Police Simulator-Patrol Officers. This game seems to set out to prove that not all cops are bad. All I wanted to do was be the bad cop! Sure, you have the tools to do things by the book, but that’s so dang boring! But here, let’s just talk about the title in-depth, because maybe, just maybe, it’s worth your time to wield a badge.
Description:
“Welcome to Brighton! Join the ranks of this fictitious American city’s police force and experience the everyday life of a police officer. Begin with parking violations and work your way up to shouldering greater responsibilities. Be part of Brighton’s community, get to know your neighborhood, and fulfill the daily duties of a police officer as you fight crime during your shift. Always be tough, but fair: respect the law and gain more experience to unlock more neighborhoods, districts, and duties!”
Features:
- Go on patrol in your neighborhood and be part of the community!
- Handle daily police work to fight crime during your watch!
- Be tough but fair: learn how to respect the code of conduct!
- Serve and protect the citizens of Brighton, a huge and vibrant city!
- The new board computer!
- The 2-Player Coop Mode!
- New Violations!
Trailer:
Police Simulator: Patrol Officers – Console Release Trailer – YouTube
Pros:
- Choice. This game gives you, the police officer way more options than I thought it would have given. I know it’s a simulator, but for something that is trying to make sure you stay a good cop, you get a lot of choices. In the beginning, you have very little you can do, it’s basically just patrolling the streets. You’ll give citations for expired meters or people that are incorrectly parked. There are jaywalkers out on the streets too. But after you get a few hours in, that’s where the options really start to expand. Now you’re able to pull over drivers, question them, issue citations for various reasons, even arrest them. From breathalyzers, tasering, and shooting to cracked windshields and drug searches, this game has a lot of actions and a lot of crimes!
- Audio. Some people may not honestly pay attention to these types of things anymore in this day and age. But I have to honestly commend the title for having really decent voice-over work. It’s truthful and believable in most cases. People never sound truly terrified of the cops, but that’s probably a good thing! With regards to the ambient sound, I did think that they did a good job with this. The sounds in the distance are spread apart and not annoying. From the sound of a truck backing up to cars passing by, everyday noises sound balanced. Even when you’re close to the sounds they don’t become obnoxiously loud. There could be better and more music, but I think they played it safe and that’s alright in a game like this.
- Map Size. I find the size of the game is actually pretty large, but it stays within reason. You’re not playing on a map the size of San Andreas in this title. So there’s not going to be high-speed chases across neighborhoods or anything like that. You do unlock more sections of the map as playable to you as you progress. This is so that the game can hold your hand a bit and give you what you need to know a little at a time. Keeping the scope within your abilities helps make this game more palatable.
- Co-op Cops. This game has a co-op mode built into it if you want. It’s definitely something that I didn’t have a method of testing. NOT THAT I DON’T HAVE FRIENDS. But I didn’t want to make anyone pay $40 to see if the gameplay for co-op was worth it. I honestly feel though that my experience would’ve been enhanced if I had an in-game friend. If you own this game and want to play with me, leave a comment down at the bottom of the article!
- Casual vs Simulation: I think that this is the part that people need to know more about up front. They explain the difference on the main screen, but I think you should really make sure you honestly choose which one you prefer instead of guessing and checking. They define casual mode as, “Adjusted balancing and more hints on what’s happening around the player. Makes the game less punishing.” With simulation mode, they define it as, “The full experience designed for players who want and immersive experience.”
In other words, with casual mode, you can make more mistakes on your shift. You’re allowed to make people sad and be wrong with the citations you issue. Simulation mode is far less forgiving and you have to make sure you absolutely know what you’re doing. I would honestly recommend that you do casual since simulation just feels like the actual stress of work. And you’re not working. You’re at home, enjoying yourself.
Cons:
- Seasoned. Starts you off as a new recruit. I think we should’ve been dropped in as a character that was seasoned and has more under their belt. Having abilities, like being able to drive a car, from the get-go instead of accruing them can save a game as wonky as this. You don’t feel the ambition to want to keep pushing through this game on foot when it’s a haphazardly made game.
- Bugs. There are plenty of bugs in this game. And I mean visual bugs and gameplay bugs alike, sometimes they happen to be one and the same. The biggest issue is when a character randomly pops into a car. They’re standing vertically in the street, but it happens to be in the car. The car that maybe needs to be handled because it’s been in an accident. The character glitching causes you to not be able to do what you need to do. Or take for instance strobing lights in the police station. It’s something that others have experienced too when I looked it up. It’s not game-breaking, since you can still play the game. But it’s still weird stuff, to say the least.
- Outdated? This game unfortunately looks way too much like a PS4 or XBOX One launch title. I’m sure that there are elements that would only be possible on modern firmwares of those platforms or something like ray tracing. But putting high-end features in a plain-looking title is like, for lack of a better expression, polishing a turd.
- Controls. The game can handle pretty wonky at times. Your walk is half a speed slower than walking in any other game that has ever existed. If they cranked the gait 10 percent, then it would look and feel more natural. The driving in this game also leaves a lot to be desired. It moves little increments at a time, almost like driving a tank in a game, but faster.
Final Thoughts:
Should you buy this game? This may be the first game I’ve played that I have a love/hate relationship with. It’s very middle of the road. When it works, it’s mildly entertaining and good to play a shift in the game every few days. It’s just not something that you binge-play for hours on end. Having said all of that, wait for it to go on sale. Most simulator games go on sale very often and this should be no different. If you’re intrigued and patient enough, it’s worth $20 or less, the retail cost of $40 is hard to swallow. The bottom line here is that it’s a game that you shouldn’t take seriously because if you do, it sucks the fun out.
Purchase Links:
