Game So Nice I Covered it Twice!
This is The Police 2 Now Available on PS4 and Switch

By: GeekyGamerGirl87

As some of you may know, I did a review for the PC version of This is The Police 2 about two months ago. I wrote about how I loved the game and how it was, in fact, one of my new guilty pleasures. At the time of my PC review, the PC version of the game was the only one available with the game coming across all the other consoles later. Well, I am happy to write that This is The Police 2 has been released on PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. Sorry Xbox fans you will have to wait a little longer. On a good note, XBOX One does have a pre-order page for the game.

Here at thedailygamepad.com, the developers were nice enough to give us a code for the Nintendo Switch version of the game, and as I had already covered it on PC. I knew I had to play my guilty pleasure again on one of the consoles so that I could compare both versions.  So, I would like to thank the developer Weappy Studio, and the Publisher THQ Nordic for being ever so kind as to provide thedailygamepad.com with a free copy of the Nintendo Switch version of This is The Police 2. It is because of their generosity I can write this second review for the console version of This is The Police 2.

As I have covered the PC Version of the game, I will not be posting the story of the game or about the gameplay (except going into depth about the Tactical Missions) in this article. If you would like to read more about the story or gameplay for the game, please feel free to read the PC’s review of This is The Police 2 “HALT! This is the Police 2 comes to PC (Consoles Later 2018)”. This article will focus majority on the Nintendo Switch version of the game and letting you know which version of the game I thought was better.

As far as the gameplay and story go. The gameplay and story are the same as that of the PC Version which is why I choose not to include them in this article. If you want to read more about the story and gameplay, please again visit the previous review link I have posted above this passage. Upon turning on the Switch version, there are three ways you can play the game. The first way is connected to the TV Set playing with the Joy-Cons detached or with the Joy-Con grip. The next is with the Joy Cons attached to the Nintendo Switch Console. The last way is with the Joy-Con attached from the Switch by themselves or in the Joy-Con Grip and using the Switch as your monitor. As I have stated before, I am not a fan of using the Switch’s kickstand to support my console. So, there are only two ways I played the game. That is with the Joy-Cons attached to the system and by playing the game on the TV Set.

I enjoyed playing the game with the Joy-Cons attached to the Switch system. However, my only thing is I wish they would have incorporated the Switch’s touchscreen more. I will admit it took me a moment to get used to the controls on the Switch (as I was predominately a PC gamer for the last few years) and at first, I didn’t like them. Eventually, I started to get used to the controls for the Joy-Cons. I enjoyed playing This is the Police 2 with the Joy-Cons attached to the Switch console. It was very satisfying to be able to lounge in bed when I wasn’t feeling well and play the game. When it comes to playing on the TV set, it was also great, but I played the game like that on PC. So, for the most part, I played on the handheld mode of the Switch. Again, I do wish that the game would have made use of the touchscreen a little more because sometimes I was able to use it but for the most part, it relied on the Joy-Cons.

When I played the game on PC, I never got the chance to cover the Tactical Missions mainly because I got caught up with completing the regular missions and side missions. However, in the Switch Version, I did manage to play a Tactical Mission finally. I will admit that for myself, I didn’t care for the Tactical Missions. I felt that the game could have done without them. It wasn’t anything against the missions. Ideally, I am not a real tactical game player. Secretly this part of the game triggered me a bit. Again, due to my lack of being tactical. So, nothing against the game per say, just my lack of being stealthy.

When a tactical mission becomes available, it will populate in a brown color under the calls tab. Tactical missions, unlike other missions, do not have a timer. However, they do disappear before the end of the day. Therefore, you want to make sure you do have some cops available if you wish to partake in the Tactical Missions. When selecting this mission, you can select up to six different cops and one sniper. I didn’t see where the Sniper made a difference in the Tactical Missions, to be honest. As I sent a sniper out on the mission, I was unable to use him. Therefore, I am going to speculate that if the mission does not call for a sniper, then you don’t have to send one out.

Once you have selected your cops and sniper –if you so choose to send out a sniper –one of your team members will mention that you can gather information from eyewitnesses and you have the opportunity to have them gather that information or not. If you choose to ask the eyewitnesses, it will then ask you to select items to take on your mission.  These items are used to give to the eyewitnesses as payment for a little more information. It doesn’t tell you what items are good for what witnesses beforehand so you have to choose at random what you think you may need.  Once all of that has been set up, your team will drive to the location of the tactical mission.

Upon arriving at the Tactical Mission, you will start with the eyewitnesses that can give you information. Again this is if you choose to collect the information from them. If you have selected the right items for the mission, you can give them the item in exchange for a more in-depth testimony. Once you have all of your information, you will then go into a screen that allows you to select the traits of your cops. Now depending on what your cop has gained through the regular missions are the traits you can select during the tactical mission. Therefore the more well rounded your cop is when it comes to their skills from regular missions the more traits you will have to choose from for each cop. However, I will let you know that you can only select four traits for each cop you have, so choose your traits wisely. I will also let you know that when I played the Tactical Mission, you were unable to choose traits for the sniper.

After you go through the setup of everything you will then begin the tactical mission. This a turn-based system where you usually go first and then the suspect goes. One of my big issues with the mission is there were times I didn’t pay attention to where the suspects were. Another thing that was interesting is there isn’t a limit as far as how many spaces you can move. As long as you are within the square pattern that the cop is in, you can set up your cop anywhere.  However, this is also not always a good thing, as the suspect can also move within the square pattern anywhere they want to. So, you have to pay attention. Also, you don’t get to see where the suspects are at – least I was unable to see the suspects in my playthrough—, which makes it more of a challenge.

The Tactical Missions– depending on how you choose to play them – goes on until you complete the objective and can last anywhere from about a minimum fifteen to thirty minutes. If you complete the objective without any casualties, then you are awarded a good amount of beer can tabs in which you can trade in for more officers and equipment. Again not doing these missions causes you to lose a huge amount of beer can tabs. Also if all of your officers die in the mission, it does give you the option of restarting the Tactical Mission. Now again, you don’t have to play the Tactical Missions if you don’t want too. You can still play the Main Missions and Side Missions. Just know that if you want to grow your beer can tab pile faster then the Tactical Missions are going to be your best bet.

Overall when it comes to which version of This Is The Police 2 I prefer, I will say that I prefer the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Both versions of the gameplay very well, but having that luxury of being able to lie down in bed or lounge around freely, or even be out on the go and being able to take This is the Police 2 with me, is awesome. I still enjoy playing the PC version if I am sitting at my PC, but going forward I think I will be playing the game on the Nintendo Switch as my Switch goes everywhere with me.

There was also something else that I noticed about This is The Police 2. I thought it would be great if This is The Police and This is the Police 2 would have also been offered as a bundle pack (as far as I saw PC was the only one to have a Bundle Pack that you can purchase on Steam.) I would have gladly paid for the bundle pack to get both copies of the game. If you all remembered in my previous article, I mention that the first game tells “Warren Nash’s” story. So, it would have been nice to have the opportunity to play the first game. I will admit that I did go back and buy the first game for PC so that I could find out the story for “Warren Nash.” I hope that this is a series that Weappy Studio and THQ Nordic continue with because I love the game and want to play more like it. If they do, I hope the first two would be in the form of a bundle. Overall, please keep these games coming because I will without a doubt keep playing them. If you would like to experience This is The Police 2 which is now available on consoles and available on PC; you can purchase the game at the following places for USD 14.99 for PC on Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, Fanatical, and for USD 29.99 on PS4, XBONE, Nintendo Switch.