Looking at the universe shown in Beat Cop, it’s easy to believe that the developers were inspired by 1980s cop films and television programs. Although references to American hits may be found, they are insufficient when the gameplay becomes too monotonous and does not entice you to continue the quest.
The developers tell the narrative of Detective Kelly, who has been demoted to the role of curb. He just has a month to solve the diamond heist case that has destroyed his career. While patrolling the allocated region, the hero attempts to figure out what happened while simultaneously maintaining peace and order on the streets of New York. The storyline concentrates upon sharp, snarky, and two-dimensional characters, as previously indicated in comparisons to 1980s movies. The main mode of communication is frequent insults, which might work good in a movie but grow tiresome after a few hours of gaming. The humor varies from offensive to horrible. Every now and again, debates on the pride of having a penis, dozens of disgusting sex jokes, and jokes based on well-known stereotypes are offered.
There are also characters with racist beliefs, yet the designers acted as if they wished to depict the spirit of the period while being politically acceptable – nasty slurs for Italians and black criminals are quite polite. At the same time, no one minds hearing colorful names for intimate areas again and over. Almost every day, we have to issue a specific number of fines, chase away vandals, or apprehend a few burglars, as well as assist members of the local community with their often bizarre problems. We’ll be looking for a porn star, tracking down a fugitive Nazi, and removing giant cockroaches from a neighborhood cafe over the course of three weeks. If we run out of money, we will carry out many instructions for the mafia and a local gang, such as eradicating traces and locating snitches and traitors. Most missions have fascinating ideas, yet the requirements are as easy as chatting to a few individuals or playing a small mini-game. Many have time constraints as well, requiring you to run in a less obvious and pleasurable manner. We don’t always know where to look for proof, the person we’re looking for, or the automobile – after all, Kelly is a former detective, so he should be brilliant at problem solving. The difficulty is that many of the tips are ambiguous or incorrect. Beat Cop also restricts our liberty. Almost all interactions are exchanges of lines that we simply click on, and in circumstances where we have to select between two possibilities, the decision is typically obvious; after all, we still have to choose the proper answer, according to the developers.
The element of managing connections with the gang and mafia, on the other hand, provides some flexibility. We may continue to be the most good officer in New York if we choose, but accomplishing jobs for both sides and winning their favor will help us achieve a better finish to the tale. All essential exchanges are extensively scripted, and certain apparent acts are not possible until the game enables us to. A chat with a specific suspect is a wonderful example. If we come too early, a random person will answer the intercom, but when we receive a radio message about difficulties at this location, it turns out that the woman we’re interested in resides there. We don’t have much to do in between the designers’ gatherings. The sergeant allocates a specific number of tickets to be given each day, but this amount is sometimes quadrupled by midday, and continuing to issue tickets serves no purpose. As a result, we occasionally roam aimlessly around the street or look at new automobiles out of boredom, for which we receive no compensation. The visual design is unquestionably an important aspect. The street shown in the game by the Polish firm is extremely detailed. We can notice any possible problems by carefully inspecting the cars parked beside it – broken lights flash with sparks, worn tires leave marks on the tarmac, and underpaid parking meters have a visible red symbol. However, it is not flawless because some of the character models lack detail.
Cars exiting the parking lot may also pass through other vehicles. Sometimes the criminal we hear about on the radio does not arrive because we are standing at the location where he was supposed to be. At times, the game simply does not enable us to interact with a key aspect of the environment – for example, entering a building or a phone booth is frequently impossible if we are not at the correct location. A parked automobile, for example, might frequently block you from picking up a crucial item from the ground or unlocking a door.
Beat Cop is a parody of 1980s pop culture, but not entirely effective. The premise may be intriguing, but the gameplay rapidly gets tedious. As a consequence, we can see how monotonous the job of a police officer monitoring a regular city street may be – but that was presumably part of the goal.