If you want a co-op game that focuses on communication and working together, this would work for you.
[b] Contains major story spoilers. [/b]
Police Stories is a flawed game, but I still had a genuinely good time playing through the main campaign with my friend. Its handmade pixel-art presentation, grim city atmosphere and slower, more restrained take on top-down shooting make it feel refreshing. It seems to take influence from Hotline Miami and also reminded me of older cinematic games such as Policenauts.
[b] WHAT WORKS [/b]
Art direction
The pixel art is stylish and gives the game a proper identity at a time when so many games chase realism. The illustrated backgrounds used during conversations are especially nice. They give you something atmospheric to look at while reading and help sell the seedy city setting.
Story and atmosphere
John and Rick have an enjoyable buddy-cop dynamic. One is more serious and guarded, while the other is more carefree and witty, and their relationship gives the campaign some warmth.
[spoiler] The mole storyline is also foreshadowed fairly well. I suspected the chief early on, his behaviour remained consistent: he repeatedly redirected investigations, blocked useful leads and acted against the department’s apparent interests. The reveal was predictable, but it felt earned rather than random.[/spoiler]
Co-op gameplay
At its best, the game makes both players communicate, cover different angles and think before entering a room. The early maps in particular have tight corridors, awkward sightlines and several directions from which suspects can appear.
The mechanic where an apparent civilian may secretly be armed is also a good idea, since it stops you from treating everyone as automatically safe.
[b] WHAT DOESN’T WORK [/b]
Story
[spoiler] The story has a much stronger setup than payoff. Early on, it introduces a drug capable of influencing or controlling people, which seemed like it would become important, but it is barely addressed again. If it was meant to explain later events, the connection was far too vague.
The final conspiracy is similarly rushed. The chief’s idea of controlling crime by working with criminals could have been interesting, but the purpose of the bombings, the funding angle and the FBI’s involvement are explained so poorly that the ending feels muddled rather than mysterious. The game suddenly tries to suggest that the corruption reaches much further than the precinct, but this was not seeded enough throughout the campaign.
There is a mission that introduces three visually distinctive terrorists in a cutscene as though they will become important threats. Once the mission starts, they either disappear or are so mechanically ordinary that we did not even recognise them. It is another setup without a satisfying payoff. [/spoiler]
Balance and level design
Despite the game claiming that missions become harder, the difficulty curve felt backwards. Some of this was obviously us improving, but the equipment progression also breaks the balance.
The early missions penalise unjustified lethal force while giving you few reliable non-lethal options. Suspects often ignore commands, yet the window in which shooting them becomes acceptable can feel absurdly narrow. Shoot before they fully attack and you lose points. Wait too long and they shoot you, kill you, or cost you points for an injured officer. Instead of rewarding judgement, it can feel like trial and error around an invisible timing check.
Later, the stun gun, pepper spray and device that reveals people through walls become an overwhelmingly effective loadout. Once we had those, there was little reason to change equipment or adapt our approach. The levels never became complex enough to compensate for the player’s growing arsenal.
This is made worse by the later map design. The early levels felt more deliberate, with dangerous corridors and opportunities to be flanked. Several of the final missions, including the mansion, are larger but tactically simpler. The finale should be the game’s most demanding test, yet it was one of the easiest parts.
Controls and polish
The context-sensitive controls are unreliable. On keyboard, E is used for commands, doors, evidence and other interactions, so the game often misreads what you are trying to do. Doors can remain unresponsive even while highlighted, which is especially frustrating when a failed breach can ruin an otherwise clean attempt. They also occasionally clip into walls.
Hit detection can be inconsistent too. I've had times where bullets and stun-gun shots visibly pass through enemies without registering, this tends to happen at longer ranges.
The lack of NPC variety also hurts both immersion and gameplay. The same civilians and suspects appear in locations as different as a laundromat, hospital, strip club and mansion. By the end, I was identifying people mainly by sprite colour rather than who they were or whether they belonged in the environment. More context-specific civilians and enemies would also have made the disguised-suspect mechanic much stronger. Think like, a maid or butler in the mansion level, they could be confused as a criminal upon first glance because of their attire.
OVERALL
Police Stories has a lot of good ideas and a strong identity, but it often feels as though those ideas needed another layer of balancing and polish. The story promises more than it delivers, the difficulty decreases as your equipment improves, and unreliable interactions can undermine a game that otherwise expects precision from the player.
Still, I recommend it. The atmosphere is great, the art direction is memorable, and working through rooms together in co-op was genuinely fun. I just hope the sequel builds on the good foundation while giving its story, levels and tactical systems the depth they were clearly capable of.
*edit spoilers
