Two years ago, Weappy Studio put out a game that let you choose how to run a police department in the big city. This is the Police made you balance how and where your police spread out through the city. Now, the developers have expanded the concept by going smaller. This is the Police 2 puts you in charge of a sheriffs department in a small town. If you think this will makes things safer, you are dead wrong.
Sharpwood is one of those towns that exists right on the border. It is home to life long residents as well as smugglers and drug dealers. Everyone has a secret and violence can come quickly and without warning. Tasked with maintaining order is Lilly Reed, a sheriff who looks to be an inch away from going crazy. Reed will be getting some help from a strange man who seems to have secrets of his own. This would be Jack Boyd, the main character from the first game.
The game is a mixture of concepts. You will question criminals in any type of style you want. Bad cop tactics might not be the worse thing you can do. You have to select which cops will be partnered up and where you will send them. You can’t just pick randomly, as some do not get along and this could be theirs and civilians lives in danger. You have to build relationships with the townspeople, as these can help you out later in the most unexpected ways. When you investigate a crime, you have to move your characters so they can take cover or use the appropriate tool to arrest the suspect.
This is the Police always portrayed a realistic view of people. Boyd was not an likable character in the first one, a man who had become twisted by his desire to leave the force with money. The squeal keeps this premise, as a good cop might also be sexist. This forces the player to balance the good with the bad. You might find yourself wishing that the story could be a tad more unrealistic. Police 2 does not take moral stands, but rather trusts the player to make their own.
The voice acting and art style are striking. These feel less like a game and more like a television show. You might think people are talking way to long, but it sounds natural. The gameplay switches so everyday tasks never seem boring or stale. Sharpwood feels alive, and you start to wonder what other characters are doing behind closed doors. Police 2 is a squeal that feels both similar and different from the original game. And you will be thinking about it long after it is over.
9/10
Available on PS4, Xbox,PC and Switch
