This Is the Police

This is the Police nails its efforts in mashing up a management sim with an engaging noir story. However, top notch presentation aside, the gameplay tends to grow a bit weary somewhere in the middle. Having said that, fans of management sims should still give this a look. There are interesting systems at play and most of them make This is the Police worthy of your time.

An interesting genre mash-up that offers noir adventure and city management in bite-sized chunks. An expertly crafted atmosphere can't hide some rigid storytelling and shallow systems, but fans of cop movies and resource management should give this one a go.

The first five minutes of This is the Police will no doubt hook players into the world they’re about to step foot in. Unfortunately, the only way to progress through the story is to grind through the gameplay, which at times can slow the game to a screeching halt. This is upsetting due to the game’s fantastic storytelling. There will be people who will pass through the gameplay with ease and find enjoyment in it. However, in my case, it provided me with a negative experience. This is the Police is by no means a bad game, it just fails to hold up after the player starts the gaming sections. There will certainly be those who enjoy the gameplay and find it thought provoking, however, if a player wants something more involved, they might be disappointed.

When looking at the entire package, This Is the Police is a decent way to kill time in short bursts, but anything more than an hour at a time just feels like a chore. Despite the awkward political moments and somewhat monotonous gameplay, the skewed perspective of good vs. evil makes for an engaging story.

This Is the Police will most assuredly find an audience. There is a tinge of Tharsis in the way that difficulty is handled – the world is out to get you, and things only get worse as you lose more and more resources. Most people won’t like this approach. But for those of you who enjoy having the odds stacked against them, for that one triumphant run in which luck is finally on your side and you come out of it all bruised, battered, but ultimately victorious, then This Is the Police may be right for you.

A game as flawed as its protagonist. [May 2017, p.96]

This is the Police is simple but highly addictive if you have the time to dedicate becoming more invested in Jack Boyd and his personal chaotic life.

Managing Freeburg’s police force whilst simultaneously skimming yourself a little bit of cash on the side is a decent time, even if monotony does creep in as your days in the force dwindle. The minimalistic style and presentation do it some favours, and the story makes good use of some familiar good-cop-gone-bad tropes with a bit of personal introspection thrown in for good measure. Whilst its handling of specific topics that are currently being played out in our own society is decidedly haphazard, This is the Police remains pretty easy to drop in and play, in no-small part thanks to some smooth tunes.

This Is the Police is an intriguing story with a decent simulation game to back it up. There is a lot of game here which unfortunately can’t keep things interesting for its whole length. It’s well presented and if it gets its hooks in you then it will keep you occupied for a long time.

This is the Police aims to give the player a lot of freedom in his actions, but ends up a rather repetitive mess. It's fun for a couple of hours, but not exactly memorable.