The collapse of our federal government and the subsequent rise of an evil corporation is as much a staple of video game storytelling as an invasion of flesh-eating aliens or the young, reluctant, fate burdened hero. This time the corporation ruling the country is facing mass rioting and you, dear player, are in the middle of it in State Of Emergency, a game originally released for the Playstation 2 (Review Here) but now available for the Xbox.

The game opens with a narrative describing the grave state of affairs for society since the rise of the corporation. You can jump right into the action after choosing between the two available characters, one male and one female. Choose between Chaos mode (score as many points as possible before proceeding to the next level) or Revolution (complete specific tasks set forth by the underground) and you're off and killing.

Whatever you pick, your first environment is a shopping mall being looted by rioters. The aspect in which State Of Emergency truly excels will be obvious right off the bat - there are dozens of people running around on screen at any given time. People carrying TV sets, kegs, anything they can get their hands on. The screen is literally filled with chaos most of the time and you're right in the middle of it.

The A.I. of the police and rioters is fun to watch. The rioters will completely ignore you unless you start beating on them. And when you do pick a victim to manhandle, everyone else will just keep running around like you aren't there. The police will, too, at first. But if you pick up a weapon or hit an officer, then they come out of the woodwork and do their best to swarm you.

While unarmed, you can either punch, kick, combine the two, use a 360 degree attack for getting out of a pile or use a back attack when you're being chased. Even though you get more points for unarmed fighting, it's infinitely more satisfying to pick up one of the many weapons laying around the mall (or city street, depending on the level). Baseball bats, hatchets, AK-47's, grenade launchers, rocket launchers and everything in between are just waiting to be found and put to good use.

The sounds of chaos, destruction and death are done well enough. Shooting into a crowd elicits screams and knocking out windows delivers a satisfying shatter. You'll even experience the rumble of the ground beneath your feet if you shoot off a rocket too close to where you're standing. A welcome feature is support for custom soundtracks (which really should be in more Xbox games).

Most of the environment is interactive. Most store fronts can be smashed and most objects can be picked up and thrown. For these freedoms one must trade in expectations about detail and textures. There's nothing visually stunning about State Of Emergency, but everything happening on screen is clear and obvious. Most importantly, shooting a rocket launcher down a crowded street or into a building has the expected effect. The damage taken by buildings is limited, but it's better than nothing.

What's more disappointing is the clumsy camera and control system. It works fine when you aren't fighting; the camera follows behind you as you move. But if you're avoiding attackers or stuck in a crowd it's a struggle against the controller to always face the direction you want to shoot or punch without standing still too long and getting your clock cleaned. It takes a lot of practice to be effective, and even then "clunky" is being too kind.

Racking up points in Chaos mode is pretty straightforward. You get points for putting down cops and deductions for harming civilians. If you reach the point goal for the level in a set amount of time you move on to the next level. Revolution mode is your introduction to the underground resistance. Someone gives you tasks that need doing and sends you on your way. They usually involve finding something (like detonators) and delivering it to someone else in the resistance (like a guy trying to blow up part of the city). Sometimes you'll have to protect another member or take out someone from the corporation, but you get the idea.

The problem with State Of Emergency is that it doesn't advance in any way. The things you're doing in the beginning are the same things you'll be doing at the end. Kicking corrupt cops in the teeth and blowing up storefronts is fun, but not for very long. Unlocking new characters (for a total of five) and maps gives you something else to look at (like the "Last Clone Standing" option, which throws you in with 200 pieces of cannon fodder and demands that you kill them as quickly as possible), but they aren't enough motivation to keep playing the same tune over and over.

Additions for the Xbox version include powerups (like resistance to damage, a posse of gang members to help you, and unlimited ammo) and multiplayer options for up to four people, but like the PS2 version the whole thing gets old way too fast. Even as a party game State Of Emergency is only good as a temporary distraction. There are lots of games that allow you to blow up your friends and they have more maps to choose from, better controls and better graphics.