I have always had a respect for firemen and they are not very often represented in video games. The only game that lets you play as a fireman that sticks in my mind is the PS2s Firefighter F.D 18. Well, Firefighting Simulator – The Squad developed by Chronos Unterhaltungssoftware and published by astragon Entertainment is here to let us play as real-life heroes and it is actually a pretty decent game.
How to Download Firefighting Simulator – The Squad
To download the game from Steam, click on the Download button at the end of the review. You might be interested also in other sims from astragon Entertainment: Bus Simulator 18 or Construction Simulator 2015.
The Game Review
The game is set in “a Major US city” and you play as a firefighter who is in charge of others and it is your duty to put out fires and save lives. The game is more mission-based rather than story-based. You are in the firehouse; you select a mission and you drive in the fire truck and then get to work.
This mission-based system is fine and works well enough. However, I do feel that this could have been more story-driven or even open-world where you drive around the city and get called to random fires. There are many different locations that you will have to go to and there are tons of different things you have to deal with.
For example, you have to deal with backdrafts, grease fires smoke, and more. I liked the way that you want to rush in to stop the fire and save people, yet you do also have to take a split second to think before you act. Firefighting Simulator – The Squad is played in the third person and for the most part, it controls fine.
I did have a couple of instances when I was climbing and I would get stuck at the top which was frustrating. You have to put out the fires, navigate the area, save people, and try to complete the mission as quickly as possible. You even get to drive the fire truck to the mission which I thought was pretty cool.
Ok, so while I have a massive amount of respect for firemen, I am pretty much ignorant to all aspects about it. So, the fact that Firefighting Simulator – The Squad uses real fire trucks and real firefighting equipment is cool, but it did go over my head. Yet, I can appreciate the effort here and if you are a firefighter or know someone who is, I am sure you will get a kick out of the authenticity.
I only played the game in single-player and I found giving my firefighter teammates orders was easy enough. The AI was pretty smart and never got me frustrated. I do want to check out the multiplayer which sounds like a lot of fun. You and three buddies get to work together to put out fires and save people. I am sure working as a team is going to be key here.
I have to say that Firefighting Simulator – The Squad is a lot of fun. I do feel that it could have been more story-driven, but I was still invested in what I was doing. It is probably the best firefighting game that I have played. It is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, I played the PC version.
