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This is the sequel to Disaster Report. Not sure why Agetec is avoiding that fact with the rename, since DR was a rather brilliant adventure game, until the very end where it became the lamest conspiracy thriller ever. Really, this should be a series that's never about guns. You take on the role of just some common shmuck, who needs to use his (or her) wits, and whatever they can find lying around to survive. There's something refreshing about playing a game that manages to be exciting without having to blast enemies to bloody chunks, to twirl an impossibly long sword in ridiculous combos. It's possible to stand tall as a non-violent hero in a world that's about to go down the toilet.
If you never played Disaster Report, go play it. In the meantime, it was the story of one man surviving on an artificial island that's crumbling apart around him. The key in that game was water. Drink to keep yourself healthy, or tomorrow you'll get dehydrated and die. In Raw Danger, there's water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. It's drowning out the underground city, and clobbering the metropolis above ground. Now you need to keep away from water, since if you get too wet, you start to get cold, and if you get too cold, you collapse and die. Heating pads, warm meals, stamina drinks, or a simple fire all help to keep the chills at bay, while you navigate this ruin with the hopes of rescue. There's also numerous clothing items to act as a barrier against the wet and cold, though I'm not sure how much these goofy glasses keep off the rain.
If you're sick of all the blood fests and tired of developers who think all puzzle games need to involve moving around colored blocks, Raw Danger is a welcome relief.
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You really get to see the city break down. For example, the very first scenario starts you in a ritzy celebration for the opening of Geo City, with you as the lowly waiter. It's filled with a splendid banquet with all sorts of little details to make the scene come to life. You get to see it later when it begins to flood, ruining the carpet, and even when it's absolutely demolished as the walls and floor give way. Also, since the game is composed of six scenarios running simultaneously, you'll revisit earlier locations at different times, and find out just what caused that explosion. The answer is usually you, though I'm sure you didn't mean it.
Where Disaster Report was mostly platforming with the occasion puzzle, Raw Danger flips this around by being more focused on puzzle solving. These are usually finding the right item and using it in the right place to proceed, which puts a bit of importance on inventory management. You don't need to search every area carefully, since most key items are placed in plain view, but those extra items can help you out of tricky situations, from umbrellas to ward off the endless storm to larger packs to store more stuff. There are also "run like hell" sequences where the flood kicks into high, and you need to hurry through a world gone bad to reach temporary safety. Checkpoints are fairly generous, so you won't have to repeat much before these kick in.
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