Rescue Team: Magnetic Storm

Rescue Team: Magnetic Storm is a time management game developed by Game Mixer and published by Alawar Entertainment. It is the 15th installment in the Rescue Team series. (Wow, I can't believe there are that many games. :o) For those unfamiliar with the series, you lead a group of workers called the Rescue Team who have to face natural disasters and find ways to stop them while conducting other tasks, such as rescuing citizens, repairing damaged buildings, etc. This time, the world is faced with a bunch of magnetic storms that are caused by intense solar activity. As scientists examine the cause of this unprecedented disaster, you lead your team of workers and help out in various cities and rural areas as well as help people and even wild animals negatively affected by this disaster. That's the basic premise of the story, so I'll end my synopsis here to avoid spoilers. ^^

As for the gameplay, it's pretty much the same as in previous installments. You can choose from among three difficulty levels: relaxed, normal, or expert. (For purposes of this review, I played on normal mode.) There are a total of 50 story levels, with 15 bonus levels unlocked after you complete the story levels. In each level, you're given several tasks to complete, and these tasks can range from rescuing stranded people to healing sick animals to planting new trees or flowers. Assuming that you play on timed mode, you can earn up to 3 stars per level. Stars can be used to purchase upgrades in the store, and these upgrades can vary from making your workers run faster to increasing a doctor's ability to cure sick patients. Also, in the bonus levels, there are stickers hidden in wooden boxes that serve as easter eggs. As this is a collector's edition, there are other features like a detailed guide, wallpapers, etc. Of course, there are the usual Steam achievements/in-game trophies.

Now that I've gone over the story and gameplay, I'll move onto my critique. For those who have followed my reviews of previous Rescue Team games, it's probably no secret that I enjoy them a lot, and this latest installment is no exception. First, I'll go over my thoughts on the story. Although the story isn't that original compared to previous games, I like how there's this concept of everyone pooling their thoughts and understanding that they have to work together in order to figure out the cause of these magnetic storms and how to stop them. There's a wide variety of people who help out, such as the usual workers, doctors, and ecologists. There are even scientists (who were once the villains from previous games) helping out. It's great to see such teamwork in action, and this latest game gives off that positive, motivational vibe.

As for the gameplay, I found it pretty doable to complete all of the levels and earn 3 stars for each one. The initial levels are short but get longer as there are more complicated tasks to complete and areas to explore. I found a few of the levels to be challenging to earn 3 stars, and sometimes, I felt like the guide wasn't completely accurate on how to complete the level, so I improvised along the way. However, I was able to get through all of the levels and max out on the stars as well as purchase all of the upgrades. Also, all of the Steam achievements unlocked for me although there were a couple of achievements that I think the developer or publisher might have mixed up on how to unlock them. However, if you play through all of the levels, it shouldn't be an issue to obtain all of the achievements.

In regards to the art, it retains that cartoony style with the bright colors. It might feel a bit stale by now for those who have played these games and wish for a bit of a change. However, I feel like this style works. Regarding the music, the tracks are the same as in previous games. Now, I do wish the developers would add a couple of new tracks to vary things up. The tracks that are present fit well with the theme of the game and all, but it would be great for a bit of change.

Overall, would I recommend Rescue Team: Magnetic Storm? If you enjoy time management games and especially enjoy the ones in the Rescue Team series, then you'll probably enjoy this one, too. The gameplay and such can feel a bit samey, but it's still enjoyable. Also, I must say that I really enjoyed the ending when the Rescue Team sends a rocket into outer space. For the asking price, I'd say that it's worth getting, as it took me around 11.5 hours to complete all of the levels, obtain all of the achievements, and whatnot. However, you can always wait for a sale, and it's in a couple of Steam bundles, so if you already have the other games in a bundle, then you can save even more. ^^

Flying free and writing reviews solely for The Introverted Gamer.

Wow, has it been 11 years since Rescue Team first showed up? And it's only gotten better with time.

A fairly standard resource management game, most often played on a timer, with game modes: easy, relaxed and hard. The hard mode means what it says here and it would not be unfair to say you can expect to start replaying levels at #7, maybe even earlier.

Colorful ,clear graphics, and you can disable hints, music and sounds as well as use your system pointer.

Levels start off around 4 min. and gradually get a bit longer in duration. I went ahead and bought boosters at the Store after the very first level, even replaying some levels to get more coins so that I could buy more boosters earlier. It seems you'll need all the help you can get since at least some of these levels will tax your skills to the max!

Great game so far Waiting for the next one already and a new Hermes would be welcomed also!

I enjoyed playing this game. Great for calming myself down.