Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: State of Emergency

Written by Kyle Williams on June 06, 2001

First Impressions: Focus your antisocial tendencies through your PS2.

Rockstar Games is doing it again. The same company that encouraged us to take our deviant behavior off of the streets and into the living room with the Grand Theft Auto and Smuggler's Run franchises is bringing us State of Emergency.

State of Emergency is, how shall we put it, a riot street brawler. That's right, a riot street brawler with a cartoony and comical sense. When SoE hits the shelves in 2002, you will be able to take the streets with your gang and simply loot, pillage, and fight your way through as many as 80 riots. In the game, you are working towards uprooting 'The Corporation', a ruthless corporation, using all means available. There are also going to be rival gangs running around, each working towards their own devious goals, and if your paths happen to cross, you can expect a rumble.

There is going to be more to this one than just shooting or beating everyone in sight though. You will need to employ a method to your madness, as doing so will make your job easier. Imagine bringing the good citizens of the city into your stable to wreak even more havoc. Of course, if you handle things poorly, the same citizen might run to the police, seeking their protection. If you play your cards right, you will also be able to bait opposing gang members into attacking each other, getting both of them off of your back.

The action in this game is going to be crazy, with Rockstar promising that the finished game will feature a hundred characters onscreen at once, similar to Dynasty Warriors. So far, the game looks pretty good, with vivid colors and a great variety of character models, and has a general visual feel to that of Crazy Taxi.

As of right now, the question that remains is, "How will this game play?" I guess that we will find that out this fall and finally get our hands on a copy. In the meantime, go load up your copy of GTA to satisfy your destructive urges.