It’s tough being a bobby on the beat. It’s even tougher when you’ve got to work in a pastiche of ‘80s New York, where gangs, drugs and corrupt cops own the streets. Tasking you as disgraced police detective Jack Kelly, Beat Cop has you cleaning up the streets of Brooklyn, while trying to find out who framed you for murder.
Rookie, we got a lead on those great PC indie games you’ve been looking for.
Part point and click adventure, part police simulator, Beat Cop has you juggling the everyday duties of an officer working the streets, with finding out who set you up for a crime you didn’t commit. There are only so many hours in the day though so players have to fulfill their day-to-day duties as an on patrol officer, while trying to solve the greater mystery of this murder.
You will have to make sacrifices in order to make this happen, so don’t expect to be a completely clean copper by the end of the story. You may have to overlook that parking ticket or even take that bribe from the mob, just to give you enough time to continue your investigations. Staying true to the law is tough in this town.
It’s not all fining jaywalkers and filling out paperwork however, as you do occasionally get to lay down the law with your old pal, Mrs Revolver. With gangs vying for control of the area, expect to whip out your pistol and cook some fools, should a fight break out on your patrol.
While it certainly fits the cop show aesthetic with its pixel art rendition of downtown Brooklyn, the comedy seems a little off from the trailer above. Hopefully, it’s just a minor infraction and no-one will be throwing the book at them when the game release next week.
For those looking to fulfill their dreams of being a grizzled ‘80s cop who doesn’t play by the rules, Beat Cop is available for PC, Mac and Linux on March 30. You’ll find it hanging out on the T-junction between Steam Boulevard, Humble Lane and GOG Street. It’s currently available for 10% off on most digital platforms, going for as low as $13.49/£10.79.