Police Stories Demo

Taking inspiration from other projects is a natural way to progress, especially in the world of video games. However, it’s important to bring something new to the table, otherwise people get bored in a rush if they have to go through the same experience every time. It’s easy to spot clones most of the time, but that doesn’t mean they are bad games, especially if the mechanics are polished.

Police Stories is a top-down shooter with fast-paced mechanics and an emphasis on tactics, especially since it only takes a tiny mistake to get killed and restart the whole level. In essence, the game looks and plays like Hotline Miami, except that in this case you are playing as a cop instead of an outlaw bent on murder. There are other differences as well, but it’s difficult not to experience a strong case of deja vu while playing it.   To begin with, one of the main differences is the fact that you have a partner to help you along, and you can control his actions and give him orders throughout the missions. Violence is not always the right way to go, given the fact that some of the criminals prefer to surrender instead of fighting back, not to mention the civilians that might be held hostage. Hence, everything you do contributes toward your final score.

Speaking of which, final score is what matters the most, so it’s important to keep an eye on it throughout every mission. You gain points for eliminating aggressive suspects, arresting those who surrender, as well as for saving your bullets when the situation does not require it. It’s also possible to lose points if you make unnecessary use of your guns, or if you happen to shoot a civilian by mistake.   The partner is not of much help if you do not strive to move him around manually, but once you get used to the idea you can come up with some interesting strategies. There are all sorts of tactical devices at your disposal as well, including ways to stun enemies and avoid their aggression. Lastly, the controls are very smooth and precise as well, even if sometimes it feels like your best isn’t enough to take out certain enemies in time.

Police Stories is a tad too similar to Hotline Miami at this point to distinguish itself, but the mechanics are certainly refined. Hence, the action is definitely engaging, and you can have a lot of fun with the game if you get past the copy-pasted mechanics. You can support the developers by participating in their Kickstarter campaign.