Review for Rebel Cops. Game for Linux, PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 17/09/2019
Rebel Cops is a strategic turn-based one, developed by Weappy studio and distributed by THQ Nordic, set in the outskirts of the American city of Ripton where Viktor Zuev, a ruthless crime boss, monitors all commercial activities. Even the police have now surrendered to his bullying and his "convincing" methods, but a group of renegade police have decided to oppose the criminal system in the name of justice to save the soul of the city. It will be up to you to guide them through missions with turn-based combat and restore order and peace to the citizens.
After a short introduction where static images and text messages alternate, localized in a practically perfect Italian, you will find yourself at the head of a small group of policemen determined to restore the law in the city. The first mission that will be entrusted to you is a kind of tutorial useful to familiarize yourself with the controls and game dynamics. You will thus find yourself in a three-dimensional scenario with an isometric view and, being a spin-off of This Is The Police, you will find sure how the title takes up the noir traits of its predecessor, where colors such as gray and brown are predominant. The agents that make up your team are identified by icons and by clicking on them you can see their statistics divided into Strength, Aim and Speed. Furthermore, each of them has particular skills that can be enhanced such as the ability to dodge bullets, increase the range of vision or increase the number of turns to complete their moves.
Your loyal law enforcement representatives also have an inventory of equippable items such as handguns, long range rifles, knives, med kits, body armor, lock picks, tasers to immobilize enemies, and stun grenades. All objects, especially bullets, will not be unlimited and you will have to make good use of them as facing fully armed enemies with an unloaded gun will mean certain death. In fact, from the early stages of the game it is possible to notice how the gameplay of Rebel Cops prefers an approach to the various missions in stealth mode - or stealth if you prefer - not advising, in fact, an entry into the scene with weapons drawn. This will be precisely the key to success in the various missions that will be entrusted to you: explore the combat zone and sneak up on enemies without being discovered.
The Rebel Cops storyline is quite linear and will propose different missions to be faced in sequence in detailed game maps and graphically well done but without the possibility of rotating the game view. Consequently in certain situations, especially inside buildings, the problem is amplified giving the impression of not having the situation under control. Furthermore some maps are really huge and it will also come to an hour of gameplay to fully explore them. With the passage of time, however, you will have the feeling of a certain repetition and above all of many dead times which, in the long run, will become really unnerving.
Like the enemies, your characters will also have two actions at their disposal - except for special skills - to complete their game turn. It is important that, during every move, each Rebel Cops policeman has their backs covered by their teammates who, in the event of a risky move, will promptly notify you via radio of any mistake you are about to make. Getting behind the criminal on duty and telling him to raise his hands to surrender will be one of the key actions for victory in most of the game. As well as the use of tasers or batons to stun which, by making no noise, will not alert the numerous guards present in the game scenarios. The dynamics of the arrests are quite strange of the enemies as, once handcuffed, they will literally disappear from the game area not allowing even a quick search as well as the recovery of any objects or weapons in their possession.
During the various missions it will be possible to collect various objects that, at the end of the mission, you can sell to raise a few dollars more and buy useful equipment for your rebel cops. There will not be many cash resources available so we will be forced to sip every single bullet and protect, as far as possible, all teammates because, in case of killing, this will also take away the equipment that was in them. possession. Additional funds or items will be provided to you by the people of Ripton based on the success or failure of your missions. In addition, during the main missions, the citizens of Ripton will also offer you some secondary missions such as the recovery of valuables or the discovery of kidnapped people who, if carried out correctly, will reward you with weapons or other items usable by your agents. The policemen, after each mission carried out, will accumulate fatigue which will be detrimental to their ability to move and aim, even though it will be possible to temporarily replace them with other agents willing to join your noble cause.
Rebel Cops, as we have already said, is strongly based on a stealth game mode but sooner or later you will be forced to draw weapons and fight enemies with bullets. Unfortunately, the enemy NPCs do not show their viewing area from which to possibly stay away e a false move by your men will mean alerting the enemy on duty who will warn all others of the imminent danger. At this point your painstaking planning could undergo a drastic change as you could suddenly find yourself outnumbered, without valid shelters and surrounded by fully armed enemies. Your team members, as well as enemy NPCs, have no health points and a single well-aimed gunshot will most likely mean a premature exit from the scene.
