Disaster Report Diaries (Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories) Part VR

The PC and PlayStation 4 versions of Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories have a VR mode, which is separate from the main game, but tied to it. It sees you exploring the areas of the main story, but without the actual story or other survivors.

Obtaining stickers (which are parts of the game logo) gives you points, and you can exchange those for clothing in the main game when you save. Obviously, the stickers are hidden around each level. It’s almost on-rails, as you can walk forward along set paths, as well as look around and pick up stickers. That’s it.

Since I wanted to see what I could buy with points, and the fact that you cannot do the VR mode after completing the game, I started this during Part Seven. To my surprise, at least when using a Meta Quest 3, you have to use a normal controller while playing in VR, instead of the VR controllers. At least I was lucky enough to have a wireless one, so I didn’t get tangled up in cables.

This is my exploration of the Disaster Report series, where I will chronicle my playthrough like a text-based Let’s Play. Now let’s play Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories in VR…

The first stage was called City Convenience Store, and I began by dropping down from the raised road into Asagao Crossing. I moved past the bus and entered the convenience store. Despite a thorough look down each of the aisles, it was basically a waste of time. Apart from the fright I got as a tremor shook the place, dislodging groceries and shelving.

Upon leaving the store, I remembered that a building just behind was supposed to fall over, but since there may have been a sticker over there, I decided to walk down the street. Right on cue, the building toppled, landing directly in front of me. Being immersed in the destruction was already proving enough to unsteady my nerves, so I actually turned around without looking for a sticker…

Back beside the store, I crossed the street to another building that I knew would collapse — which it did so as I neared it. I proceeded to the inner part of the crossing, heading beneath the metal footbridge, when a tremor hit and it collapsed, barely missing my nose! It hadn’t fallen in the main game, so that really caught me off-guard.

I crossed the street and continued beneath the uncollapsed part, then examined the fault line. However, it was another bust, so I went back towards the crossing and checked out the fallen sign. To my delight, I found a “sas” sticker! I checked the next road fault line, but saw nothing of interest, then the car wreck which was on fire in the middle of the intersection. Again, zero stickers.

Turning around, I went to check the bus and got on. If you think there was something to find, you’d be wrong. So, back to the second collapsed building I went, where a desk was positioned to let me climb up and enter the building. Since I recalled the desks shifting due to a tremor, I chose to go down the middle path. Then, the ceiling collapsed before the desks began to move! Yet another sudden fright…

Deciding to look in the kitchen, I was delighted to find “Re” stuck on the wall, so I grabbed that, then exited via the toilets and onto the side of the fallen building. With the choice of entering either the left or right toilets, I opted for the right this time. Unfortunately, I didn’t spot anything before finding the exit, and I left through a broken window.

The second stage was the Subway System Interior, putting me inside Akebonoutsugi Station. I descended the stairs, then went inside the convenience store, which had been completely empty the last time I was there. This time, there was a “Di” on the counter! Then a tremor caused the shop to cave in, but I automatically escaped beneath the shutter. I proceeded to the ladies’ room to check for stickers and wound up relieving myself in one of the stalls.

I was unable to get into the men’s room, so I checked out the station master’s office and found “sas” on a shelf. A tremor shook things, but the office seemed unaffected, so I left and went down some more stairs to the platform. I remembered that the ceiling was due to collapse in this segment, so I nervously checked a fallen sign and some debris, found nothing, then got on board the train. I hadn’t needed to unlock it this time, as there were footprints which led to the lever, showing that someone had already done it.

As before, a huge tremor collapsed the ceiling where I’d been standing, so I made my way through the train and back onto the platform. I then headed towards where I found Kanae and grabbed a “ter” from the rubble. Hopping down onto the rails, I pulled out a metal rod and it came out with a “po” sticker!

I climbed into the train on that side of the track and a tremor rumbled things as I went. I exited into the water and found a “rt” hidden against some tracks, before getting back onto the platform. I walked alongside the train and found a “4” sticker hidden on the right, then I went back, climbed onto the top of the train, and went upstairs.

