Police Simulator: Patrol Officers

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is a simulation video game developed by Aesir Interactive and published by Astragon Entertainment. The game was made first available in Early Access through Steam on June 17, 2021. The game was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2022. On June 17, 2024 the DLC Highway was released, expanding the world and adding content like trucks.

Gameplay
Police Simulator: Patrol Officers takes place in the fictional city of Brighton and puts the player in the role of a patrol officer. The game is structured in shifts which are split into morning, evening and night duties.

By fulfilling tasks rightfully, the player collects so-called 'Shift Points' that will be transformed into experience points at the end of each shift. The number of experience points is influenced by the 'Conduct Points' which start at 100 and will decrease should the player behave unlawfully. By collecting enough experience points, the player can rank up and collect Duty Stars, unlocking new tools and events.

The player has access to a variety of tools such as handcuffs, a radar gun, flashlights, a photo camera, road flares, a stun gun, a handgun, a pull over sign, citation book, a police computer, and others. In addition, the player can choose between three patrol cars (or six if the player has access to the DLC’s) for faster movement around the city.

Throughout the shift, events such as NPCs littering, fake IDs, jaywalking, speeding, drug dealing, wallet thefts, car accidents, and assaults and robberies can happen. For some of these violations you can give the NPC a ticket or a verbal warning but for more severe crimes you can arrest the NPC.

Development
Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is being developed by German developer Aesir Interactive and published by Astragon Entertainment with public funding by FilmFernsehFonds Bayern. It was announced on February 10, 2021. The game released in early access on June 17, 2021 for PC on Steam.

Regular updates were released since the start in early access, including a cooperative multiplayer mode for up to two players. A public roadmap is available on Trello, laying out current and future plans.

On August 2, 2022 it was announced that the game is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S later on November 10, 2022. The game left Steam Early Access and therefore fully launched on PC at the same time.

Reception
On Metacritic, the PlayStation 5 version of the game had an average score of 58 out of 100 with a rating of "Mixed or Average", while the Xbox Series X/S version had  48 out of 100 with a rating of "Generally Unfavorable".

German magazine GameStar said that "the game has much potential even this early in the Early Access phase. Patrolling the streets is quite entertaining". GameStar criticizes the quality of animations, the AI, and a lack of replayability reasons but still says that the game is 'the best police simulation thus far'. Chris Hardings of DualShockers.com gave it a 4/10, calling the game "Boring, bland, and a wasted opportunity to do something fun and cool in the simulator space",  saying "it could have been so much more had the systems in play been deeper and more robust, not to mention, fun". A staff review from Softpedia rated the game 4 out of 5 stars, praising its concept and mission progression, but noting the dismal graphics and repetitive gameplay.