SOS: The Final Escape is a survival game for the Playstation 2 created by Irem in 2002. You play the role of Keith Helm, a reporter who makes his way to the man-made Shriver Island in order to start his new job as a newspaper editor in Capital City. However, upon his arrival an enormous earthquake occurs, leaving him trapped in the city as aftershocks occur and buildings and structures collapse all around him. He gradually finds items which may help him survive and other survivors, as he tries to find a way out of Capital City alive, whilst also uncovering a vast conspiracy regarding the island.

When I first played SOS, it seemed to be an entirely new style of game which I had never seen before. As you navigate buildings and roads which could collapse at any minute, the game is incredibly suspenseful and exciting. The game takes you through a wide variety of locations, from collapsing bridges and crumbling city streets to skyscrapers and an amusement park, and the graphics, whilst a bit cartoony, are reasonably good. The gameplay is pretty good too with fluid character movement, although it takes a little getting used to. The storyline is engrossing, it starts off as a run-of-the-mill disaster movie format and then turns into something different as a conspiracy is gradually unravelled. A minor drawback is that in many parts you are required to move very slowly, since things could collapse around you at any time, so the game can get a little slow in parts. That said, there are some incredibly exciting levels.

Overall, this game is an incredibly entertaining one, and not like any other game I have ever seen. The combination of action and puzzle-solving is a winning one and I recommend this game to anyone who has not yet played it.