If you’re getting bored, feeling that driving a bus just isn’t giving you the adulation or recognition you feel should be yours, then you can always pick up a copy of Rescue 2013: Everyday Heroes for the PC, another in a seemingly endless line of vehicle simulations from Excalibur Publishing.

The game is given more depth by combining elements of RPG, assets management and vehicle simulation. You get to play at being a fireman, ambulance paramedic and more, depending on the current disaster.

From you fire station you get to interact with the game's characters, all of whom have differing strengths and weaknesses, so assigning the right people to a task becomes paramount. Your guys are not static and can learn new skills. You don’t have to be a desk jockey, as you are able to take control of your customisable vehicles. As a nod to the British market - in the past you mainly got to play with continental vehicles - a fleet of British machines is included.

The game allows you to play in three modes: Management, Free Play and Action. At the start the game takes you step by step through the various actions and commands you are going to need. Once proficient you’ll be looking at dealing with derailed trains, plane crashes, large factory fires as well as the more mundane house fires and trash can fires, well everyone has to start somewhere.

Visually, the SIM is pretty good, certainly good enough for the type of game it is, where the management element of the game is often the most important. The game cycles through day and night and apparently there will be the ability to mod the game following its official release. If this takes off you might be seeing some interesting fan made elements.

You only need a mid-range computer to play the game on with the minimum requirements being a Pentium 4 2 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Graphic card 256 MB (GeForce 8600 or better) and Windows XP/Vista/7. The game is presented in 3D third-person, floating camera.

So, the ability to buy vehicles, hire staff and develop them gives a greater depth to the game, you can even decorate your station and place objects in your station to improve your crews proficiency.

Although there are British vehicles to be had, your environment is distinctly Germanic. The SIMS aspect of the game really makes it feel different to the plethora of other sim games. So take your first machine and crew, complete missions for cash and gradually build up your fire station to take on more complex missions in your quest for perfection.

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Charles Packer