Game Review: Police Force 2

So being a fan of police games, I decided to look around the internet and see if I could find a game that was the opposite of Grand Theft Auto (I have a mod of my copy of GTA IV but it just didn't really feel .... "completing"). So I came across a game named Police Force 2 which is created by Excalibur Publishing Limited. It places you into the role of a police officer (two in fact) and you go around the city responding to calls.

Police Force 2 throws you in a European city that is just like any other city (well with the exception that there's not really a lot of traffic). You play as two police officers (one male and one female) and you can switch between the two of them anytime during gameplay. Some days you'll be wearing a uniform while others you'll be in plainclothes solving big crimes. There is always an order of the day which you must complete in order to receive a promotion. A promotion means you'll unlock other parts of the city thus expanding your coverage area. 

You get access to all the police equipment as soon as you jump into the game. Items ranging from pepper spray to handcuffs to breathalyzers are at your disposal but do keep in mind that one officer does not carry all of these so you must switch between the two when the time calls for it. In terms of police cars, you'll get a selection of four. For days where you're wearing your shiny blue uniform, you'll get access to two patrol cars and a van. An unmarked BMW is used for days where you have to sneak around a bit.

You also get to call in some help in the form of tow trucks, ambulances and prisoner transport. Sadly none of these are for you (such as requesting an ambulance to heal you) but rather, they are called to the scene to help clean up. You can also request the precinct to send you a police car (marked or unmarked) so you won't have to leg it around the city.

Gameplay-wise, it's quite fun but it can be frustrating when something doesn't go your way. You could spend a good 15 minutes trying to solve the order of the day but only to fail at the last minute because you arrested the wrong suspect. Wait, shouldn't all suspects related to a crime be arrested so they can be brought in for questioning? Not in this game. Other than that, you get various calls that range from solving a kidnapping to helping out at a car accident scene. Everything that any police officer is expected to do you'll get to be in on it.

A quick word of warning, this game isn't developed by Crytek so don't expect any Crysis level graphics. In fact, go look up a couple of screenshots and you'll see that the developers behind Police Force 2 aren't exactly loaded with cash. It's a nicely developed game and the concept is there but there aren't a lot of decent animations such as handcuffing or firing a gun. But don't worry, you're not going to be seeing Tetris level graphics either.

Overall the game is a rather decent game. It puts you in the shoes of a police officer and you must obey the law in the process of doing so. You aren't always free to do whatever you want and you can't go around shooting civilians (the game just doesn't let you). If you're looking for a casual police simulator game, this will definitely grab your attention.

• Gameplay: 7/10
• Replay Value: 8/10
• Story: Null (there is no story, just day-to-day missions)
• Voicework: 4/10
• Sound: 6/10
• Overall Score: 7/10

Game Review: Remember Me

So like a lot of other people out there, I got pretty interested when I heard about Remember Me. A game where people's memories can be bought, stolen, sold, given, transferred, etc. Essentially turning memories into tangible items. It has quite an unusual storyline and that's what makes it interesting.

TL:DR : Remember Me is a game worth trying out but there really isn't much fun after you have beaten the game once. The story is very good and with the protagonist, it captures you into the game. This along with the combat creates a game that will keep you entertained for at least a good number of hours.

In terms of the storyline, it's very easy to get sucked into it. Remember Me takes place in 2084 in Paris. Well, it's no longer called Paris but it's called Neo-Paris now. The wealthy and privileged live in a live of luxury while the poor are separated and live in the slums. You play as a memory hunter named Nilin who has had her memory taken away and then thrown in jail. Your objective is to turn around the city and destroy those who have corrupted the city. You will encounter a couple of friends along the way although oddly enough, they don't get much of an ending. The game merely introduces them, have them interact with you then they are forgotten. You grow a bit of attachment to one of them as you remix their memory and bend her to your will.

Yes you read that right. You as the protagonist have the ability to remix other people's memories and create a slightly different version of that memory. Your unsuspecting foe will remember what you want them to remember and essentially, you can control people and bend their wills to your whim. Unfortunately you can only do this a handful of times because the game only lets you do this at certain points in the storyline. You don't get to choose whose memories to remix.

In terms of combat, it's very fluid. Combat is very simple: punch, kick and dodge. It's what keeps the game nice and easy to play without providing too much of a challenge. No matter what combination of punches and kicks and dodges you throw in, it all looks very fluid and there are no quirks there. You can also set up a bunch of combos which grants you bonuses. These combos use "presens" which are essentially punches of kicks that will give you said bonuses: regenerate health, lower cool-down time for special abilities, extra damage or enhance any of the above. These combos are particularly useful especially when you have a large number of enemies to deal with and you are running dangerously low on health or you need something for crowd control. I won't spoil it for you but all the special abilities will make you go "WOW" everytime you use them. They are very impressive and add to the gameplay. Additionally, you are able to finish off some of your enemies by overloading their memories. Yes this is possible. Memories, like drugs, can be overdosed and when that happens, you die. The animations for these are very fun to watch and leave with a sense of satisfaction.

Sadly Remember Me isn't perfect. Far from it. This is mostly because the entire gameplay is very linear and you are forced to follow one path. You are unable to explore the world around you and all levels are essentially a single line from point A to point B with a handful of enemies in between. Think of the complete opposite of Grand Theft Auto. The game would greatly benefit from a more opened world with the option of side quests although this isn't necessary as the main storyline is already enough to keep your attention. But an opened world would definitely be beneficial.

Voice acting, it's a bit quirky. It's not bad but it's not good either. It's one of those games where you wonder how does it get so cheesy even when some parts are done very well. The script isn't as well written in some parts as others but it's not going to bother you.

Overall Remember Me is a very fun game to play with a captivating storyline. You play it mostly because you want to know what happens next and for the fights coupled with the ability to remix memories. It's a game definitely worth buying and it will keep you entertained for the first time round. Sadly if you wish to replay the game, it loses that value quite quickly. The game levels should have been more opened with more space and not so constricted which gives the occasional bad camera angle.

• Gameplay: 7.5/10
• Replay Value: 2/10
• Story: 9.5/10
• Voicework: 7.5/10
• Sound: 8/10
• Overall Score: 7.5/10