Game journalists? It sounds as if doubtful. Game made by domestic game journalists? It sounds even more doubtful. The minimalist, noir simulator of the chief of the police of the American town of the 80s? What sounds very interesting!
About such thoughts visited me when I first learned about this is the Police. I almost did not touch Indie, except for the epoch-making Hotline Miami, and it took several years to make me ripen and decided to try this game that was akin to a cat in a bag for me. And did not regret it.
The first thing that meets us after the launch of the game is the classic internal monologue of the protagonist – the chief of the police of the fictional American city of Friburg – Jack Boyd, immediately pouring the noir spirit of the good old detectives. And in fact, the whole game is built on the classic pillars of a movie language, often quoting a particular work, from the godfather to the Maltese falcon.
Sinefilian references in the game of a doe. From the "telephone booth", to "Equal than in paradise" Jim Jarmusha
The hero, like the player, is confronted with the fact-we have half a year for which we must maintain order in the police department and earn money for a comfortable pension, after which we will be removed from the post and put someone younger, and more lane.
A simple, seemingly tie, will subsequently reveal a bouquet of unexpected scenes and situations, because in fact this is the Police is not so much a game about the police, but about the protagonist – Jack Boyd, the old police chief, who is leaving, who is always pressed by a buried mayor, which is responsible for the well -being of almost the whole city. Throughout history, the hero will repeatedly undergo changes in character, more than once will overestimate his life. Hopes and disappointment, joy and pain, success and failure, and, of course, a whole breakthrough of work are waiting for him.
How to do without reading newspapers before the next work shift. We are here in the skin of a 60-year-old police chief, true?
It is really interesting to observe history, she knows how to throw unexpected situations and turns, loves to keep in ignorance and withstand the intrigue. You get used to the hero, empathize with him and sincerely sympathize. Whatever happens with Jack throughout history, it is difficult to remain indifferent to his history.
This is the Police immediately clings to his visual https://slotssafari.uk/ style. We do not see the features of the character of the characters, we do not know what exactly the facial expressions of the heroes depict at this particular moment, but we can imagine this, thanks to their speech, poses, general mood of the scene. Minimalism is at the forefront, for economic reasons. And this is successfully combined with the overall style of the game. In the works of the Noir genre, we often cannot see the faces of the heroes hidden behind the game of light and shadow, so in this is the Police we judge from them not by their face, but by actions and voice.
In addition, minimalism gives the game an interesting conflict between the brutal reality of the police officer and ironic humor, which is saturated with the whole game. Ironize here over all. Over politicians, over ordinary residents, over police and businessmen. Nobody will run away from cruel irony, and the game itself, despite its setting, was extremely relevant for its years. Black protests, constant racial conflicts, the movement of feminists. Yes, and the internal cuisine of the police, with its constant uncertainty and the need to maneuver between the state apparatus, public, criminal groups and a banal desire to earn. Hungry topics at all times.
The gameplay component is spinning around competent staff management during the day. Every day, Jack goes to work, includes his favorite jazz-music on records and starts work. The player, in the role of Jack, has to take calls, determine which of them false, what real ones and send their subordinates to these challenges.
To understand whether a false challenge or not, it is necessary to carefully read the description of the call and determine its adequacy or inadequacy
Calls can be like simple (like small hooliganism), to which you can send literally a couple of policemen and very dangerous, to which you will have to equip a whole group of subordinates. The success of the task depends on the level of professionalism of each employee. The smaller the level, the more likely the task will be fallen, which is fraught with the flight of the criminal at best, and at the worst – the death of an employee or civilian. And for this they will not be stolen on the head. And losing an experienced employee is always unpleasant. In some challenges, the player can help a special forces detachment that will increase the chances of success.
While the employees go to the call and vice versa – it is impossible to interact with them, so you need to always leave a possible reserve in case there is another call or already sent employees request reinforcements
During the implementation of some calls, the player will meet with small text quests – employees face a difficult situation and the player must decide how to resolve it. However, often solution options strongly depend on the level of professionalism of employees, which is why the consequences of decisions often and the result of the call can be quite random. Sometimes three not the best employees cope with armed robbery, and sometimes a whole detachment of police officers perish from a clash with one unarmed homeless.
What to do when an employee is dying? Of course to hire new on the Labor Exchange. Gradually, the permanent staff of employees can be increased by financing the city hall, but for this it is imperative to maintain good relations with the mayor. Here we are approaching the very manberg man in the person of the city hall, the mafia and approval of our own employees. The city hall always requires the police to send employees to protect or whims the mayor, and sometimes suppress various peaceful protests. The problem is that in the case of force suppression, with a high degree of probability of the hero, they will call for interrogation to the prosecutor, and so that this is not the case, you need to pamper your employees with additional earnings in time, accumulate enough money in time to give someone to the paw, and generally spin like a squirrel in the wheel. Employees constantly do not want to go to work for a variety of reasons, from quite good, to completely awkward, and they can also go into a binge and do not appear at work for days.
The fatigue scale is filled in days when the employee does not replace. Therefore, it is not worth to drive your subordinates unnecessary. They may simply not withstand and leave, and in the appendage, the rest against the chef also configure
And at this time, the mafia breathes in the back, which regularly asks for modest donations to Boyd’s pension accumulations not to intervene in a particular matter. And if you do not interfere, the disclosure falls and again in a circle … On your skin you begin to understand how difficult it is to sit on all chairs, because you often have to go to the victims.
It happens that the player has to make a choice that will affect the balance of power in the city, as well as the end of the game. In general and moral elections, the player will have to do a lot. It all depends on what kind of police chief the player would like to blind. Greedy for money indifferent to his employees or, conversely, a person who stands behind his mountains.
In addition to ordinary crimes, this is the Police contains the so-called investigations-small mini-quests in which detectives need to investigate the crimes committed, and subsequently, on the basis of people’s testimony, draw up a picture of the personnel from the scene of the crime. Detectives exist in parallel to ordinary employees, and the speed of which the investigation is replenished with new personnel depends on their level of professionalism.
Among other things, in order to earn extra money, every now and then various hacks from completely different personalities will come on the side. Then they will ask you to highlight a couple of people for filming a police series, they will ask for additional security, then deal with competitors. These orders are optional in execution, but well paid. However, it is always worth being prepared to the fact that such orders will take the effect on subordinates. Someone can leave work, carried away by filming in the series, someone will drink during work, someone may die, or may pump their skills.
Money in the game is needed not only to give a paw in caustic cases, but also to buy additional services. For example, hire a snap inside the staff of the employees in order to receive information about the plans of subordinates and their mood regarding the identity of the chef or pay employees a party in order to slightly unload them and amuse them. And there are a lot of such services in the game, and almost everyone will bring considerable benefit in a certain situation.
This is the Police many scold for monotony and monotony. This can only be agreed with this that the player is initially configured to a dynamic gameplay. But if you give ourselves the installation that we are not playing a police action movie, but that in the simulator of managing the police department, then the game begins to open differently. You begin to feel your avatar, feel the gameplay, which is expressed in an objective police routine that beautiful music can brighten up. In addition, often the game throws up new conditions. Either a serial killer will appear in the city, then the mafia war will unfold, then political competition. The game gradually raises the bar of requirements, and therefore playing it, personally, I was not bored at all, despite a fairly large timing of 20+ hours.
This is the Police is an atmospheric, beautiful and beautiful game in its simplicity, clinging to his characters, setting and interesting gameplay. But only on condition that you will adjust to her pace and mood.