A tremor vibrated through as I walked, then I entered the office to the side and found “Re” on the desk. There was nothing else as I looked around the platform, so I climbed the stairs to end the stage.

Stage three was Along Nadeshiko Canal, which was right after the previous area in the main game. As I climbed the stairs, a tremor wobbled some lampposts but didn’t do anything too major, so I went onto the pedestrian crossing and then down the road towards a truck and some rubble. I then entered the building where I’d get the letter with thousands of yen, and looked around downstairs, finding nothing.

Upstairs, I entered the office, which still had its complete floor. I suspected that it might fall at some point, but I checked out the desks and out of the windows. While I stood at the end desk on the middle row, the floor gave out and took me downstairs with it! I found a big “ter” in the corner behind some boxes, then headed back upstairs but wound up finding nothing else, not even in the kitchenette or bathrooms.

Once back outside, I headed for the convenience store while a tremor shook things. The bathroom was locked, and I was told to find a key, so I checked the stock room and only found cat food, which I nabbed. I went to the front of the store, and while the cash register didn’t have anything for me, a desk in the staff room was hiding the key! So, I grabbed that, then returned to the bathroom. I was tempted to take care of business, but instead went outside and along the promenade, where I found the cardboard box with the cat inside.

After feeding it, it gave me a “4” sticker, then fell asleep. I walked to the corner and as a tremor caused the floor to begin falling, I automatically ran to safety. Now on the other side of the truck and rubble, I crossed the road to have a quick look, and found a “Re” sticker hidden between the fence and wall right at the end! A check of the fallen sign and debris (where I found nothing) later, I crossed the bridge on the left side, and exited the level.

Next up was The Submerged Apartments, which began with me rowing (automatically) towards the Enishida Apartments as a tremor sank a lamppost. It was nighttime, and the way forward was blocked by a burning tree, so I docked and went inside apartment 206. There was a “sas” sticker in the bedroom, then I went out onto the balcony and entered apartment 205, where I found a “Di” hiding in the closet.

With no other options, I returned to 206 and had a nap on a futon; it was night time after all. I woke to a tremor and everything was wet. I quickly left the apartment via the front door and boarded the boat just in time to watch the complex sink into the water. I rowed around the next building, and as I climbed onto some playground equipment, I saw another complex sinking. There was a “po” sticker, though, so I grabbed it and moved on.

This actually skipped ahead, as I was now in front of the suspended signpost, not far from shore, which was definitely not where I was before. Even though the way was clear, I docked and entered apartment 208. I used the toilet, then checked out the apartment but found nothing, so I went out onto the balcony and crossed the plank of wood which granted me access to the opposite side.

I’m not sure which apartment number it was, but there was nothing to find inside, so I went upstairs. All of the stairs. Pausing only to grab the “rt” sticker from the suspended sign. Apartment 505 at the top, found it bare of stickers, so went out on the balcony to cross another plank of wood. A tremor struck, but the wood remained firm! I then crossed another plank, pausing to snatch a “4” sticker from it, and entered the next apartment.

A large tremor caused a teddy bear to fall off a bookcase in front of me, but other than being able to get inside the bathtub for no reason, there was nothing to find. I made my way to the roof, but again, there were no stickers, even if I stepped over the safety rail, so I returned to the boat.

As it sailed beneath the sign, a tremor struck! In an almost literally deafening crash, it fell into the water behind the boat. As I travelled to the shore, I decided to check out the shop where someone had been stuck, but as a common theme, there was nada. I reached the shore, which finished the level.

The final level was Disaster-Stricken Elementary, which skipped quite a bit to the shelter at Kuchinashi Elementary. However, I was surprised to find that I was expected to go inside the school building! Immediately in front of me was a shoe rack with a “Di” hidden in one of the cubbies.

