Raw Danger!

Raw Danger is full of brilliant ideas and original gameplay, but it is constantly bumping up against the limits of its small budget.

Some scenarios really capture the perverse freedoms of navigating an abandoned city. [July 2007, p.106]

The best playable disaster game you can get (though there isn’t much competition out there). Running through a city while trying to stay warm and alive presents some of the best thrills you can find in on the PS2. It’s not a perfect game by any means, and hopefully they’ll iron out the framerate issues by the time the series goes next-gen, but for those who liked the original or are just looking for a good disaster game, ZZ2 is it. [JPN Import]

Zettai 2 strains under the weight of its own ambition, but is a cracking achievement nonetheless... We'd far rather a game reached for the stars and didn't quite make it than was happy to drown in the seas of sameyness. [JPN Import; Aug 2006, p.70]

It’s hard to deny what a rich and deliciously unique experience Raw Danger is and, while the graphics are beyond hideous, the adventure the game introduces is a satisfying one.

It's still an experience that absolutely should be had by everyone, but some just won't be able to get past the strictly amateur hour-level presentation.

For its dramatic and cinematic flair, its lovingly crafted chaotic destruction and above all its network of interconnected personalities, it's an adventure that shouldn't be missed. [JPN Import; June 2006, p.92]

For most, the biggest turnoff to an otherwise engaging game is that it's downright ugly. Choppy water looks like shaky carpet, characters' faces creep you out with their lack of expressions, and the majority of the areas you'll explore are gray and dreary.

Raw Danger's recursive storytelling and enjoyably overblown disaster-movie set pieces are undermined by cheap-looking production and often clumsy, trial-and-error gameplay.

Raw Danger is one of those games that will find a small audience that will love it. Despite its technical issues the game offers a solid narrative that is interesting enough to keep players hooked until the end.

Just as unique and potentially engrossing as its predecessor, Disaster Report. Unfortunately, we have to say "potentially" because several glaring flaws continually bog down the game, not the least of which are those hopelessly lackluster technicals (the graphics and sound are both major drawbacks).

There are some long, drawn out sections where you trudge along performing all kinds of make-work scenarios. Faced with these mundane tasks, you're unlikely to replay the game more than once.

Raw Danger is a decent, if somewhat slow-paced, adventure, and its "real-world danger" aspect makes for some truly fearful moments. [May 2007, p.60]

The evolving nature of the gameplay, and its intriguing story structure keeps you going. Not only that, the actual location design and some individual set-pieces are very atmospheric, and it somehow appeals to the old school adventurer in us that used to routinely find ourselves trapped somewhere with one single, set solution.

It's a compelling concept, but the slow loading times, chunky controls, lackluster graphics, and easy puzzles sap the adrenaline right out of the game. [May 2007, p.85]

Raw Danger possesses a few moments of suspense and action while following a refreshingly non-linear path, but the majority of the game is awash in gameplay and presentation problems.

In the end, the shoddy interface, graphics, and controls do more than step on the toes of some interesting concepts - they massacre them.

I hope some developer takes the gaffe that is Raw Danger, extracts the great idea at its center, and creates the blockbuster experience it has the potential to be. [June 2007, p.110]

Unique survival tactics and some interesting ideas meant Raw Danger had the potential to be a classic, but poor delivery has crucified it. [June 2007, p.84]

Everything about Raw Danger gets old quick, and that's not the mark of a quality gaming experience.