Have you ever wanted to re-enact those scenes from 80’s television cop shows like <em>Hunter</em>? You know the ones, where the cop has to get a little rough, be a smart aleck, or simply ignore something going on because it is “slightly” outside of what he is focused on at that moment (and television running time would not allow exploring that storyline at that point). <em>Beat Cop</em> by 11 Bit Studios is just that mixed with 80’s point and click game graphics style.
On one hand, I am not a big fan of intentionally using blocky graphics and it being called “8-Bit” because no one seems to remember exactly what 8-Bit looked like. In <em>Beat Cop</em> it appears to work though, probably because of the setting of the game. At least it fits if you fog your memory a bit and pretend it is the early 90’s and this is a brand new game coming out - it would fit right in with classics like <em>Police Quest</em> by Sierra On-Line.
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You play a disgraced cop who has been framed for murder, has a horrible home life, and a professional life that has all but completely gone to hell in a hand basket. If that is not enough, the mob wants you dead, you have to figure out who framed you for murder, and often you will be fighting the urge to be sarcastic and rude to people you meet. That last one is the hardest for me to beat.
The question of In-App Purchases is always a concern with gaming today. <em>Beat Cop</em> is similar to <em>This War of Mine</em>, another game by 11 Bit Studios. That game features In-App Purchases and a hefty entry price to boot. That does not necessarily mean <em>Beat Cop</em> will feature IAP though as many other 11 Bit Studios releases do not feature them. We will have to wait till <em>Beat Cop</em> releases to know for sure.
<em>Beat Cop</em> promises multiple endings, a non-linear storyline, the aforementioned conversation choices (be a good cop, bad cop, sarcastic cop, or a just don’t care cop - your choice), and retro style graphics that work. If you ever wanted to play a cop adventure with a <em>Monkey Island</em> style conversation tree then you may want to check out <em>Beat Cop</em>.
Beat Cop by 11 Bit Studios
Platform: Android, Steam, and GoG.com
In App Purchases: Unknown, similar titles by studio feature IAP
Rated: Mature 17+ on Google Play
Available on <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/461950/Beat_Cop/">Steam</a> and <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/beat_cop">GoG.com</a>, pre-registration open on <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elevenbitstudios.beatcop">Google Play</a>.
This article was originally posted on <a href="http://gamingonbatteries.com/beat-cop-pre-registration-begins-on-android/">Gaming on Batteries</a>, my mobile gaming website.