If you’re eager to experience the life of a highway police officer on your PlayStation 5, then you’re in luck because Aerosoft and Z-Software have released Highway Police Simulator just for you. I took this game for a spin, and here’s my take on it.
Highway Police Simulator immerses you in Caminora, where you’ll don the badge of a police officer. The game presents you with a choice right off the bat: Simulation Mode or Casual Mode. Initially, you’re guided through the ropes in Casual Mode, giving you some time to get acquainted with the gameplay mechanics. But if you crave a more intense challenge, you can switch to Simulation Mode. Bear in mind, though, that this ramps up the difficulty – objectives won’t have on-screen markers, and the game provides far less guidance, which might make things feel like a slog.
You’ll kick things off by crafting your in-game character, choosing between a male or female avatar, and customizing their appearance from a selection of presets. Personalization extends to their attire and features, like hair and eye color. You’ll also be given a glimpse of how your character looks in uniform, which is a neat touch. Lastly, you must decide your character’s backstory: either a police family legacy or a street-smart upbringing. Each backstory brings unique perks and downsides — a police lineage helps with fellow officers, while a street background earns respect from the locals but makes civilians wary.
Following an introductory scene, you dive into action by investigating your first incident. It’s a chaotic scene involving a car crash that requires your attention. You’ll be tasked with interviewing witnesses, snapping photos of the vehicles involved, and gathering evidence to complete your report. Oh, and it turns out someone tried to break an inmate free from a bus you were escorting, adding a twist to the narrative. Your job is to piece together what went wrong and tidy up the aftermath.
In terms of controls when on foot, you’ll navigate your character using the left analog stick, while the right stick will let you control the camera view. Interactions are made simple with the X button, while sprinting is mapped to the Circle button. You’ll access your radio and check gear using the L1 button. Should you need to draw your weapon, aim with L2 and shoot with R2, pressing L1 to reload.
When you’re behind the wheel, the controls shift a bit. Steering is done with the left stick, and you can look around using the right stick. The R2 button lets you accelerate, and L2 is for braking. Engaging the handbrake is as easy as pressing Square, and you can switch your camera perspective using Triangle. The D-Pad has various functions: right activates blue lights, left turns on the siren, and down toggles vehicle lights. You can exit the car by pressing either the Circle or X button.
If you find yourself piloting a drone, you’ll navigate it using the left stick and adjust the camera with the right stick. Overdrive can be toggled with the right stick click, and altitude adjustments are managed with L2 and R2. Zoom functions are tied to L1 and R1, marking targets with Square and unmarking them with Circle. Flying a helicopter follows a similar pattern, with specific controls like altitude changes assigned to L2 and R2, while target lock uses the right stick.
For trophy hunters, the game offers a tempting lineup, capped with a Platinum trophy. Achieving this involves tackling various tasks such as completing story arcs, driving 500 miles, achieving a perfect morality rating in Caminora, and finishing 25 assignments. You’ll also get to explore by walking 5 miles and collecting all sorts of outfits while handling typical police scenarios such as arrests and accidents.
Though setting up as a police officer in Caminora might sound thrilling, the game stumbles with its technical hiccups. You’ll likely notice the game’s buggy nature, with frequent pop-ins of trees and objects distracting your driving. Cars often glitch, teleporting slightly to the left or right now and then. Inside the police station, lighting bugs can turn navigation into a guessing game. As for the characters, they feel stiff, with eerily expressionless faces. As engaging as the concept promises to be, these technical issues somewhat tarnish the allure of Highway Police Simulator, which is available for $39.99 on PlayStation 5.
In conclusion, while there’s potential in being a law enforcer in the virtual highways of Caminora, brace yourself for a bumpy ride. This review was based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Aerosoft. Happy policing!
