Police Stories

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"Police Stories" is a shooter game with exceptional gameplay, beautiful visuals, and compelling music. It can be played in single-player, local multi-player, or co-op mode for up to 2 players, with a split screen option. The game features a good story and is full of bugs, but it is pink slip hilarious and very replayable. The Supporter Pack includes a soundtrack, artbook, trumpet equipment, and donuts as in-game content.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,122 reviews

story150 positive mentions

stability29 negative mentions

story
656 mentions
23 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story in this game is generally viewed as mediocre, often described as cliché and reminiscent of 80s cop dramas, with many players finding it predictable and lacking depth. While some appreciate the lighthearted and humorous elements, others criticize it for being forgettable and poorly written, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Overall, the gameplay mechanics and co-op experience are highlighted as the main attractions, overshadowing the story's shortcomings.
- “The story was a nice and simple cop story with a little mystery to it which I really liked, nothing too complicated, nothing too basic either.”
- “The story is captivating, but a little lukewarm.”
- “The story is beautiful and the character writing as well.”
- “The story is cliché; it fits the style of the game, VHS filter, 80's style, classic police film plots.”
- “The story is almost unsubstantial and bland where I can't even recall the story even if I'm a person who doesn't skip cutscenes.”
- “The story is pretty basic, cheesy, and cliché.”
gameplay
318 mentions
43 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of fast-paced action reminiscent of *Hotline Miami* and tactical decision-making akin to *SWAT* games, offering a challenging experience that requires quick reflexes and strategic planning. While many players appreciate the engaging mechanics and cooperative elements, some criticize the AI's inconsistency and the game's sometimes frustrating difficulty. Overall, the gameplay is generally well-received for its addictive nature and replayability, especially in co-op mode, despite some calls for refinement and additional content.
- “Overall, great art, amazing gameplay, fine story and 200 criminals with fist wounds.”
- “The gameplay is fun and tactical with an arcade mission-by-mission style.”
- “The gameplay loop is very fun, and with quickplay and steam workshop, it lends itself to endless hours of fun and a good way to kill time.”
- “The gameplay mechanics don't seem fully fleshed out and it seems a bit rushed.”
- “It's infuriating how inconsistent the rules and mechanics are.”
- “Spending nearly an hour on the same level, or having to backtrack to finish previous levels with better RNG and luck to ensure a higher score as a mandatory game mechanic is a terrible pacing and padding mechanic that does nothing to improve the experience.”
graphics
101 mentions
40 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the retro pixel art style and its nostalgic appeal reminiscent of classic titles like Hotline Miami and GTA. While some users find the visuals charming and well-executed, others criticize them for being simplistic or distracting, noting issues like unclear character representations and occasional glitches. Overall, the aesthetic is generally well-received, but opinions vary on its execution and impact on gameplay.
- “The graphics and OST (and overall atmosphere) are amazing.”
- “The game is visually beautiful, the pixel graphics are at just the right level of 'pixelation' and the little animations look really nice.”
- “Overall, it's a funny tactical top-down shooter with retro/pixel graphics, enjoyable music and sounds.”
- “I love being stabbed by an enemy because I couldn't tell by the pixel graphics if they were a fleeing civilian, had a knife, or were faking, or whatever garbage mechanic this game uses.”
- “Didn't enjoy this at all - the graphics are low quality, it needs a much better intro/tutorial, and while I suppose it technically has controller support, it is basically unplayable with a controller.”
- “From the first cutscene with boring dialogue about 'head in the box' referencing the movie 'Seven' and further gameplay, it's becoming clear that this game is yet another knockoff from popular titles such as Hotline Miami, Door Kickers, etc. Average graphics, lifeless storyline with a ton of references here and there add to this also a bad gameplay mechanics and controls.”
music
89 mentions
60 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as engaging, catchy, and fitting the game's aesthetic, often drawing comparisons to the style of "Hotline Miami." However, some users find the music to be average or lacking in variety, suggesting that while it enhances the gameplay experience, it could benefit from more memorable tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is frequently highlighted as one of the game's stronger elements, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere.
- “Really good, the music is the best part, very engaging!”
- “The soundtrack definitely adds to the tension of running through a building with unknowns hiding inside, trying your best to arrest and not kill suspects.”
- “This game captures that fantastically with a lovely retrowave soundtrack and some legitimately challenging and fun gameplay.”
- “Could have better music.”
- “The music is quite unique for every map's themes but aren't quite memorable.”
- “The one redeeming quality this game has is the soundtrack.”
replayability
46 mentions
41 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the randomization of missions, community-created content, and cooperative gameplay that enhance replay value, others find the main story too short and repetitive. The inclusion of a level editor and various tactical options adds significant replayability for many, but some still feel it lacks depth and variety in the long run. In summary, the game offers decent replayability through random elements and user-generated content, but its short campaign may limit long-term engagement for some players.
- “What I really liked was the missions being randomized every time you replayed them, which brings replayability to the game.”
