Irem, the company behind that little shooter called R-Type, has created one of the most unique concepts - a survival earthquake title. There aren't any zombies or creepy ghosts in this game, nor is it a near-perfect title. But the title is full of crumbling thrills and chills that any survival horror fan can be proud of.

You play as Keith Helm, a reporter on his way to Stiver Island to start a new job as editor of the Town Crier newspaper. Once he arrives, all hell breaks loose and an earthquake literally rips the city apart. You start the game off making your way out of a wrecked train car and your struggle to survive begins.

Along the way you'll meet up with a cast of characters and have the option to make different decisions in the game. Depending on what you choose, you could build a relationship with one character, head to different locations and nab a different ending. Though the story sounds serious, it's actually quite humorous. The dialog is pure B-movie cheese and the storyline can be far-fetched. Early on you'll meet up with Karen Morris, a college student trapped on the island. She breaks down at one point and Keith has the option of consoling her, or just plain ignoring her! There are tons of situations like this where you can completely choose to be the bad guy and watch what the hilarity ensue.

The main character is an average Joe but has plenty of moves to make it through the rubble. He can run, auto-jump, hang onto ledges, traverse, swim or brace himself. When a rumble comes knockin', Keith will have to be in brace position to keep from tumbling and losing hit points. He can also call out to people with the L1 button. Another aspect you'll have to take care of is the thirst gauge. Yes, dodging debris and near-death can make a guy thirsty! Throughout the game you'll come across water fountains or pipes where you can quench your thirst, fill up a bottle to take some water on the go, or save your game. You can also choose from a first-person view or adjust the camera.

In the city you'll find items and parts that you can use to help you along the way. These include a radio, flares, a crowbar, flashlight and a clothes hanger (Yup, Keith can use that clothes hanger to swing across a wire!). At other points in the game you'll need to combine items or disassemble items and make use of their parts. You'll also find plenty of different compasses in the game, all of which can be picked up for novelty purposes (one is the famous ship from R-Type). As another nod to the game's quirkiness, you'll find different hats and sunglasses to wear - no one said you can't try to be hip in the face of danger.

The star of the show is the destruction that happens around you. Stiver Island breaks apart in massive proportions. Entire skyscrapers will topple over, freeways will crumble when you're beneath them, city buses will fall from higher ground; anything that could happen in an earthquake, does, but magnified to spectacular proportions. What works so well in the game is the spontaneity of the destruction. You never quite know whether it's going to happen on an epic scale or create a small tremor. Either way, it keeps you on edge.

When disaster strikes, cheap deaths can occur. There are times when Keith will be struck by a pillar or pushed off the edge of a building by furniture. Luckily the continue feature lets you start off again a little before chaos breaks.

The game is rough around the edges. The camera angles can be a pain when they can't be moved, specifically in indoor environments. There are also times when the frame rate trudges along when too many polygons are on screen, making your character run like he's underwater. The animation is equivalent to action figure movements and you'll often see your polygon models collide. At times the choices you have to choose from are poorly worded, so you don't know which one to pick. The voice acting is quite bad, though not the worst ever. The player models are pretty average, but the city's understated colours and construction are realistic enough to take seriously. Sound accompanied with dual shock vibrations give a good jump when buildings crumble and crash. Some environmental sound effects can be poor and pop in without notice.

Disaster Report isn't perfect, but it's an original title that effectively creates fear through perilous encounters with mass destruction. The game has a decent length (about 6 hours) and there are many different paths to take. There are a lot of big-budget, over-hyped titles that don't amount to much. Here's a game that definitely deserves the attention.