Survival horror has proved to be a major innovation for game makers. It's an ingenious mix that has worked so well for companies like Capcom that a countless copycat games have slammed the market. But, what happens when you remove the "horror" from a game like this and just make it about survival? Welcome to the wholly original Disaster Report on the PS2.

The game puts players in control of Keith Helm, an inspiring news reporter heading to Stiver Island for work on their newspaper. Stiver Island is unique in that it was entirely man-made. Even the ground that you walk on was supplied by the government. While Keith was heading into the mainland, a massive earthquake struck leaving him stranded on a suspension bridge that could fall at any moment.

That's exactly where your start the beginnings of a six-hour adventure. Completely stranded without any food or water, you must traverse across the bridge, onto the mainland, and hopefully figure out a way to get rescued. Along the way you'll learn plenty about the doomed island and uncover a nice plot that surrounds the disaster.

Disaster Report firmly separates itself from other games in numerous ways. You will never handle a real weapon, you never fight, and you only meet people a few times in the game. It's all about figuring out a way to get off the island and possibly helping another character with the same quest as well.

Water is extremely important, so carrying a fresh supply is critical. Below his health bar is a "thirst gauge." Let it go down too far and not only will Keith slowdown, but also his health will deteriorate as well.

Everything is stored in your backpack for quick access and finding a new pack generally means you can carry more items. Saving the game means finding a source of water, whether it is a sink or a fountain in a park. Here you can fill your water bottles, drink, or just save and move on. These are always placed in convenient locations, almost always before a challenging segment.

Your backpack will almost always be full with items and creating some primitive ones can be a necessity. For instance, you can create a makeshift torch using lighter fluid, gauze, and a crowbar. Also scattered about are items used for protection like gloves and construction helmets. These are worn on your character until you remove them.

The game doesn't suffer from one major flaw, just a lot of small ones. First and most obviously are the graphics. Though I'm not sure, this one looks like it started development on the Nintendo 64 and crept it's way over to the PS2. Massive slowdown brings an already slow moving game to a near halt, everything has a washed out, colorless look, and some of the special effects (like fire) are laughable in this generation. There are some nice touches like the characters clothes tearing as the game moves on, but these are minor compared to the problems this game suffers from in this department.