If you're thinking of heroes you can identify with in situations that can be truly terrifying, firefighters fit the bill. In this actioner you have very simple controls and objectives: switch between nozzle types and your axe for chopping through obstacles and rescue people trapped by blazes.
The run of play is as claustrophobic as possible, with dramatic moments such as exploding cars and collapsing ceilings to bounce your stress levels up. Fire is your enemy, which makes for a novel take on the action.
The Heat Is On In fact, FD18 borrows this idea from Sega's Brave Firefighters coin-op (1999), which also trained you to recognise specific types of blaze and treat them accordingly. Brave Firefighters was only point and shoot, however - House Of The Dead with hoses. What's extra clever about FD18 is that you must make routes through the flames to reach objectives, kicking down doors and crouch/walking to see under heavy layers of smoke. You certainly feel the heat, and the pressure to act decisively in order to save lives.
As with all pure action games, FD18 has its annoyances and limitations. It plays like an arcade game, with unfair surprises taking you down at least once, forcing you to play each area to perfection. Overall, although we like the premise loads, you'd be better off waiting to rent this one.
An overall enjoyable interpretation of a thrilling theme, but fails to be more imaginative than walking around putting out large fires. Worth a try though.
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