- “The game is still authentic in its execution and replayability is easy to access and extremely fun.”
- “Missions offer replayability due to the random placement of enemies, randomness of their response behavior, and your options for tactics and gadgets.”
- “Police Stories is quite short and in my opinion has very little replayability; the story is quite fun though.”
- “It's now a very well fleshed out game and the level editor allows a lot of replayability.”
- “While the game is replayable, it begins to get repetitive playing the same levels, unless it supports community-published maps/scenarios.”
humor
32 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its hilarious moments, especially when played with friends. The combination of a cheesy storyline, funny gameplay mechanics, and humorous references contributes to a lighthearted experience, though some players note that it can become frustrating at times. Overall, the game is considered a fun and entertaining adventure that thrives on cooperative play and comedic elements.
- “From the wonderful pixel art to the great gameplay loop, hence good replayability, to the humorous story and good soundtrack, the game is very good and even better with co-op.”
- “Absolutely hilarious to play with a friend!”
- “This game is hilarious; highly recommend buying it with a friend because, one, it's more funny, and two, it's kind of boring alone, but you can literally do anything you want—kill, immobilize, or kill more—it's up to you, and it's just pure fun.”
stability
29 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in co-op mode, which can hinder gameplay and lead to crashes. While some users note that the game is generally enjoyable despite these issues, others express frustration over persistent problems that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game appears to require further optimization to enhance stability and reduce the frequency of bugs.
- “Absolute buggy laggy piece of software that crashes every other game on multiplayer; can't recommend if you want to play with friends.”
- “The game is buggy, it crashes, and there are some very annoying design flaws.”
- “Online co-op is buggy as hell; my friend and I tried to play together for a full 30 minutes and wasted that time trying to get past the first door of the first mission because I can't progress at the same time as my friend.”
atmosphere
11 mentions
55 % positive mentions
18 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, characterized by impressive pixel art, a strong soundtrack, and well-executed cutscenes that enhance the overall experience. While the story may be clichéd, it serves to support the atmospheric elements, creating a compelling environment that resonates with players. Many reviewers express a desire for a more horror-inspired take on the existing mechanics to further enrich the atmosphere.
- “Its pixel art is very nice and atmospheric.”
- “The graphics and OST (and overall atmosphere) are amazing.”
- “I really liked the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Having them be able to think quicker and maybe change their decisions quicker would add more to the atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is very beat cop, while the gameplay is hotline miami-ish because of the top-down approach.”
- “And the atmosphere and cutscenes are really well done.”
grinding
11 mentions
0 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
45 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and frustrating, often requiring a significant investment of effort to progress. While some acknowledge that the game becomes more enjoyable after acquiring better gear, the repetitive nature of grinding remains a common point of criticism.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I still think this game is frustrating early and can be tedious, but once you get gear, it does get pretty fun.”
- “I want to like this game and there are things to like, but I just find it tediously frustrating.”
optimization
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on lower-end devices due to its retro design, players report issues such as input lag and stuttering that can significantly impact gameplay. These performance inconsistencies, particularly on PC, detract from the otherwise engaging experience, especially given the game's reliance on precise controls. Some users also noted that recent GPU driver updates may have exacerbated these issues.
- “It's retro and top down, so it runs smoothly even on my calculator.”
- “Very interesting and fun gameplay, if a little inconsistent in judging performance.”
- “Finally, I've had some performance issues, but I believe that's only popped up with the most recent NVIDIA GPU drivers.”
- “Should have been great, but in a game like this you need tight, precise controls and unfortunately, Police Stories falters: the game is brought down by random stuttering and input lag where sometimes the aiming reticle will not track with the mouse for several milliseconds. Those milliseconds in this game make the difference between life and death, meaning having to restart the level.”
- “My only gripe with the game is performance, which sadly makes the game feel a little clunky. However, that's not much to complain about considering it's still in a fairly early state.”
- “This game is made for console and poorly optimized for PC.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for misleading advertising, as it promotes online co-op features that are reportedly unplayable, while the single-player experience suffers from poor AI and a frustrating surrender system.
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend money on in-game advantages.”
- “It's frustrating to see that the game is designed around pushing microtransactions rather than providing a balanced experience.”
- “The paywall for essential content makes it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviewers feel that the character development in the game is lacking, particularly noting a need for more diverse enemy and civilian character designs to enhance the overall experience.
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
- “There are not enough unique character arcs to keep players engaged.”
- “The interactions between characters are often repetitive and uninspired.”