Deserved low score, but the game is HIGHLY recommended!, this is why...
I liked the concept of EMERGENCY 2012, checked out the requirements, and all, and it was ok, so I bought the game (retail), I had great expectations about it...
After the installation... a fair decent intro movie, and then the options... obviously, I chose the single player campaign (missions) mode and that's maybe one of the big flaws of this game... even with the tutorial mode on, it's REALLY difficult to keep up the phase...
As the review here at GAMESPOT, it's correct, the missions are totally frustrating for one simple reason, it's a total (for me, that is) new concept of gameplay, and the tutorial IN-GAME, and one of the few things that I can't stand is to lose a mission because the BASICS of the game are not too clear.
After playing for a few minutes in the missions, failing to complete because of something I did wrong and not being able to solve the case... I knew this game had poor testing.
Now the GOOD:
BUT!, after that, I decided to play the endless game... woooo!!!!, that's another story. The gameplay is so good that I could not stop playing, the premise is so entertaining and the fact that you DON'T "Lose" if you fail to achieve something in time, gives a breath to the tension of the missions.
After a really few incidents, you get the hang of it and in no time you are dispatching several units at the same time and attending several cases in that particular scenario.
Yes, you have to be carefully looking and attending each and everyone of the situations, (and in many cases asking why that stupid driver had to stop right in the middle of a railway)...meanwhile, your units are busy working, but there's a time between completion, time you use to surf the map and see how your little guys are doing attending their emergency!, and manually taking them back to the station.
This endless game mode is one of the coolest things I have played in a while.
And... the ugly:
Yes, the game has a lot of good ideas, but it seems it was poorly tested before launching the retail version, The missions are so frustrating, it discourages you to keep on. (This problem could have been solved if the missions were unlockable from the endless game, for example).
Last but not least, PATCH your reatail game and/or your video card as soon as you install it (or before), defragment your hard drive... etc... if you want to avoid unwanted extra frustrations... (crashes).
Having this in mind, the game is GREAT as it is.
Hopefully next one will adress this points and deliver an excellent sequel.
Looking forward to it
:)