This Is the Police - Switch

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: 10-24-2017
Moby Score (1-10): 6.9
Genre(s): Adventure, Simulation, Strategy / tactics, Crime, Diagonal-down, Fixed / flip-screen, Point and select, Contemporary
Media Type(s): Physical

Dive into a deep story of corruption, crime and intrigue. Take the role of gritty Police Chief Jack Boyd, and come face to face with the ugly underbelly of Freeburg, a city spiraling the drain. Will Jack reach his retirement with a nice stack of bills, or will he end up broken ... or worse?

Manage your staff, respond to emergencies, and investigate crimes in a city on the brink of chaos. The mafia underworld maneuvers behind the scenes, sinking their claws ever deeper into the city, even as the mayor is ready to exploit every situation to his political advantage.

Choose your approach to each situation as it unfolds. Sometimes you'll be responding to a developing crisis at a crime scene, or negotiating with Freeburg's crime bosses. Sometimes you'll find yourself dodging questions in the press room, or even the occasional cross-examination in the witness box. Can you keep this pressure cooker from exploding, at least for long enough to stash away a nice retirement nest egg?

• Your mission is clear: make $500,000 in 180 days, before Jack Boyd reaches retirement. How? That's up to you!

• Decisions, decisions! This Is the Police is all about a dark story and how you react to it. Whatever you decide, your choices will influence the game & and the fate of Jack Boyd.

• The Good, the Bad, and... the Ugly? The Chief of Freeburg's Police Department deals with all kind of people. It is up to you to find the bad guys, and decide how to deal with them.

• Carry out your duties. As head of Freeburg PD, Jack deals with all sorts of challenges every day: responding to emergencies, managing his officers, defending the department against City Hall and a corrupt mayor, and much more.

• Solve Investigations and gather evidence against the criminal gangs of Freeburg.

• Deal with the competing powers of the city. Everyone offers you favors, and each one comes at a price.

• Rich and fully voiced story: Jack Boyd is portrayed by Jon St. John, the voice of Duke Nukem.

This Is the Police is a single-player strategy and management game. The story follows Jack Boyd, a police chief in the fictional city of Freeburg who is nearing forced retirement after decades on the force. With 180 days left in office, Jack faces the challenge of securing his financial future while navigating pressure from corrupt officials, organized crime, and the public. The narrative develops through dialogue-driven cutscenes, where the player's choices determine Jack's reputation, morality, and eventual fate.

The core gameplay takes place on a daily cycle where the player manages the police department. Each morning begins with reviewing news headlines, checking staff availability, and responding to emergencies across the city. Incidents appear in real time on the map, and the player must assign officers based on their professionalism, stamina, and equipment. Some situations are routine, while others escalate into dangerous confrontations that can result in officers or civilians being killed if handled poorly.

Progression is tied to the player's resource management and decision-making. Officers and detectives gain experience from successful missions but may quit, refuse orders, or become unreliable if treated unfairly. Detectives are assigned to longer-term investigations that require piecing together evidence from witness reports and surveillance. These cases can be closed through proper analysis or manipulated for personal gain, depending on the player's goals. Balancing loyalty, corruption, and efficiency is central to maintaining order in Freeburg.

Officers can be sent on side tasks such as political rallies, mafia errands, or city events, often creating conflicts of interest. Budgetary restrictions force tough decisions on hiring, training, and equipment purchases. A shift system splits personnel between alternating day and night teams, requiring careful planning to avoid understaffing during crime waves.

Dialogue sequences and branching choices reinforce the moral dilemmas at the heart of the story. Jack can attempt to resist corruption, work with the mafia for money, or serve city hall's political agenda, with each path affecting future missions and story outcomes.

*** Data by MobyGames.com ***

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