Neo Harbor Rescue Squad from BancyCo brings a blend of action, humor, and strategic chaos to the simulation genre. Tasking players with stepping into the fast-paced and unpredictable world of paramedics, the game thrives on its unique premise and the personality it brings to its gameplay. But instead of aiming for realism like other games in the genre do, Neo Harbor Rescue Squad balances serious rescue missions with light-hearted storytelling, making the experience accessible while still delivering a steady challenge. We checked it out on a PlayStation 5.
The game’s core loop revolves around a triage system that requires players to prioritize patient care as situations spiral into chaos. You’re constantly switching between patients, assessing their needs, and tackling dozens of minigames to administer treatment—whether it’s a quick defibrillation or managing a tricky wound. This triage mechanic, coupled with real-time health monitoring, keeps you on your toes. But while this setup creates a thrilling sense of urgency, it sometimes results in overwhelming difficulty spikes that can frustrate players, especially as new scenarios introduce increasingly complex patient management where you don’t get a lot of time to think.
One of Neo Harbor Rescue Squad’s surprising aspects is the narrative. Inspired by real paramedic stories, the game’s storyline is rich with quirky characters, humor, and plenty of memorable dialogue moments. The interaction between squad members adds warmth to the fast-paced action, and the game lets you make dialogue choices to deepen your connection with the team. This element helps to offset the stress of the rescue missions and gives players a way to stay engaged with the story beyond the immediate tasks of each level. The humor is often lighthearted, occasionally even veering into absurd territory, and it complements the gameplay well, making the moments of high intensity more bearable by adding some levity.
The gameplay itself is mostly a collection of minigames, each representing a different medical procedure or action. These minigames vary in quality, with some being intuitive and engaging, while others can feel repetitive over time, particularly when you’re managing several patients at once. The grading system, which evaluates your speed, precision, and patient condition, is a nice addition that encourages replayability for those aiming to perfect their skills. However, the grading can feel harsh, especially during hectic segments where keeping all patients stable is an immense challenge. Shielding patients to prevent further damage is a useful mechanic, but it sometimes feels like a temporary solution to the rapid pacing of the game rather than a fully integrated strategy element.
Visually, Neo Harbor Rescue Squad embraces a colorful and cartoonish art style that aligns well with its humorous tone, but some may find the lack of visual detail less appealing, especially when compared to more realistic medical sims. The characters and settings are vibrant, making each emergency scenario visually distinct. On the audio front, the game does a fine job with ambient sounds and musical cues, though certain sound effects can become repetitive after extended play sessions. The ability to customize resolution and other visual settings, including toggles for screen shake, is a nice touch for those who want a less intense experience.
Overall, Neo Harbor Rescue Squad shines as an inventive, if occasionally chaotic, take on the paramedic sim. Its humor, story, and engaging gameplay mechanics make it a worthwhile experience, though the difficulty spikes and mixed quality of minigames might not be to everyone’s taste. For players looking for a unique take on medical simulation with a dash of humor and character-driven storytelling, Neo Harbor Rescue Squad is a distinctive title worth checking out. The game’s charm lies in its unpredictability and fast-paced drama, even if it occasionally tests your patience as much as your reflexes.
Score: 7.1/10
Press Play Media 