It will be possible to choose which part of the enemy's body to hit: hand, leg, chest or head, and an indicator will also appear that will indicate the percentage of success of the blow. Wounding the opponent in the legs will prevent him from moving but not replying to your attack while shooting in the hand will prevent him from using the weapon. Hitting the chest will mean inflicting a fatal wound on him which, over time, will make him pass away while a blow to the head will mean immediate death. The same goes for your policemen who, if fatally shot, will leave you outnumbered.
Each action performed by our agents during the missions will earn them experience points to spend to increase their three main skills and will also earn skill points for the whole team that can be used at any juncture of the mission to unlock various bonuses such as the increase in the ability to aim or the display of all the enemies on the map . Furthermore, in some missions, there will also be a kind of operational support that will show you, in broad terms, what to do. In complicated situations, and after a specific number of turns, you will also be supported by a sniper to which you can give the order to kill a particularly insidious enemy or simply make him observe a gray area to find some hidden minions.
It is possible to equip our cops with bulletproof vests and protective helmets but they will not have magical powers, after the first or second hit they will go to pieces leaving you helpless in front of the enemy. Sometimes, despite being well covered by enemy fire, you will still be hit and, in case of injury, it will be possible to heal and put the characters back on their feet using medical kits that can be equipped, such as weapons and everything else, at the beginning of the mission, so it will be important plan appropriately the items to be brought into battle. Very often, unfortunately, the premature loss of a team member will risk throwing everything away with consequent failure of the mission, which will still be possible to start from the beginning at any time. Rebel Cops requires attention and planning in all its phases of play, such as in a game of chess, e every mistake pays dearly. The goal of the game is, in essence, to repeat the missions several times until you reach perfection, limiting losses and making the most of the few resources available.
Rebel Cops proposes three difficulty levels which differ from each other, as well as for the amount of equipment and money available, also for the the number of turns needed to complete the objectives and the number of rescues that can be carried out during the individual missions. Already at the relaxation level, which is the lowest level, the challenge level is very high so don't expect cheerful and carefree walks in the American countryside. You will have to reflect and commit yourself and it is not always certain that your efforts are always and in any case rewarded also because, as if all this were not enough, sometimes during the course of the missions unpredictable events will occur such as the arrival of other enemies or non-player characters they will try to get justice for themselves, sending to that country all the good things you have built up to that moment.
We talked about the graphic point of view previously and we reiterate that, all in all, it is good. The sound effects and music are nothing exceptional and we feel that something more could be done. AI is sometimes a little shaky and indecisive but all in all it is not to be rejected, considering also the modest sales piece: Rebel Cops is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch at a price of 9,99 euros.
Rebel Cops takes up the style of This Is The Police even under the appreciable graphic point of view but it focuses too much on the mechanics of turn-based combat. The stealth phase is well done and can give satisfactions, too bad that when you start to get serious, and take out your weapons, the game sometimes becomes too punishing even at the lowest difficulty level. In some situations it becomes too frustrating to abandon the current mission and start from scratch simply because we have taken one step too many. The management of your team and the team inventory is quite basic but satisfying while instead the game plot, albeit seasoned with secondary or unexpected missions, does not make you cry a miracle. Completing a mission without making mistakes turns out to be a true strategist's feat or a true lover of the turn-based genre. Excellent translation of the texts into Spanish, very accurate and without the slightest error. Those who love patient and targeted movements on the map or phases of combat where every single bullet can make a difference will surely find something for their teeth. To all the others, however, especially if they are entering the world of turn-based strategy games for the first time, we recommend looking elsewhere unless they are willing to dedicate a lot of time and patience to Rebel Cops.
► Rebel Cops is a Turn-Based-Tactical Game published by THQ Nordic for Linux, PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the game was released on 17/09/2019