I turned left down the hallway and entered the staff room, where I found keys to the music room on a desk and the roof on a different desk. The next office along was the Principal’s office, and upon entering there was a massive tremor which dislodged paintings and threw the furniture around. Behind a sofa was an “rt” sticker, but the only other thing of note was a locked safe. At the end of the hallway was a door to a stairwell, so I turned around and headed back down the hallway.

The first room was the Nurse’s office, and I found a “sas” sticker on the floor after getting in one of the beds. Apart from a broken scale, there was nothing else, so I continued down the hallway and took care of business in both the girls’ and boys’ bathrooms. At the end, I headed through a door and up to the next floor, where I entered the first, empty classroom.

After visiting both the boys’ and girls’ toilets, I continued right and checked the next classroom, this time finding a large “ter” on the wall between the hallway windows. The next classroom was empty, so at the end of the hall I went up the stairs to the next floor.

The first room was the music room, so I unlocked the door and entered, though I didn't find anything until a tiny “po” sticker attached to the keys on the piano. I then played a tune for about two minutes (an extended version of the tune played when using the toilet), before leaving.

The next classroom had all of the desks together against the back wall, and I crawled under while a tremor shook through. I was also able to get on top of the desks, but there were no stickers anywhere. I used the girls’ and boys’ toilets just along the hallway, then entered the next classroom.

A massive tremor threw the furniture into disarray, but there were no stickers. In the next classroom, however, I spotted an “Re” stuck to the bottom of an upturned desk, and a small key near the teacher’s desk. With that in hand, I returned to the ground floor and the Principal’s Office to unlock the safe. Inside was a VR exchange ticket worth 30 points!

Then, I headed back to the top floor, unlocked the door, and went out onto the roof. Occasionally, it sounded like an explosion coming from the left side of the building, but other than that and the sound of wind, all I could find was destruction wrought by an earthquake. So, I went back to the ground floor and left via the rear doors, ending my time in VR…

I had gathered 94 points. To buy an outfit cost 150 points, and there was a hat for 80 points. So, if I wanted all of them, I’d need to replay it!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think that you can guess by now that I really enjoyed my time with Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories. The decimation in previous games was always surprising, but presented in more modern graphics definitely made things feel more shocking.

Perhaps the most shocking of all was the fact that I didn’t have to escape to the radio tower on the tallest building on the island, as the entire thing sank beneath my feet. This is the first game where the city (and surrounding areas) don’t sink into the ocean. Also, there were no corrupt politicians or city officials! I mean, I don’t know what Kirishima did, but it clearly didn’t relate to the earthquake, nor was the human trafficking scheme.

Unfortunately, the translation is a little iffy in places. Positive statements actually mean negative things, others being unrelated to what you’re saying… Looking at the dead jewellery store owner, unmoving in a pool of blood, was said to be “seems out of breath”.

My main issue was knowing where to go, especially when the occasional hints were either not descriptive enough or one of the poorly translated bits. It’s not always obvious where you need to go to trigger a cutscene which will open up the next section, or what/who you need to find.

On the technical side, there were times when the frame rate absolutely tanked. When it happened it was usually in a cutscene, but there were a couple of buildings where it occurred, and there didn’t appear to be anything in particular to set it off? Not an overabundance of NPCs, no moving objects… It happened when I became leader of the White Coats, sitting alone in my office! Also, when I was in the flooded Angelina restaurant, water was running from the ceiling and I couldn’t walk through any of it, which was funny but also a bit annoying.

Oh, speaking of the White Coats, they got very little explanation. A guy just decided to gather people and feed them (somehow), not seeming to get anything out of it? He left me in charge with a safe full of money! And why can you buy all of those Vestola shares? They do nothing, and don’t even come back in the Epilogue.

The Epilogue was actually a bit disappointing, in that it doesn’t remember anything from the main game, not even your haircut. You have to “remind” people what choices you made outside of the ones that you have to make…

However, none of my issues made me stop enjoying Disaster Report 4. I’m really looking forward to Disaster Report 5, and you can be sure that I’ll return to the Disaster Report Diaries to cover it.