Riot Operator

About

"Riot Operator" is a dynamic crisis management game where you take charge of police and medical units to enforce peace in 8 global locations. Choose the right strategy, manage resources, and upgrade your team to handle real-life inspired riots. Equip your units with shields, handcuffs, medkits, and more to ensure effective actions in challenging situations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

34%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

humor2 positive mentions

graphics4 negative mentions

The game has an interesting premise and potential, especially for fans of the Operator series.
Gameplay allows for micromanagement of squads, which can be engaging for players who enjoy strategy.
The developers are responsive to feedback and seem committed to improving the game with future updates.

The game feels unfinished and lacks polish, with basic graphics and animations that detract from the experience.
There is a significant lack of content, with only a few maps and repetitive gameplay that can become boring quickly.
Many players have reported issues with AI pathing, controls, and overall gameplay mechanics that feel clunky and unrefined.

story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The game's story is criticized for being lackluster and lacking depth, with only eight missions that can be completed in a short time. Players note that while the missions reflect real-world challenges faced by law enforcement, the overall narrative and content feel limited, leading to a repetitive experience. There are hopes for future updates to expand the mission variety and improve the storytelling aspect.
- “The missions are unique and reflect some of the challenges that face law enforcement agencies around the world.”
- “There is a variety of missions (which I hope will expand more in further updates and not as a paid DLC as this is an okay amount of missions for launch).”
- “I was expecting it to be heavy republican and paint riot operators in a negative light, but it shows how you have to also manage EMS and you even have to play on January 6th for one mission (fun and painfully hard).”
- “A sandbox RTS that has no content, story, or depth.”
- “- incredibly lackluster story and very limited maps.”
- “There are only 8 missions which can be completed in under 2-3 hours; the animations are really basic or just completely nonexistent (for example, the water cannon on the police truck doesn't even rotate), and the graphics are mediocre at best.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay has been criticized for its repetitive levels and limited mechanics, with many players feeling that the game fails to innovate or build upon previous titles effectively. Issues such as delayed unit responses and restrictive officer abilities detract from the overall experience, while the addition of other emergency services complicates the core gameplay without enhancing it. Despite some players finding potential in the simple mechanics, the overall impression is that the game feels unfinished and lacks depth, making it less engaging than expected.
- “This game is a hidden gem—simple mechanics, yet incredibly engaging.”
- “I understand that gameplay may feel limited at first, but just look at the potential.”
- “- The tutorial is helpful and you will understand the mechanics very quickly.”
- “Almost all of the levels are the same, and the ones that aren't just have little gimmicks that don't really change the gameplay.”
- “In several instances, the units did not respond to commands immediately and simply stood idle, which was both frustrating and broke the flow of gameplay.”
- “The game is quite literally unfinished, as in it's the same mechanical quality and depth of what a developer would make to test their abilities before actually narrowing down on exactly what they want to make.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
36%
36%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users describing them as mediocre or among the worst seen in recent titles. Critics point to basic animations, a lack of detail, and an overall outdated aesthetic that fails to meet modern standards. While some acknowledge that the graphics are simple and adequate for the game's purpose, the consensus leans towards disappointment in the visual presentation.
- “Graphics are simple and good for what it is.”
- “Wow, what nice graphics!”
- “- the basic aesthetic models and colors of the game.”
- “There are only 8 missions which can be completed in under 2-3 hours, the animations are really basic or just completely inexistent (for example the water cannon on the police truck doesn't even rotate), the graphics are mediocre at best.”
- “- graphics are some of the worst I have seen.”
- “Except we are in 2024, same outdated graphics, bad gameplay, AI as dumb as a rock.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is described as soft, monotonic, and uninspired, contributing to a bland and unenergetic atmosphere. Reviewers note that the lack of dynamic elements, such as voice acting or varied sound effects, further exacerbates the feeling of monotony, making the overall experience feel sleepy and melancholic.
- “The descriptions of scenarios are bland, the music is soft and uninvolved, the unit designs are so non-descript that the only thing that differentiates a medic from a riot cop is that the former is white and has a cross symbol floating over it and the latter is blue.”
- “The monotonic music in the background and no voice-acting whatsoever does not help it either, since it makes everything sleepy and unenergetic, even melancholic, and there is no element that would break such a monotonic mood at all - no shouting, screaming, megaphone announcements for the rabble to disperse, nothing.”
- “Terrible music.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users find the game's stability to be generally acceptable, noting that while it is not severely broken or overly buggy, it still requires further development to enhance its performance.
- “Even though it's not broken or buggy, it just needs more development.”
- “Sometimes buggy.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for being misleading, as it fails to deliver on the promises made in advertisements and trailers, leading players to feel it is merely a cash grab.
- “The game does not live up to how it is portrayed in the advertisements, the trailer, the description, and within the game itself.”
- “Just another cash grab for Operator 911.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted to be situationally amusing, particularly in its ironic setting of a conflict in a peaceful park, though some players feel the overall comedic elements may need refinement as the game is still in its early stages.
- “I find it deeply funny that the site of a conflict between 'hooligans' in central London is Archbishop's Park, an open space behind the historic Lambeth Palace, mainly given to a playground and sports courts.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is criticized for having no replayability, with some users noting that it offers minimal playability overall.
- “No replayability at all; barely any playability.”
- “The game feels like a one-and-done experience with no incentive to return.”
- “Once you've completed it, there's little reason to play again.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players report that the game requires optimization, particularly highlighting issues with stuttering during large crowd scenes.
- “The game needs to be optimized and should fix the stuttering that occurs when large crowds appear.”
- “Performance issues are rampant; the game struggles to maintain a steady frame rate during intense moments.”
- “There are frequent lag spikes that ruin the experience, especially in busy areas.”