Who here grew up in the 80’s with cop shows like Miami Vice and T.J. Hooker? I know I did and while cop shows these days are probably much better and more realistic, 80’s cop shows were just fun and exaggerated. That’s pretty much the same with 11 bit studio’s latest, Beat Cop. Beat cop is loosely based on 80’s cop dramas and isn’t meant to be taken seriously.

As careers go, law enforcement may not be the easiest path to walk. It’s a tough challenge for even tougher people. Playing as officer Jack Kelly, framed for murder and downgraded from detective to a street patrol cop in Brooklyn, the path you walk might be tougher than most! Solve puzzling problems on the roughest of streets, help the local community, deal with dangerous mobsters and gangsters, be the good cop or take the odd bribe on the side, and finally, solve the mystery of a murder you’ve been framed for.

The first thing you’ll notice about Beat Cop is the art style. Being a game about the 80’s, I think it’s very appropriate that the game features pixel based art. It’s not exactly like 80’s style retro gaming art however as it looks a bit more modern and detailed. I think it’s the art the really drew me to this game at first and then the overall cop theme. Another really old school nod is the music and audio effects. The synth based soundtrack certain has that retro vibe.

In terms of gameplay, Beat Cop isn’t exactly what you might expect. You’d think a game like this would be really action oriented, but it’s not. This game leans more towards time management it seems with you trying to complete certain tasks within the time allotted in the day. Each day there are different tasks you need to complete on top of trying to solve your own mystery. You’ll have to perform tasks like giving tickets to illegally parked cars, running errands for store owners, and apprehending shoplifters and robbers. You just have to do whatever you write down in your notebook each day and with whatever time you have left during the day, complete extra tasks.

That might not seem like the glamorous life of a cop you might be expecting, but in all honesty, I was having fun with Beat Cop. I think half of it has to do with how much I enjoy the art style and the other half is just the period it represents. I grew up in the 80’s so this game is full of nostalgia for me. Beat Cop might not be for everyone however, so keep that in mind.  With that said, I enjoyed it and it’s a fun little game I play from time to time in my collection now.

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Received game from developer and/or publisher for coverage purposes.

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