Beat Cop

Started by Ryan Stokes, November 19, 2017, 03:45:46 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Ryan Stokes

I've been playing this game on Steam called "Beat Cop" ... It's a pixel art game that takes place in NYC in the 1980's.

Story is, you're a former detective who allegedly stole diamonds from a Senator (among other things), and got busted down to a patrol cop.
You have a specific street in NYC that you have to patrol. You get a quota each day to issue tickets for parking violations, broken headlights, etc.
It's difficult because you get multiple radio calls, robberies, and other random incidents ... it's impossible to respond to all of them all the time. You get docked for the ones you don't handle even if you were busy.

In the meantime, a mafia pizzeria has some beef with a local black gang called "The Crew" ... You get offers to handle protection for drug deliveries, unlawfully tow cars to make room for special guests, or destroy evidence used in crimes. Your rep with each one depends on how you interact with them, what jobs you take, etc.

Running a beat in New York City in the 1980's was hard, and that's exactly what the developers are trying to portray. Back then, the economy was circling the drain, crime was at an all-time high, and the city was a dangerous and dirty place. Overall, I'd say they did a pretty good job at recreating it.

I don't really care much for games with pixel graphics. However, the unexpected and seemingly random events on the daily grind of a beat cop, along with the larger story that's developing, create an atmosphere that keeps me coming back for more.