911 Operator is a very different type of game on Nintendo Switch that is certainly not for everyone. Learn more in our 911 Operator review!
Every now and then you come across a gem of a game that really stands out. Nowadays there are plenty of roguelikes, shooters, and Metroidvania games on Nintendo Switch, that when a game comes out that does something different in a very fun way, it helps it stand out, and 911 Operator is that type of game. In 911 Operator, you play as an emergency dispatcher, so you take on the responsibility of managing the emergency services that include the fire department, the police, and the ambulance services. It will be your job to handle calls and make sure that the service that is needed goes out on time before it is too late.
If you ever wonder how intense it would be to work from a control center with the responsibility of helping keep people alive, then this is definitely the game for you. As you take on this management simulator, you will feel the increased stress and the fast-paced nature of having to make decisions as a dispatcher without much margin for error, since your actions – and how fast you make a choice – will be the difference between people being able to live another day… or their lives ending in a blink.
As for the gameplay mechanics, you are presented with a big map of the city, and you will have to manage the emergency services according to your abilities and overall budget. Due to this each of the services has a ‘Rank’ attached to it, and the higher the rank, the more expensive it will be to dispatch it. You will also need to position the emergency services in certain places so that you have what you need at certain points to ensure you can guarantee a service will be at a caller’s location within minutes – something that is extremely important.
Once you have completed the tutorial part, which teaches you the basics of how the game works – it should not take more than 10-15 minutes – then the chaos will really begin. Incidents will start popping up all over the map, and they vary from sorta mundane tasks such as having to send someone to rescue a cat that is stuck, to some serious cases of violence, so there really is a bit of everything to see and do in 911 Operator. You will take calls from victims or witnesses, and you will need to find out as many details as possible. With your limited resources you will have to prioritize who most urgently needs help so that everyone is safe. If a building is on fire then obviously that is a top priority over, say, that cat that is stuck on a tree.
I really liked the variety of callers, as it gives the game a very authentic feeling as if you were talking to actual people. You will end up multitasking between taking on calls and checking out the map with the press of a button, all while having the police or the fire department en-route to the area while you’re still on a call receiving new details for another emergency. You certainly won’t feel bored when playing 911 Operator since you will always something to do at any given time.
While in a conversation with a caller you have some questions you can ask to determine how severe a situation really is, and you will have a set of responses that you can choose from depending on the situation. If an emergency service is not required, you can dish out advice on what the caller should do, so you have to be as cost effective as possible. Because of the nature of the game, you will also have to deal with prank and hoax calls, as well as calls from people who are steaming drunk. Can you make the right decision at the right time?
911 Operator can get quite frantic and chaotic at any given time, but that is the fun of the game, and the gameplay loop is very addictive and will end up grabbing your attention right from the start. This game felt like a nice change of pace and a breath of fresh air from the other genres I’ve been playing.
Disclaimer
This 911 Operator review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provide by SONKA.
