Great on rails shooter
In our police games, you’ll be able to use and control virtual cop cars, guns, and more. Aim your government-issued weapon through virtual crosshairs and shoot your enemies with keen precision. Or, bust out the handcuffs and arrest criminals on the scene. The virtual police crime officer uphold law and order through the detection, prevention, and investigation of crime in this police cop simulator game. After qualifying as a virtual police officer, some choose to specialize in a specific branch in the police officer simulator game.
The Virtua Cop series put you in the shoes of a cop, asking of you to shoot down the targets that appear in your way. However, within the game you don' control your character's movements, apart from his/her shooting reticule. All other movements, with very few exceptions are automated. Thus, the game can be very puzzle like to get through, very arcade style. But, even within such a limited array of freedoms, the developers still managed to incorporate a lot of diverse gameplay situations. You have the classic, shoot the bad guys, spare the civilians, you have timed sequences, you have to shoot bombs, cars, flying debris and other things that rush towards you while making sure to time your shoots as well as possible, to avoid running empty mid fight. Graphically, the game is amazingly retro good. Yes, there are textures that look rather dated and the low polygon count won't entice Super HD freaks, but the game has a style that on-rail shooter fanatics will immediately recognize and fall in love with. So, without a question, Virtua Cop 2 as well as the original offers and enticing, well balanced and always fun game, to keep you at the edge of your seat.
I was so into Virtua Cop that this was the game when it was released in 1995 that nearly tipped me over into getting a Sega Saturn over a PlayStation! That is kind of crazy to think about now, but that is how much I loved this game in the arcades. Whereas the Sega Saturn port of the House of the Dead was not handled in the best way, Sega went all out with this and it really does show.
Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?
The plot of the game is pretty generic stuff, but it works. You play as one of two cops who are out to stop a crime syndicate from running guns and getting up to all kinds of bad stuff. I do not feel that the Virtua Cop series is as story-driven as the House of the Dead series, but what is here works. Plus, it has that horrible and so bad it is good voice acting that always makes me smile.
The Power Of Saturn
As far as the presentation goes, I feel that Sega did a damn fine job with this. I have always liked how bright this series was and while things are very blocky (they even were in the arcade) you can tell what stuff is supposed to be and in general, things move pretty quickly so you do not notice stuff like cars sometimes having square wheels! They did manage to squeeze more out of the Saturn for the second game though as that one looks much smoother and sharper than this one does.
Cops With Guns
As you know the gameplay of Virtua Cop is that of a light gun shooter. The game gives you the ability to take a few hits before you are dead. Your standard gun can hold six bullets, but you can get more powerful weapons as you play. When you get hit, you lose a hit point and if you have a special weapon you lose that too! You also lose a hit point if you hit a civilian instead of a bad guy.
The game is a ton of fun to play and while it, in theory, is all about balls to the wall action. You can target a specific spot on an enemy, their hand for example so you disable them instead of killing them which will give you a bonus. It is a very satisfying game to play, even if it is very short. The game is a bit on the short side, but it is the kind of game you can play through time and time again. It is even more fun if you have a buddy so you can play some co-op.
I love the original Virtua Cop game and feel that it is one Sega handled with a lot of love and care when they ported it over. I know that it is not the best-looking game and that it is a bit light on content. However, this is a game that really does have a ton of charm. It is a very addictive kind of game and while I feel Virtua Cop 2 is a far better game in every regard, this one I still have a lot of fond memories of.
Final Score
Pros:
- The plot is like a cheesy cop TV show
- The action is fast, but you also have to be methodical
- I liked the cheesy voice acting
- Sega clearly put a lot of love into porting it home
- Playing with a buddy is a lot of fun
Cons:
- It can be very challenging
- The sequel is better in every regard