There are a lot of video games out there and in this era of mobile and home-based gaming, the choices have never been greater. So how do you cut through the noise and find the “Best of” for any chosen topic?
Well, we’re here to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on some of the latest, greatest, and unforgettable games through the years.
For our ongoing series of articles depicting the best video games, our attention this time turns to games about police officers. From LEGO-themed adventures to hilarious simulation experiences, you have a lot of games to whet your appetite.
Of course, if we’ve missed any of your favorites, feel free to comment below and we’ll get them added on!
Lego City Undercover
Parents looking for a child-friendly Grand Theft Auto (GTA) alternative for their children should consider purchasing Lego City Undercover. In it, players control an undercover cop named Chase McCain. He must defeat a criminal named Rex Fury, who plans to ruin Chase’s city. It’s a simplistic narrative with some funny jokes and gags that’ll make anyone laugh.
Nonetheless, the game has enticing twists that will keep you engaged. While targeted toward children, Lego City Undercover includes some adult-0riented jokes for parents to pick up on. The story’s a bit slow-paced and the gameplay can feel slightly repetitive at times. Regardless, if you’re looking for a fun Lego-themed GTA-like game for your children to play, this is worth their time.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is a remarkable RPG. It has players traverse through a barren landscape. You’ll interrogate numerous characters and solve murder cases. However, the game gives you the opportunity to become a horrid person. This freedom will draw people’s attention and help them forge an experience different from others.
The game’s voice acting is wonderful and will help players immerse themselves in its world. Disco Elysium touches upon political and mature themes for those seeking a narrative that’s deep and thoughtful. While solving murders is the main agenda, players can look forward to participating in other fun-filled activities like singing songs and intimidating random individuals.
If you’re looking for a stellar cop-oriented RPG that gives you the agency to do as you please, consider giving Disco Elysium a shot.
L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire is a fun police-oriented game developed by Rockstar Games, the same studio that brought you the Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto series. This isn’t as popular as those two series but promises an enjoyable outing. It takes place in the 1940s and follows an LAPD star named Cole Phelps. You’ll help Cole work his way up the ranks to becoming a notable police officer.
The more you progress through L.A. Noire, the more challenging Cole’s cases become. Cole also visits several departments and encounters many cunning and colorful people during his investigations. This game has impressive graphics from its stunning facial animations to its building textures. The game is extremely linear though and doesn’t offer fans the traditional GTA experience.
While you’ll have a blast solving cases and collecting things, you’d wish the game gave you more freedom. However, if you’re looking for a fun title that’ll make you look and feel like an officer of the law, this one’s worth checking out.
You can read our thoughts on L.A. Noire in our game review here!
This is the Police
This strategy-adventure game places you in the role of Police Chief Jack Boyd. He’s a courageous officer who enjoys solving crimes in his home city of Freeburg. In the game, you’ll guide Jack through multiple cases, respond to emergencies, and manage a staff of colorful individuals all in hopes of maintaining Freeburg’s peace.
The game bombards players with many tasks to complete. All these tasks differ thematically to avoid feeling repetitive. Some folks won’t adore the game’s linearity and storytelling methods. There are times when you’ll want to make a decision that goes against what the game wants you to do. On the other hand, others will adore the game for its unique visuals and incredible voice acting.
If you’re looking for a fun police title that forces you to make thorough decisions, This is the Police is worth your time.
SWAT 4
Swat 4 is a fabulous tactical FPS game set if Fairview, New York. You’ll command a SWAT team, who’ll perform various police-oriented duties from minimizing casualties to capturing enemies without harming them. Your police force will be tasked with assigning arrest warrants, engaging in shootouts, and handling bomb threats with high authority.
You can amuse yourself in violent affairs. However, you’ll receive penalties for killing or incapacitating hostages if you use brute force. This life-saving aspect keeps players invested in SWAT 4 as it feels more pacifistic compared to other FPS games. That said, this game will make you understand the pressure and harsh circumstances cops endure in the real world.
It’s a great game with alluring realistic messages. If you like FPS games that emphasize tactics over mindless violence, SWAT 4 is worth looking into. For those interested, it’s only available via Microsoft Windows.
