and subtle differences each playthrough based on what decisions you make and various endings on offer.
Disaster Report 1 and 2 were released as SOS: The Final Escape and Raw Danger respectively on the PS2 and Disaster Report 3 received an English fan translation as it was only released in Japan.
Disaster Report 4 was originally made for the PS3 but was cancelled after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan and has now been revived for PS4 by Granzella, formerly from Irem.
Thrust into a tragedy that touches countless lives, you must now make the decisions that will determine who lives and who dies in the chaos stemming from a natural disaster. What will you do in the aftermath of calamity?
When a massive earthquake strikes the city you’re visiting, you find yourself at the epicenter of a chaotic and catastrophic crisis. It’s up to you to rise above the calamity, gather your thoughts and your fellow survivors, and outlast the disaster. Aftershocks, fires, collapsing buildings and debris, and unstable ground are but a few of the threats you’ll face in these nightmarish circumstances. What will you do when every passing second and every snap decision could spell the difference between life and death?
- In a city on the brink of collapsing, you’ll need to make split-second decisions that will impact your safety as well as that of others.
- Meet your fellow survivors in a Japanese-inspired city devastated by a powerful earthquake, and see how the human spirit bends...and sometimes breaks.
- Navigate a multitude of crises—from collapsing buildings to raging fires—in a city aplomb with peril.
Details
PS4, Switch & PC.
Publisher: NIS America
Developer: Granzella
Release Date: April 7th 2020
Steam link:
Characters
The Main Character.
The default identity of the young person* who came to the city, the game's setting. They encountered the earthquake in a place unfamiliar to them, and now they wander around the city in order to survive. During their journey, they'll come across roads buried in rubble, experience aftershocks, encounter many disaster victims, and visit shelters, among other events. The protagonist can choose to be selfless and help others, or be selfish and hinder them instead.
Players can customize the protagonist's name, gender, and appearance at the start of the game. They can also change outfits acquired during gameplay.
The Distressed Teacher
Natsumi Higa
"What should I do...!? My students... Where did they go!?"
A new high school English teacher. Though teaching is her dream, she's been having a difficult time managing her problematic students. She enjoys sports and has a bright personality, but she struggles with the reality of being a teacher and feels incompetent at her job. She came to the city to locate and discipline her students, who skipped school and went missing after the earthquake hit.
The Job-Hunting Student
Shinji Taneda
"The earthquake happened today, of all days... I can't believe the job interview was postponed..."
A kind young man who cares about his mother, who scrounged up enough money for him to travel to the city to get a job. The earthquake occurred right before he was going to interview for a company located in the business district. The interview was postponed, and now he's at a loss on what to do in a city he's not familiar with.
The Talented Fashion Designer
Akemi Towada
"Hm? Oh, sorry! Thought you were one of my employees."
A designer with a fun personality and the owner of an up-and-coming apparel shop in the city. Growing up overseas, her talents as a fashion designer were discovered, and she started a shop with her brand. The shop had just opened when it was damaged by the earthquake, so now she and her employees are trying to clean up the mess.
The IT Company President
Shun Kirishima
"Hmph! A person who can't stand their ground... Pathetic."
A young man who founded the IT company Vestola and became its president. He's a good-looking man with a lot of confidence and a little too much pride. Vestola saw rapid growth and became a leading company in the city, but because of the earthquake, it's now in a massive financial crisis.
The Malicious Opportunist
Masayoshi Kumazawa
"Well, business is business!"
The manager of a convenience store. A burly man with a nasty attitude, he takes advantage of the disaster victims to make some money.
The Assertive Woman
Kanae Tomita
"Before I knew it, it was pitch-black. I screamed and screamed, but nobody came..."
A woman who lives in the city. She was on a subway heading to the ferry terminal when the earthquake hit. A little older than the protagonist, she's a straightforward individual who gets right to action.
The Injured Man
Tomoya Kazama
"I had no idea... He suddenly started attacking me. I don't know if I got lucky, but because of the earthquake, I was able to escape from him..."
A man wearing a black T-shirt who was being chased by a scary-looking man. He has a bruise on his face that appears to be from being punched. After meeting the protagonist, he asks for a favor.
System:
Dialogue choices at specific events. Be an arse, be friendly, be passive. Funny dialogue will ensue.
Demo:
Demo is out on both Switch and PS4.
Trailer/Gameplay:
NIS Trailer:
Demo Gameplay:
Just a little while ago, this was a place where we took our everyday lives for granted. Until yesterday, we had thought this would continue forever.
Official NISA Site:
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is a 3D survival action-adventure game that pulls the player into a realistic depiction of a major disaster occurring in a modern Japanese city. The player is tasked with making choices that affect the outcome of their life and the lives of other survivors.
nisamerica.com
Reviews:
Metacritic:
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories
