Thanks to the self-explanatory name, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect going into this emergency service management sim. It soon transpires to be more involved than the name lets on, not only focusing on dispatching police, ambulance, and fire units but also a lot of additional management aspects such as hiring and firing staff, purchasing new vehicles and equipment, plus reading through emails to gain knowledge of potential situations. There’s even an attempt at establishing narratives, including a killer on the loose armed with a crossbow.
This surprising amount of depth likely has much to do with the developer’s familiarity with the management sim genre. This isn’t the first time Jutsu Games has touched on this subject, also responsible for 2017’s 911 Operator. It seems reasonable to suggest this is merely an expanded version, as the screenshots look almost indistinguishable. The concept remains the same: you’re presented with a map of a European city of your choosing, and must dispatch units in a timely manner or risk a poor reputation. The campaign is spread across 30 shifts, set over the course of a year, with the change in seasons impacting the randomly occurring emergencies.
Shifts (or duties, as they’re known) last around ten minutes, and while assigning units appropriately, you’ll also have to deal with calls manually. These are voice acted and are unique to each shift, and being multiple choice it’s sometimes vital to make shrewd responses. There’s even a degree of educational value here, with some calls involving giving CPR and other emergency procedures step by step. Loading screens, too, provide potentially lifesaving tips. Indeed, it’s pleasing to see that the developers took the subject matter seriously. You’ll also need to deal with prank calls, and the occasionally confused elderly caller. Sadly, this doesn’t extend to sending SWAT police to break a befuddled grandma’s door down.
Before all this though, you’ll need to master navigating the UI. This is yet another sim that was clearly made with the mouse in mind, and the developers have had their work cut out implementing a controller set-up. Thankfully, it only takes a duty or two to realise that a lot of the side-menus are surplus; not much more is required than clicking on units and then the corresponding emergency icons. Answering calls requires the cursor to be pulled across the screen to select dialogue options, which is a bit of a drag and a telling sign of the game’s roots.
Purchasing units and equipment, and then assigning them to different districts, is where things are fiddlier. After trial and error though, everything eventually clicks. More vehicle types are added over time, including horseback patrols and quad bikes, and the district you’re tasked with governing becomes larger. Fellow operators can be hired to make your job easier, although this will eat into your budget. Generally, a successful shift will grant enough profit to buy one or two new patrol units, helping your force to expand steadily.
It’s the change of seasons that shake things up the most, with one summer month seeing a wildfire spread across the map, while another shift sees a tornado tear through the city. Wet weather will also prevent motorbike units from being able to leave the base, and of course, helicopters can’t be actioned during stormy weather. It’s also vital to remember that some units need to return to base before being sent out again. Fire engines need to refill their water tanks, for instance. It’s also easy to appreciate that every unit serves a purpose; why send a helicopter to deal with a pickpocket when a policeman on a bicycle will suffice? The reverse is also true – sending a single policeman on horseback to deal with a gang war is asking for trouble.
The presentation is more functional than fancy. It isn’t much to look at, essentially being nothing more than a map screen and colour coded icons, and the generic comms chatter grows tedious quickly. It instead excels in other areas, most notably being curiously addictive. Emergencies are constantly appearing on the map, demanding your attention. You’d think this would result in an experience that piles on the pressure, but it’s strangely forgiving as there’s no major penalty for overlooking or badly handling an emergency. This not only makes it easy to get into but keeps frustration levels low. Enjoyment can also be had in trying to improve your efficiency rating, along with other stats. I did however run into a glitch that made the final shift impossible to finish, spawning somewhere around 200 incidents instantly. I don’t know if this issue is limited to just the city I chose though (which would make me extremely unlucky.)
112 Operator is understandably a bit niche, but I was still surprised by how carefully the developers approached something that was destined to appeal to a small audience. The subject matter has been handled deftly, and it has a long list of emergencies to deal with, along with a few different modes. It isn’t particularly deep or nuanced, even when it comes to ensuring a balanced range of units are available across the map, but it’s engaging regardless of becoming repetitive over time. If you’re looking for something a little different, you shouldn’t ignore that 112 Operator is the hero next door.
Jutsu Games’ 112 Operator is out now on PlayStation and Xbox formats. It’s also available on Switch and PC. Published and converted to consoles by Ultimate Games.