The Silver Case
Suda51 is a wonderful game developer. He’s created numerous works like the No More Heroes series that struck a core with most audiences. The Silver Case is one of his debut titles. While its visual novel formula may not appeal to most people, others cherish the game for its gripping narrative and the compelling twists inserted into it.
The game’s set in 1999 and takes place in Tokyo. The city’s been plunged into chaos due to a string of serial murders. The city’s 24 Wars Heinous Crimes Unit believes a serial killer named Kamui is responsible. Therefore, you’ll control a member of the Special Forces Unit (Republic) and delve into the mystery behind the 24 Wards’ interconnected mysteries.
This is a point-and-click adventure title with a melancholic neo-noir aesthetic. The game includes various puzzles and riddles for you to solve. You’ll meet many well-developed characters who’ll make reading through The Silver Case’s passages exciting and rewarding. If you’re curious to see where Suda51 got his start or just love detective films, The Silver Case is worth your time.
True Crime: Streets of LA
True Crime: Streets of LA has players control a LA police officer named Nicholas Kang. He gets recruited by the Elite Operations Division to investigate several bombings occurring in Chinatown. As Nicholas delves further into the case, he realizes it somehow connects to his father’s disappearance twenty years ago.
Streets of LA shares many core mechanics from the GTA series. Players can choose to tackle its story missions or freely venture through the game’s large city. You can choose to help people out or attack them using Nicholas’s martial arts or marksman skills. You could even arrest people if they happen to be carrying illegal firearms or drugs.
The game’s controls haven’t aged the best, though. Nicholas’s attitude during Streets of LA’s narrative may not sit well with some gamers either. Nevertheless, Streets of LA is a great GTA clone with some entertaining dialogue and fun gameplay elements. Give it a shot if you ever wanted to feel like a cop in GTA.
Sleeping Dogs
At one point, the True Crime series was planning to make a huge comeback to compete with GTA again. Sleeping Dogs was a follow-up to the True Crime series, however, delays and budget issues led the game to become independent from it. Despite having a bizarre camera and clunky animations, Sleeping Dogs was praised for its voice acting, combat system, and enjoyable protagonist.
Sleeping Dogs takes place in Hong Kong and has players control, Wei Shen. He’s a police officer with many skills under his belt and decides to infiltrate the Sun On Yee Triad Organization. Along the way, he’ll compete in several missions that require Wei to tap into his martial arts, shooting, and parkour abilities.
If you hope to advance the story forward, you must complete the game’s missions. However, like True Crime and GTA, you can traverse the game’s world and engage in legal and criminal activity. Those looking for a game with greater depth and characters than True Crime should consider picking this title up.
Police Simulator: Patrol Officers
Simulation games are adored for providing gamers with an immersive experience. Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is an open-world simulation game where you’ll get to traverse through a fictional American city as an officer of the law. You’ll start off with low-ranking jobs like distributing parking tickets and citing violations.
As you become more acquainted with the setting and the police force, better opportunities will come your way. You’ll also receive chances to unlock more of the area’s neighborhoods, districts, and duties. Each location is filled with different sights and people and you’ll enjoy getting to know how it all works.
While you’ll be starting with easy work, strange things can occur in the city that will grab your attention. You must think and act accordingly if you hope to maintain your solid reputation. From stopping drug deals to chasing after graffiti sprayers, there’s no telling what type of bizarre circumstances you’ll end up in. If you’re looking for a police-themed game with realistic scenarios and immersive graphics, check out Police Simulator: Patrol Officers.
The Wolf Among Us
The Wolf Among Us will entice visual novel enjoyers. It has a well-crafted storyline filled with great characters and beautiful scenery. In it, players control a sheriff named Bigby Wolf. You’ll watch as his story unfolds in Fabletown, a fantastical variant of New York City. The game’s set in the 1980s, and the character designs mesh well with the game’s vibrant and dark backgrounds.
The Wolf Among Us forces players to interact with their environment. You’ll uncover clues to cases and interrogate people for more information. However, the game presents you with numerous prompts to choose from. Your decisions will affect how characters perceive Bigby. This makes the game feel more personalized for players since they can experience its events differently from others.
To increase player engagement, the developers implemented several quick-time events in The Wolf Among Us’s gameplay. If you’re a fan of point-and-click adventure titles with riveting plots and entertaining characters, this one’s worth your time.
So, there we have it, our pick for the best police-themed video games through the years!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!