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. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Sep 21, 2016
    74
    Almost in every of 180 in-game days our chief of police will have to dispatch officers, assist detectives in their investigations and play politics with various influential people. Of course, over 20-hour story that type of gameplay grows stale – but it’s the only way to really immerse yourself in character and know his pain when his favorite detective decides to go PI, – or pride when you shape up an alcoholic into an exemplary policeman. [Issue#212, p.53]
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  2. Riot Pixels
    Aug 12, 2016
    71
    Fans of police procedurals and stylish games will definitely enjoy this original hybrid of management game and a visual noir novel.
  3. Worth Playing
    Apr 6, 2017
    70
    If you don't mind a drip feed of soul-crushing events, then This is the Police will work for you. The actual gameplay is littered with questionable content, but the core is engaging for both quick and marathon sessions. The story is what holds things together; the many twists are fascinating, and the presentation is charming due to its artistic simplicity. It may not be for everyone, but for those looking for something a little different, This is the Police is worth a shot.
  5. DarkStation
    Aug 26, 2016
    70
    Judged purely as a strategy or a simulation game, it is mostly a failure. It suffers from too many game design mistakes and it has too many broken systems to survive on its gameplay alone. Judged as an overall experience, however, and the game fares better.
  6. Brash Games
    Aug 25, 2016
    70
    A great attempt at merging a superbly crafted story, exceptional acting and pressurised decision making.
  7. GameSpot
    Aug 2, 2016
    70
    This Is the Police continually presents you with memorable and important choices that impact the story, and even though its most intriguing conflicts could benefit from more examination, the game is carried by a captivating antagonist.
  8. Multiplayer.it
    Aug 2, 2016
    70
    This is the police is a very daring project indeed. The purpose of telling a dark story using the mechanic of a management game is full of original ideas and it's enriched by a laudable artistic direction. However, excessive repetition and the high rate of difficulty are aspects that can not be ignored.
  9. TheSixthAxis
    Aug 2, 2016
    70
    This Is The Police leans on cliched scenarios and characters, but it represents some of the real struggles a police force has to deal with, like budgets being cut and a city with a lot of social problems.
  10. SpazioGames
    Jul 28, 2016
    70
    It is a pity: This is the Police has a massive potential, and a brilliant story supported by a great voice acting. Too bad the gameplay feels repetitive after some hours of playing. It is definitively worth trying, though.
  11. GameSpew
    Jul 27, 2016
    70
    It might rub some people up the wrong way in light of the current sensitivity surrounding US law enforcement, but it should be said that, while it might exhibit less tact in dealing with some of those situations that hit closer to home, This Is The Police still gives the player the ultimate choice: they can choose to do what’s morally right or… not.
  12. 4P.de
    Jul 27, 2016
    68
    I like the theme. I like the narrative and I think it is an interesting approach to combine storytelling and management. It is in desperate need of variety, though.
  13. GameStar
    Aug 12, 2016
    65
    A mediocre gameplay forces the player to wait a lot and this overshadows the great decision making.
  14. PC Gamer
    Aug 11, 2016
    65
    This Is The Police looks and sounds gorgeous, but becomes dull and repetitive after the first couple of hours.
  15. PLAY! Zine
    Aug 9, 2016
    65
    A great idea with a somewhat sloppy execution, This is the Police has tremendous amounts of potential that's currently squandered by pressuring the player to go through a linear route instead of having more open gameplay.
  16. GamingTrend
    Aug 1, 2016
    60
    This Is The Police is a challenging portrayal of law enforcement that falters when it comes to meaningful commentary. While it constructs a good form and addresses topical concerns, it fails to say anything definitive. Starting a conversation is worthwhile, but that only carries the game so far before its menial nature drags it down.
  17. IGN Spain
    Jul 27, 2016
    60
    This Is The Police is a game that contributes very little in terms of gameplay. Its gameplay relies more on the narrative than on the management mechanics, and that's not always good.
  18. Impulsegamer
    Aug 28, 2016
    58
    Manage your staff, respond to emergencies, and investigate crimes in a city on the brink of chaos.
  19. Games Master UK
    Oct 3, 2016
    51
    They're all poorly constructed scenarios in a middling management sim. [Oct 2006, p.81]
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  20. games(TM)
    Oct 27, 2016
    50
    A clash of approaches that doesn't quite work. [Issue#179, p.84]
    All this publication's reviews
  21. The Digital Fix
    Aug 12, 2016
    50
    A promising premise but falls short of its full potential by overreaching itself.
  22. Game Informer
    Aug 3, 2016
    50
    Even though events like a serial killer and political intrigue pop up to break up the action, the day-to-day monotony of the gameplay takes its toll. Content is repeated, and causes the experience to drag on. If the goal was to convey the drudgery of this kind of work, I was sick of it halfway through. It all culminates in one of the dumbest imaginable confrontations.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
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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