I’m stuck on my train on the way home on a Thursday evening, the train I’m on has stopped and hasn’t moved in the last 15 minutes. Then I remember that I have Beat Cop on my iPhone to play, so I whip it out and get stuck into this great pixel art 80’s police shows inspired video game.
Beat Cop came out a couple of years ago on PC in March 2017. It’s always garnered good reviews and the praise for it seemed totally in line with how it looked and played. It’s a lovely looking Pixel Art game that makes you smile from the moment you begin to play and feel like you’re in your front room again watching Cagney & Lacey or CHIPS or even a bit of Miami Vice (which would make a great inspiration for Beat Cop 2 if they are thinking of releasing a second instalment!).
Developed by Pixel Crow and published by 11 Bit Studios, Beat Cop is a game that seems to punch above it’s weight in terms of presentation and even has a story that although it’s been heard before it still keeps you interested as you go around meeting all the characters and watching the plot unfold on a daily basis.
You’ll need as much cash as you can get as you will need to pay alimony to your ex-wife on a regular basis. This is where the side hustles will come into play. You can befriend the local Mafia and do side jobs for them. Maybe you’ll get in with one of the other gangs and do some jobs or turn a blind eye for bribes. Maybe you’ll also take a bribe from a member of the public not to write out a ticket? There are opportunities on them there streets and it’s up to you how you balance doing your job and earning some extra cash whilst pushing the story on and making it to the next day without getting fired.
The game becomes an intricate plate spinning act as you try and make priority calls on catching criminals (with handcuffs at the ready), dishing out parking violation tickets and taking advantage of those lucrative side hustles.
Playing this game on my iPhone was fun and rewarding, especially for the first few hours as I learned the mechanics and the rhythm of the game. The controls take a little bit of getting used to on the iPhone screen but once you realise that you have to be precise with your finger taps you’ll be running around your streets picking up perps and dashing to phone boxes without a second thought.
For me, this really feels like a great casual game that is ideally suited to playing in short bursts on the train or in the car. One thing I could have done with was maybe a few more game mechanics to keep me interested for longer periods. I’m thinking that a few mini-game type screens would have helped its long term appeal (think of GTA China Town Wars for how to deliver crime related mini games)
Overall this is a great game that I’m happy to have on my iPhone for the next time that Greater Anglia trains break down (which is pretty much every week!). The characters are great 80’s cop show characters and all your favourite archetypes are here.
You’ll smile throughout your play time with Beat Cop and you’ll also unexplainedly have a massive craving for doughnuts!
Right, I’m off to check on a transit van for tyre wear...
💧❄️ RATING: MELTING ❄️💧
Ratings Explained
ICE COOL (Great Game Recommended)
MELTING (Recommended with reservations, one to consider if you are a fan of the genre)
MELTED (Not A Recommended Purchase)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Like what you see in the Games Freezer?
Why not tell us what you think with a few well-chosen comments? :)
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.