Zettai Zetsumei Toshi (Disaster Report) 3 announed

Saki Konjo next to an adhoc fire in Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 3

Japanese developer Irem and CERO announced recently the upcoming release of Zettai Zetumei Toshi 3, for the PSP.
 

The series, which translates to "Desperate City" and released in the West as Disaster Report and Raw Danger, is an action adventure game usually surrounding characters who are escaping natural disasters such as earthquakes and flooding in an urban landscape. Along the way the main characters meets up and works with other people to escape the city.

While the first two games set their disasters in slightly more fantastical settings (a man-made island city and underground metropolis), the plot of this game, the full title of it is Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 3: Koware yuku Machi to Kanojo no Uta (Desperate City 3: The Breaking City and Her Song) seems to be a bit more down to earth. To wit, a large earthquake hits a metropolis and  the game focuses on two people who are trying to survive the quake, as well as the aftershocks, fires, floods, and possibly even greater forms of chaos as they escape the city.

The main characters are Naoki Kousaka, a high schooler who is visiting the city and caught in the earthquake as his bus was entering the city, and Saki Konjo, a young woman who is a musician and was rescued by Naoki from underneath some rubble. During the single player mode, the player takes control of Naoki, with Saki as an AI controlled teammate who you need to cooperate with.

Much of the gameplay involves platforming across broken buildings, moving vehicles and avoiding dangerous environments. Many button pressing events are used for things like breaking down doors and using fire extinguishers. It's unclear how resource management will play in the new game, but the previous titles suggest heavily that there will be some sort of consideration as to how the main characters will stay healthy.

A first for this series, but used in the wildly popular Monster Hunter series, the game allows for ad hoc multiplayer networking on the PSP for up to four players to explore the ruined city. Even in the single player mode, the game engenders a healthy sense of the need for cooperation and humanity in a time of crisis. In a way, though the series suffers from its faults, it manages to carve out a space not really seen in Western games, especially games which aren't part of the burgeoning (if still ghettoed) educational/news/"serious" game.

Also, when was the last time a video game used a soulful saxophone solo for its theme song?

The game is set for release later this year in Japan and will likely see a US release, though if the earlier titles are any indication, the names and facial features will be changed for.... some reason I've yet to fathom.