After Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto III back in 2001, they had an instant hit on their hands and many gamers were frothing at the mouth to get the next piece of Rockstar’s pie. That piece turned out to be State of Emergency, while not a bad action game, was somewhat of a disappointment after the masterpiece that was Grand Theft Auto III. Now the game has finally been ported to the PC, and for the most part is the same game it was over a year and a half ago, with the exception of a new multiplayer mode. State of Emergency is a pretty straightforward brawler that, while fun at first, probably won’t hold your attention for very long.

The basic premise of State of Emergency puts you smack dab in the middle of a violent riot. Your character is at the forefront of a rebellion against a totalitarian state.  You choose one of five different rioters as you destroy buildings and kill your enemies.

The gameplay in State of Emergency is fast and intense.  The screen is a constant flurry of activity, with mobs of people running across the screen and buildings being ransacked.  Each character has various combos at their disposal, but otherwise control pretty much the same.  You also have access to a plethora of destructive weapons, from flamethrowers and molotov cocktails to M-16s and samurai swords.

In order to advance in the game, you must run various missions for the different factions who are currently leading the revolt.  This will gain you prestige among them as well as points.

The problems arise after the initial “wow” factor, when you begin to realize that the game doesn’t really have a lot of substance to it.  You pretty much find yourself doing the same things over and over again and fighting the same droves of enemies. There isn’t a lot of dynamic in the game, and it stays pretty consistent throughout and gets pretty boring. The enemy AI is also quite dumb, and doesn’t really offer you much of a challenge.

State of Emergency comes with all the graphical perks you’d expect with a PC port, namely sharper textures and higher resolutions. However, other than that, there really isn’t much of a difference between this newer version and the PS2 one released a year and a half ago. The framerates are very smooth, even with tons of enemies running across the screen.  The character models have a simplistic cartoony look to them, as they are made up of very few polygons. The environments are also quite cartoonish and simple.

The sound is pretty good, but could be much better. The screams and yells of the mob as it courses through the level is pretty cool, but grows repetitive and tiresome after awhile. There is also a few voice effects, and these are done in appropriate hammy fashion. The music isn’t terribly noticeable, but you do have the ability to customize the soundtrack, which is a huge plus.

State of Emergency is a pretty solid action game, but one that grows too repetitive after a while. However, the new multiplayer features make it something fun to play with your blood-thirsty friends.

Gameplay: 6.5
The gameplay, while very fun at first, gets way too boring and repetitive way too early.  The AI is pretty lame and the overall feel is just too simplistic.

Graphics: 7.0
The game does a fine job of having a ton of different things going on onscreen at once and the cartoony graphics are appropriate for the game’s satirical nature. However, the overall look is pretty simplistic and the characters and environments lack detail.

Sound: 7.0
The sound effects are good, but get too repetitive and grating after a while. The voice acting is pretty cheesy, but the inclusion of a customizable soundtrack is a great touch.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 6.5
The game is a port of a nearly two-year old game, and unfortunately doesn’t really innovate on the original very much, aside from the multiplayer modes.

Multiplayer: 7.0
The new multiplayer modes allow you to play either co-operatively or competitively against your friends. These modes are pretty fun, but are limited by the repetitive nature of the gameplay.

Overall: 6.8
State of Emergency is a fun game at first, but quickly grows repetitive and boring due to the simple gameplay. Other than the multiplayer features, State of Emergency doesn’t really offer very much to people who played the game on the PS2, Xbox or otherwise didn’t really want to play the game in the first place.