This Is the Police

 PC
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 35
  3. Negative: 4 out of 35
  1. We Got This Covered
    Aug 1, 2016
    40
    This Is the Police is mechanically sound on the surface, but digging deeper leads to disappointment in the randomized events and a lack of meaningful decisions to make.
  2. Destructoid
    Jul 27, 2016
    40
    This is the Police presents situations that aren’t deep enough to invoke social commentary, yet it still takes the opportunity to arbitrarily throw them out in the open. It’s missing key storytelling elements that allow for that kind of messaging, and in the mundane yet slur-sprinkled missions those ideas fall apart.
  3. IBTimes UK
    Jul 26, 2016
    40
    Accessible and routine, This Is The Police is simultaneously a rich video game and a poor depiction of its subject matter. Whether the game's creators welcome it or not, at times like these, when police officers in the US are under intense scrutiny, This Is the Police's representation of their work bears similarly close examination. By that measure it falls short of relevance and borders on removed.
  5. Kill Screen
    Jul 28, 2016
    30
    By day 100, you’re starting to lose sight of the goal. They gave you 180 days to finish out your tenure as chief; at first it sounded like a death sentence, now it’s more like a prison sentence.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 250 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 169 out of 250
  2. Mixed: 59 out of 250
  3. Negative: 22 out of 250
  1. wafle
    Aug 3, 2016
    10
    You know you have to play a game when the identity politics police doesn't want you too.
    From the game devs:
    “This Is the Police is not a    You know you have to play a game when the identity politics police doesn't want you too.
    From the game devs:
    “This Is the Police is not a political game, but a human one,” says Yanovich. “We do not believe that the problems discussed in the game are political in nature.”

    And yet.... identity politics critics:

    official review contains trigger warnings. "Freeburg may be a generic Western city, but not all of humankind lives in generic Western cities. I have no idea what a game called This Is the Police would look like if it was made in Singapore or Iran, but I suspect that it would be very different. This game probably wouldn’t be made in Canada either, at least not in its current form—the sheer proliferation of derogatory language and identity-based violence would be unthinkable in today’s climate, and for good reason. " -KS

    " This Is The Police is simultaneously a rich video game and a poor depiction of its subject matter. Whether the game's creators welcome it or not, at times like these, when police officers in the US are under intense scrutiny, This Is the Police's representation of their work bears similarly close examination. By that measure it falls short of relevance and borders on removed." IBT

    "Despite having only previewed This Is The Police at PAX East just a few months ago, so much has happened in the US and the rest of the world in that time. It’s something that’s impossible to ignore when examining a game where you play as the Chief of Police in a city full of racial, gender, and sexual prejudice -- where you make decisions every day that affect citizens of a fictional city." Destru

    "And worst of all, you’re all but forced to partake in some decisions that have morally repugnant real-world implications, especially while police brutality and government surveillance are directly in today’s spotlight."WGTC

    "Los episodios de violencia racial en Estados Unidos se suceden y es por ello que puede que sea un momento delicado para lanzar un juego como el que hoy os traemos." IGN esp    … Full Review »
  2. Gr4nt
    Aug 4, 2016
    9
    Don't believe the Kotaku reviews. This game dabbles in some serious subject matter, but it gives you an option to either be a good or a badDon't believe the Kotaku reviews. This game dabbles in some serious subject matter, but it gives you an option to either be a good or a bad person, along with very serious consequences for your actions later on in the game. It's not meant to stand on the side of social justice (i.e. Giving you the option to fire all black cops for a corrupt mayor), but it's up to you to do what you think is right (Be it morally right or wrong).

    The way the story is told screams Max Payne and is very effective, although I always expect the protagonist to say something like "I've got balls of steel" because it's the same voice actor as Duke Nukem. But the story is enough to send shivers down the spine at time, not to mention just some of the deprived things that you have to deal with playing the game. They exist mainly in text and frames, but those with imaginations who are easily disturbed will be.

    The simulation aspect is a little mindless at times, although there are times where you need to select a course of action for your officers as they're on duty to either defuse bomb threats, negotiate with people trying to jump off bridges, and allocate the correct resources to keep your officers alive. Also what's also included is an investigation ward of your police force. Occasionally, some kind of investigatable crime will pop up and you can send your investigators. Over time, they'll uncover what happened from the victim being alive to the victim being a corpse in the course of uncovering pictures of what could possible have happened. You, armed with the pictures and witness testimonies, have to correctly piece together the timeline of events, to which you can arrest the perp. You can also find after you arrest the person that they're in a gang and you can further investigate that. It's a welcome system that is a good distraction to the bump and grind of the base game.

    There's also a lot of replay value in the game: you can veer on a different path to play a corrupt cop and see if you can get though without getting legally chewed up and spit out, or ignore mafia presence and how long they'll go before they get impatient, but what's certain is there's different ways to roleplay in this game.

    There are definitely some gameplay flaws, like how cops have to come back to the police station across the city and cannot respond to a call a block away from their location and the fact the investigation frames can be a little confusing to understand what's going on. There's still some typos to offend grammar Nazis, but aside from that the game is pretty sweet.    … Full Review »
  3. MiniNinja
    Aug 3, 2016
    9
    This game is in my opinion brilliant. I inmediatly fell in love with the game when I opened up the game and listend to the brililant music andThis game is in my opinion brilliant. I inmediatly fell in love with the game when I opened up the game and listend to the brililant music and saw the start screen with its beautiful animations.
    The game feels like Maffia II but from the side of the police. The game is made up out of several different parts. At first there is a story that you can influence by making choices, a bit like the telltale games. Then there is the cop management and finally the detective management. These three elements give the game a lot of variety and al the parts have depth, they are worked out very well in my opinion.
    If you love story driven games with good gameplay this is the game for you, and if your like some good old music then, this game couldn't be better.    … Full Review »
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