We had two choices in Mrs. Britton’s
third-grade classroom — stare glassy-eyed at the blackboard as she scribbled
arithmetic via cringe-inducing chalk screeches or disregard those demanding
division dilemmas and daydream. As compelling as it was to carry remainders, I
often indulged in the latter. My mental meandering didn’t always
lead to nonsense, though. I’d often consider my career choices. I figured I
would probably be an astronaut, a second baseman — maybe a shortstop, for the
right price — or a fireman.
Looking back, of course, I was a bit
off-target. I’ve never floated in space or played in the big leagues, but I have
rescued a dog from a burning house. On Wii, at least. And surprisingly,
it wasn’t that bad.
Developed by California-based
Epicenter Studios, Real Heroes: Firefighter aims to bring those heroic
third-grade ambitions to life by putting players into the rubber boots of a
rookie firefighter. Amidst the hottest summer on record, menacing fires are
erupting across the entire city, and the newbie has been forced to master his
new craft by literally jumping headfirst into the flames.
Before we delve any further into the
inferno, though, let’s be honest. Given its generic title and budget price tag,
I didn’t expect much from Real Heroes: Firefighter, and as unfair as it may
seem, I would bet most gamers share my premature pessimism. But as are
smoldering embers beneath the force of a hose, my cynicism was extinguished
after only minutes with Real Heroes.
It was hard to tell through the
smoke, but I think I even had a little fun.
Real Heroes: Firefighter is a
genre-bending sort of game — it looks like a typical first-person shooter, but you
won’t fire a single weapon while playing it. Instead of popping zombie headshots
and sniping Nazis from dilapidated balconies, you’re spraying fires with hoses
and extinguishers. It may sound boring, but the concept benefits from decent
controls and a few interesting gameplay twists, some of which create a genuine
sense of immersion.
Like any good FPS — consider this one
a first-person soaker — the verdict begins with the controls. Epicenter’s team is
comprised of industry veterans who have worked on the Call of Duty franchise, a
yardstick within the genre, and their experience shows — sort of. Real Heroes
certainly isn’t on par with masterfully controlling Wii shooters like Metroid
Prime 3 or Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, but it generally follows the template well.
I was able to run into burning debris, search for victims and bring the rain
with nary a hitch.
Of course, as you might expect from
a game priced $29.99, the controls do have a few kinks. A large bounding box
makes turning slow, and even while running, your rookie won’t move very quickly
through the flames, a situation one would think might call for a hastier pace.
Given the speed of the game, however, these problems aren’t quite as pressing as
they would be if you were running from blood-thirsty zombies or attacking a Nazi
base. In fact, Real Heroes’ pacing is one
of its biggest hindrances. Considering you’re spending most of your time
navigating buildings completely engulfed in flames, the game’s patience is bit
disconnecting — rarely do you feel any sense of urgency as you battle the flames,
even during timed objectives. Sometimes, you’ll feel more like
you’re shooting a water pistol at a carnival booth than dousing a blaze that
could cost lives if not quickly vanquished.
Fortunately, the game makes up for
its disengaging pace by offering a few genuine moments of immersion, and again,
it begins with the controls. Real Heroes utilizes situational gesture controls
similar to those in Metroid. You’ll use a crowbar to pry doors with multiple
gestures and hydraulic spreaders, popularly referred to as the Jaws of Life, for
rescue efforts. Both gestures work surprisingly well and contribute to Real
Heroes’ interactive vibe.
Other gestures, however, simply burn
in the rubble. Cutting through fallen concrete with a saw, in particular, is
probably easier in reality than the game seems to believe. It’s an incredibly
finicky process, and its easily the worst example of motion controls in an
otherwise enjoyable batch of gesturing.
Real Heroes adds more surprisingly
immersive twists through use of sound. Because you’re generally alone as you
navigate the fiery, hell-like annals of burning buildings, your fellow
firefighters communicate with you through the speaker in the Wii remote — just
like a walkie-talkie. It’s a subtle touch, but another winning example of the
game’s efforts to pull you into the action. For the most part, those efforts
work admirably.
The voices come through the remote
surprisingly well, and once you hear them, you might recognize the voice talent
Epicenter has employed for Real Heroes, including comedian Jamie Kennedy, actor
Michael Jace and more. The dialogue can be a little campy at times, but it’s
voiced extremely well.
The same cannot be said for the
visuals, unfortunately. A game based on running through violent flames has the
potential to be a visual stunner, but Real Heroes certainly doesn’t capitalize
on it. The graphics are blocky, the textures are muddy and the effects are
sparse — you expect it on Wii, but given Real Heroes’ potential, its graphics are
particularly disappointing.
Still, this one has enough water in
the tank to douse the disappointment. Perhaps it was a product of my low
expectations, but I found Real Heroes: Firefighter surprisingly enjoyable. It
was great to play a shooter with such a fresh concept and, at least for a little
while, pretend to be a real firefighter.
For 30 bucks, can you really ask for
much more?
Gameplay: 7.5
It’s not on par with the genre-defining shooters that have graced Wii in the
past, but Real Heroes: Firefighter controls admirably well and features some
immersive gesture control to complement the pointer-based hose spraying.
Graphics: 5.5
Last-generation graphics typical of so many Wii games is the story here, but
given the visual potential for a game of firefighting, it’s a bit disappointing.
Sound: 7.0
The fires crackle and buildings crumble, and when the game uses your Wii
remote as a walkie-talkie, it’s difficult not to feel like a real-life
firefighter.
Difficulty: Easy/Hard
Selectable difficulties offer infernos of all severities.
Concept: 7.5
Firefighting is an ideal profession for video-game interpretation, and Real
Heroes: Firefighter does a surprisingly good job. A few concepts could have been
developed more fully, but hey, it’s a budget title. Let’s not get pushy.
Overall: 7.0
It’s a surprisingly immersive and competently controlling first-person
soaker from a completely unexpected source — a budget title with a generic name.
