Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories Reviews
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is an absolute mess from start to finish. The puzzles that stand in the way of your progress are almost universally illogical leading to an experience that frustrates throughout. This would perhaps – at a push – be worth persevering with if the story were engaging enough, but the tale told here is so silly that it could have been generated by pulling plot twists out of a hat. Throw in a creepy vibe, crummy production values, and dodgy controls, and you're left with an unmitigated disasterpiece that you should avoid like it's got the coronavirus.
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is a unique experience that allows players to create their own story of surviving an earthquake.
If you can fight past the technical shortcomings – which, it's worth stating, are pretty considerable – then you'll find an experience that's totally unique on Switch, and that's no mean feat when you consider the depth of the console's library.
BAD - No. Just…. No. Find something else to play. Terrible controls on top of poor writing on top of confusing and boring gameplay makes Disaster Report 4 a game I wouldn’t pick up in the bargain bin where they give you 99% off.
I found it quite difficult. This was due to the fact I couldn’t understand some of the logic behind why this triggers that, or that triggers this. I thoroughly have enjoyed the time I have spent on this game and I will definitely be continuing until I finish it! And then, perhaps, play again and see what I missed or could do differently this time!
In paring down the campy charm of the series before it, Disaster Report 4's more serious tone often crumbles like the very buildings you find yourself running away from.
In many ways, Disaster Report 4 lives up to its name. Sure, it’s a disaster, but it’s a disaster with heart. It’s a buggy, technically-flawed mess that somehow, seemingly against all odds, manages to pull you in with its charming characters and compelling narrative. If you can overlook its unpolished nature and a few questionable design choices to experience a game unlike anything else on the Switch, you may just enjoy this quirky and chaotic adventure.
Never having witnessed the apparent previous disasters having been reported I can't comment in any way how this edition compares...
Not always I have a chance to review a game the title of which could be used as well as a title for my review. While playing Disaster Report 4 I truly felt like a reporter witnessing a tragedy first-hand since the game is a small catastrophe in almost every aspect. That being said, it is also virtually impossible not to develop a love-hate relationship with it because of how bonkers its story gets.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is not the most refined game you'll find in 2020, falling short on multiple technical levels, but its blend of personal dramas and crisis management with slivers of wit and absurdity makes for a surprisingly impactful disaster movie-inspired experience that is arguably one that's difficult to find elsewhere.
Its shortcomings far outweigh its merits, but what merits they are - Disaster Report 4 is silly, humane and utterly charming.
There are still glimpses of the original's charm, and the potential of an earthquake-surviving simulator is made clear, but this tonally awkward, disaster of a game doesn't get close to realising it.
Is it a fun game? Not really. Is it intriguing? In a way. Is it worth buying at the full price? Certainly not. I would suggest if the usual gaming tropes aren’t scratching a gaming itch during this Coronavirus world lock-down right now, then you might find some enjoyment against this weird tree.
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is not a good game. Its design is archaic, its presentation is lacking, and its story is nonsensical. But anyone who enjoys janky, weird games will very likely have a good time with it. It might not be quality, but it's often very entertaining.
What players might expect out of Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories and what it actually is are two entirely different things.
Disaster Report 4 depicts a strange and consequence-averse crisis, in which you’re usually little more than a hapless observer.
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is a hard-fought project that captures your attention thanks to interesting characters, violent scenes, well-written situations during a global disaster and great gameplay. So in this case the graphics and bugs doesn't matters.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Disaster Report 4 Summer Memories fails both as a survival game and a visual novel. It suffers from many technical issues (sometimes it feels like a PS2 game) and a slow pace.
Review in Spanish | Read full review