Panic Mode puts you straight into the shoes of a ‘Crisis Manager’. However, after playing the game, we would say ‘Fire Safety Officer’ would be a far more accurate job title.

Tasked with ensuring the safety of a workforce comprised of minion-like aliens called ‘Pammies’, you’re aim is to use all of the tools at your disposal to keep the purple aliens safe from the inevitable outbreaks of fire in each level.

Panic Mode – Gameplay

Playing Panic Mode is like a breath of fresh air. The game gives you all of the time in the world to set up your tools and equipment to best protect the Pammies from dying a hot and fiery death. This allows you to actually relax into the game as you proceed to fire-proof your surroundings and, more importantly, check every potential hazard is covered – all at your own pace.

When you’re satisfied that all your charges are risk-free and are convinced you have everything in play, hitting the ‘Run Protocol’ button will set the fires and launch your live drill into action.

This is where Panic Mode so often takes you by surprise. You can be safe in the firm belief that your equipment is perfectly placed and that all of your Pammies will escape unscathed, only to quickly realize that you’re very wrong.

Pammies and their Innate Stupidity

What you don’t at first take into consideration is the sheer idiocy of the creatures you’re sworn to protect. Rather than seeing a fire and doing the sensible thing of running as fast as their stumpy legs can carry them, they often just run straight into the fires, only alerted on hearing a fire/smoke alarm.

With that being said, it becomes increasingly clear that their clumsy, dopey natures aren’t the product of a bug or any other kind of accident. Instead, their foolishness is all down to making the game far more challenging than would what would otherwise be a straightforward task.

System Requirements Needed to Play Panic Mode

The system requirements needed to play Panic Mode are relatively low. Below are the required and recommended specifications to run the game:

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 7 64bit
• Processor: Intel i3 6100 or AMD FX-4100
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia 1030, AMD RX550, intel 630HD
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 512 MB available space

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 10 64bit
• Processor: Intel i5 6600 or AMD Ryzen 1600x
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia 1060
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 512 MB available space

Panic Mode – Graphics and Controls

Despite the low system requirements, the graphics of Panic Mode are an absolute delight. Both easy on the eye and smooth, the game is beautifully presented. With a cartoony style, the world map pops and is an inviting prospect for what lays ahead.

The levels that have tasks waiting are clearly indicated with the globally recognized exclamation mark inside a triangle. On entering a level, the game loads quickly into an open-plan view of the level and using the WASD keys you can easily navigate your way around to spot any potential hazards and plan how you’re going to keep your Pammies happy and, well, not on fire.

Panic Mode Summary

I started playing Panic Mode with a view to play for around an hour to get a feel for the game. However, I was massively surprised when I eventually came out of the game to realize that three hours had quickly passed. It’s so easy to get lost in time as you watch over the workers and plan how you’re going to keep them safe and meet the objectives.

With its simple, no nonsense gameplay style and humorous characters, Panic Mode has fast become a staple during my gaming hours. Furthermore, with a current price tag of around $10, you really can’t go wrong.