This Is the Police 2 - PC & Mac (Steam)

This is the Police 2 is a crime management game, where you takeover as the Chief of the town’s local Police Station. You are tasked with having to manage and take care of all the crimes that go on in the town. Nice concept, right? But does it live up to it?

Good Cop, Bad Cop
The cops in this game, have a mind of their own. If you are not nice to them then way you need them to pull through for you and maybe work overtime they won’t. And this is where the management aspect of the game comes in. Sometimes at the start of the game when the cops come to you with requests for a day off, or fewer working hours it’s good if you are able to give them that and keep them happy because later on when you have a barrage of 911 calls coming in, they will have your back and come through for you. But if you are a jerk and just make them work overtime from day 1 then expect them to leave you stranded when you need them the most.

The game also checks your ability to weed out the bad cops. Some of the cops you get are just rotten apples. All they will ask for is time off and not really put in any effort. If you are unable to pick them out from the rest, then you will have a hard time at this game. But this is a fun mechanic as this game is primarily a management game.

Riot at a restaurant or just a long line?
Sometimes the game throws curve balls at you. For example, you will get a call about a riot in a public place but it will just be a large crowd waiting outside. You will have to be able to pick up on these small signs that tell you whether a 911 call is an actual emergency or a prank call. While this isn’t really that important at the beginning, later o, when you are getting call after call and can’t risk sending out officers for prank calls you better be ready. This is also taken to an extreme sometimes and breaks immersion. Some of the calls you get are just so unrealistic that it brings you back to reality that this is just a game. This is a small issue I have with this game, but it can be deal breaking for more hardcore players.

Same as the first game?
Well, not really. While it has the same systems, it also builds on those systems and improves them significantly. It also adds this new turn-based combat system that shows up randomly and only in specific firefight situations. And considering the price is quite low for this game I would say that they have done enough to warrant making a sequel.

Worth it or not?
In my opinion this game is definitely worth it. While it is quite a niche game, it also makes it welcome to newer players to the genre. This is a fun, little game that is also cheap. In my opinion the price fits the value offered and even though the game has a couple of negatives I have no issue recommending this fun game.

Reviewer: David UG