112 Operator review - "Make the right decisions to save lives"

From the creators of 911 Operator, we now have 112 Operator - a new emergency management game that has put you in charge of boroughs in Europe. Instead of dialling 911 to contact you, you are the operator at 112 - a number that can be called in Europe to contact the local authorities.

As you would expect...

...this game is really intense. At the start of each day, you must check your emails for updates - these emails will give you tips, tell you different resources you’ve unlocked, give you feedback about your previous day, and give you different hints to what might be happening the next day. Often the emails will say you might need more firefighters due to the weather or that you should purchase a new ambulance that’s been unlocked within the next three days. Once your emails have been read, you can start setting up your team.

Whoever got injured the previous day will be out getting medical attention, so you will need to check all of your current vehicles and make sure they are full of the resources and people they need. You can purchase more vehicles and continue to assign workers to them until you have the squad you want. There are so many different types of fire trucks and ambulances, and you will continue to unlock more.

You can also check the weather, which does affect your day’s work if you’d like. Once you are ready, you can check out your map and see where your different units are starting. You can move them around so that everyone is spread out, then hit start. Your day will begin, and 112 Operator always has a lot going on.

User interface and the story of 112 Operator

At the top of the screen, a timer ticks down. On the map, various bubbles pop up, showing what type of emergency is present at that location. You will need to react, sending various officers or vehicles to these locations, trying to resolve the situation as fast as possible.

Speeding cars, home invasions, robberies, strokes, cats stuck in trees - so much goes on each day in these locations. Often you will also have to handle calls, telling callers how to perform CPR, dealing with members of the public who have called the emergency line for no reason, and trying to understand how important various situations are.

To make things even more interesting, 112 Operator has an overarching story, with characters who come up in your day to day job. A crossbow killer is on the loose and you are in charge of getting rid of drug crimes within the area, so listening for these different issues is important, as is reacting quite quickly to them.

At the end of your day, you will get a report of how well you did with each situation, breaking them down further to tell you exactly why you lost points. Then, you can check your email and start the next day. Over time, you will unlock a bigger area for you to cover, which will really continue to challenge you.

112 Operator does require audio - and it is important to listen to it closely, as even small conversations between other people can give you the heads up when it comes to managing all of these units. I was initially afraid that 112 Operator would not translate to mobile, due to the number of menus and information in the PC version, but the game has done an amazing job of streamlining the UI and making everything make sense. It’s a game well worth checking out, especially if you like a challenge.