First look: Fire Department

French developer Monte Cristo has today released the first gameplay information on Fire Department, its fire-fighting game for the PC. Fire Department is a squad-based action strategy game in which players, after assembling and training their own team of fire-fighting specialists, will have to put out the flames in 10 different missions inspired by real-life events. The missions will include everything from fires at petrochemical complexes and warehouses, to service station explosions, inner-city fires, and even an earthquake.

There are six distinct job types in the game, including the basic firefighter, who reduces the size of fires and breaks obstacles using an ax. Other jobs in the game are the nurse, who transports the injured away from the scene of the fire; the engineer, who closes gas valves and works on all complex mechanical objects; the commando, who infiltrates the most inaccessible areas; and, last but not least, the protective-clothing specialists.

As well as assembling their team of specialists according to the situation at hand, players will get to choose their own vehicles and equipment from the firehouse. The equipment available will include the Aerial, the Pumper, the Mini Pumper, the Water Tower, the Tanker, the Medic Master, and the Wildland Xtreme. Scoring points in the game, which are represented by medals, is achieved by saving the most lives in the least possible time, using the least resources and reinforcements, and, of course, by keeping all of the firefighters in the team alive.

Fire Department, which will be published by Strategy First in North America, is scheduled for release in November.