Well this is an interesting one. I was not sure what to expect with This is The Police, and was interested in what I would see. What I did see was a game that blended genres and ideas, sometimes well, and sometimes not so well. This is the Police is a blend of noir style crime drama, and a management sim game. This was certainly a different experience, but was it a good experience?
This is the Police tells the story of the last days of a police chief dogged by allegations of corruption and failure. What you do in those last 180 days determines the future of the department and this is where things get interesting. The meat of the game is obviously the management parts, and the game does offer some interesting choices you will have to make. This includes embracing or shunning corruption, or even playing things out quietly.
There is a lot of variety in the game and the choices do offer a great deal of replay value, unlike some other games filled with choices. This is of course fitting, seeing as this is a strategy/management simulation, but the amount of replay options is still a great incentive for the game. However, here we come to an issue because at times, the game seems to be pushing you in a direction/choice even if you do not want to do so. I attribute this to the blending of genres, but while it doesn’t always work, when it does, it works beautifully.
The moral choices to be made and the consequences are the highlight of the game. The narrative is extremely well done and actually makes you feel invested. I am reluctant to share details of what the plot involves, other than dealing with the mafia and the sheer state of chaos and severe tensions, political and racial, that are occurring in the streets. For a strategy/management simulation, this game goes to some very dark places, and this is where the blending does succeed.
Overall, while uneven, This is the Police is an overall good product. It forces you to actually make deep moral choices and then makes you explore the consequences. There is enough content here to last for several playthroughs and that gets high points form me. This is one to check out.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided