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damnlyons's This is the Police (PC)
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| [February 17, 2018 12:53:28 AM]
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I’ve now reached Day 17 on this third and final session. As expected, things are picking up with the mafia. I’ve gone from one request a day to now getting two, sometimes three, and they usually want more officers for them. This might just be random chance, but I like to think that it’s indicative of the deepening of the relationship between the mafia and Jack Boyd. Though they don’t have any huge leverage on him (yet), if he wants to meet his goal of making half a million before he leaves the force, then he’s inexorably tied to their desires, as it’s only through them is he going to be able to meet his rather lofty goal. There’s just no legal way to make that much in 180 days as a police chief. I’d say they’ve got their claws deeper in Jack than he’d care to admit.
Some interesting new mechanics were introduced since my last session. For instance, I chose to side with Sand’s criminal organization because what can I say, he’s old-fashioned, Jack’s old-fashioned… it seemed like the best match. In doing so, Jack’s pitted himself against the rival gang leader. Their battle for the city of Freeburg is represented by a scoreboard of sorts. The goal is keep the leader you sided with ahead of the other. Unfortunately, this dooms you to some less than legal tasks in order to keep your dark messiah in the lead. To top it all off, you also have to keep city hall happy while trying to fight this gang war and those pesky civilians always need protecting, so it all makes for a very busy Jack Boyd. You’re constantly spread too thinly, and many concessions have to be made, and many people die as a result of these concessions, all in the name of making Jack a wealthier man. It’s such an ignoble goal, but it makes for compelling gameplay in my opinion. Not often is a player asked to assume the role of the “bad” guy, so when it does happen, I cherish the experience.
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| [February 16, 2018 12:47:19 AM]
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I’ve now completed my second session, and it seems like things are progressing like I thought they would. Our intrepid protagonist Jack Boyd is now, to put it in his words, “the mafia’s whore.” I was given the decision of whether or not to help my colleague who found himself on the mafia’s bad side. I chose to help him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up in the mafia’s pocket regardless of your decision.
So far, all the mafia has really asked me to do is not to send officers to certain crime scenes, and occasionally send them cops for additional manpower. Comply, and you’re typically rewarded handsomely. However, it makes me wonder where to draw the line. I ignored one crime and was paid $8,000 for my efforts (or lack thereof), but unfortunately this oversight resulted in the death of a civilian. Is $8,000 worth the stain that a preventable death leaves on my conscience? Probably not, and I get the feeling that my morals will be tested further as the mafia gets more comfortable with our relationship. My nefarious deeds with the mafia can also affect the public safety indirectly. For instance, there was a case where I didn’t have the manpower to respond to a crime as the majority of the force were tied up with a mafia errand, and a civilian was killed because of it.
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| [February 14, 2018 09:25:35 PM]
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This is the Police immediately strikes me with its almost oppressively gritty atmosphere. The developers are clearly fans of film noire. This is my first session, and I’ve recently been introduced to my avatar, Jack Boyd. Jack definitely doesn’t strike me as the most likable character. He’s the stereotype of crusty, old, corrupted police chief personified. Emphasis on “corrupted”, as the goal of the game, from what I can tell after about an hour of playtime, is to make Jack a very rich man before he retires from the police force in 180 days. Whether or not that goal is met through entirely legal means is up to the player. For instance, I fired a cop for no legal reason in order to make room for a newly hired cop with significantly better professionalism. It’s interesting to play a simulator-style game where the goal of the game isn’t the betterment of whatever is being simulated (e.g., a city, a farm, an office), but rather your own personal wealth accrual. I’ll be interested to see what’s built upon the framework that’s been established in this first session. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack’s asked to push his moral boundaries even farther.
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damnlyons's This is the Police (PC)
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Current Status: Finished playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 14 February, 2018
GameLog closed on: Wednesday 28 March, 2018 |
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