Players take control of Raymond Bryce , who is a former "International Rescue Team" member. Raymond has a traumatic past, and has so far given his previous action-packed lifestyle away. It is only after a severe earthquake that he is called upon once again for his rescuing and emergency response expertise. Disaster: Day of Crisis takes place in a third-person view, as players manoeuvre the character through many different environments to track down a mysterious armed group, rescue civilians caught up in environmental disasters, and accumulate points by searching, calling-out, and rescuing non-playable characters.
By accumulating points, players can unlock, upgrade, and "buy" items that become available after certain set events. They can also upgrade Raymond's skills directly, including strength, stamina, and weapon skills.
The gameplay in Disaster: Day of Crisis is varied, with players needing to sprint and run towards the camera, swim, perform first-aid on civilians, and engage in frantic shoot-outs. These segments resemble the gameplay style of Time Crisis, where players take cover and emerge to fire upon armed combatants. In various city and urban environments, Disaster: Day of Crisis requires Bryce to react accordingly to each situation, with on-screen "help" prompts indicating the control method that will be employed. Players must use fire-extinguishers, drive vehicles, operate panels, doors, and other objects.
Disaster: Day of Crisis was released for the Wii console on 24th October 2008.