The game “Police Simulator – Patrol Officers” was released on Steam on November 10, 2022, and has become one of the most successful new titles of November. With 88% positive reviews, it is well-rated, though some reviews raise eyebrows.
What kind of game is this?
- The Police Simulator: Patrol Officers (€30, Steam) sends players to the fictional US city of Brighton. There, players can fulfill their duty as a police officer.
- Players can chase graffiti artists, catch traffic violators, or search suspicious individuals. Strangely, the game seems to have a penchant for having police officers find “human teeth” during searches.
- As reported on Steam, the police simulator was one of the most successful new releases in November 2022, alongside games like Sonic: Frontiers, Zero Sievert, or Crysis 2 Remastered (via steam).
Reviewers Use Game as a Means to Criticize the Police
What stands out in the reviews? With 88% for the reviews, the game is viewed positively. However, some user tests seem to paint a rather cynical picture of police daily life. This applies not only to the USA but also to German-speaking reviews:
- A user in English writes: “I shot a civilian and was suspended for a day, just like in real life” – seemingly a reference to the fact that police in the USA often enjoy a bonus in court.
- A user in German writes: “The first civilians I came across, I immediately pepper-sprayed on suspicion because of their very noticeable gait and then arrested them.”
- In English a review: “Started my first shift. Saw a streetwalker, stopped her. She seemed nervous, asked for her ID. I decided to search her. She ran away. I shot at her with my stun gun. Found a knife and human teeth, so I arrested her. Called for backup and they threw her in the police car. Clean the streets, one by one.”
- In English: “Shot someone for littering, got fired. 10 out of 10.”
- Again in English: “Doesn’t let me run over people or commit police brutality. Not realistic at all 1/10.”
In the reviews, one can breathe a sigh of relief that some people are just virtually playing a police officer and have not become one in real life.
In the reviews, there is otherwise agreement: The game has some interesting approaches, but it still lacks content and the missions quickly repeat after a while.
A real police officer writes in his review: One can tell that the developers had their hearts in the right place, but they lack expertise in detail. They should urgently ask someone who actually knows what the everyday life of a real police officer is like, not just making it up.
Speaking of new simulations. In Dwarf Fortress, one does not simulate the daily life of a police officer, but that of a dwarf in a fantasy world. At least no one can complain that there is a lack of expertise and one must ask a real dwarf how it goes with digging, digging, and digging:
Complex simulation takes off on Steam after 20 years, making developers millionaires in a week
