Highway Police Simulator, developed by Aerosoft and Z-Software, is now available for PlayStation 5, ready to take you on an intriguing journey down the highways of Caminora. In our review, we’ll delve into what this game has in store for you!
In Highway Police Simulator, you step into the shoes of a dedicated police officer working in Caminora. You’ll have the option to choose between two modes: Simulation Mode or Casual Mode. Initially, you’ll begin your patrols in Casual Mode, which acts as a tutorial to help you familiarize yourself with the game’s mechanics. If you find yourself craving a more challenging experience, switch over to Simulation Mode. This ramps up the difficulty by removing on-screen markers for objectives and offering less in-game guidance, making tasks feel more demanding. Keep in mind that once you choose a mode, you’d have to head back to the main menu to change it.
Kicking off your virtual policing career, you’ll dive into character creation, opting between male or female avatars, and tweaking features using presets. Customize civil attire, hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. A neat option lets you view how your character looks in their uniform. An interesting twist is selecting your character’s backstory: either from a ‘police family’ or as a ‘street kid.’ Each path comes with notable pros and cons. A police family lineage improves relations with fellow officers and rescue workers but alienates bikers and criminals. Choosing the street kid narrative earns street respect, though it may kindle civilian suspicion, prompting requests for “a real cop.”
Following a brief intro and cutscene, you’re thrown into your first mission—a vehicular accident investigation. Engage with individuals on the scene, photograph the crash, hunt for clues, and use the police car’s onboard computer to file your report. You’ll soon uncover that the accident was orchestrated to free an inmate from a transported bus. After finding your patrol car flipped, it’s up to you to dig deeper into the incident and compile a comprehensive report.
Controlling your character feels intuitive. Move with the left analog stick, adjust the view with the right, crouch using the right stick, interact by pressing X, and sprint with Circle. The L1 button pulls up a radial menu for radio and equipment access, while combat involves L2 for aiming and R2 for firing, with L1 for reloading.
Driving duties mirror typical controls. Steer with the left stick, survey with the right, accelerate using R2, and brake with L2. Engage the handbrake using Square and switch perspectives with Triangle. The D-Pad lets you toggle lights and sirens, while Circle or X exits the vehicle.
Handling drones or helicopters includes similar controls: the left stick maneuvers, right stick alters perspective or locks targets, and altitude adjustments via L2, R2. Use buttons like Square and Circle for marking and overview functions.
On the trophy hunt, there’s a full list with a coveted Platinum trophy alongside six Bronze, eleven Silver, and six Gold trophies. Expect objectives like completing story arcs, total game completion, driving 500 miles, improving morality metrics, walking 5 miles, unlocking fast travel spots and all police vehicles, completing assignments, making arrests, managing accidents, causing wrecks, gathering uniforms, and buying snacks from every vending machine.
Highway Police Simulator casts you into the vital role of law enforcement in Caminora, though you’ll face challenges with navigating controls and camera peculiarities. Regrettably, the game is teeming with bugs, creating a litany of immersion-breaking glitches—from clipping trees to jittery vehicles. Even navigating inside police stations is hampered by unintentional lighting effects, and characters exhibit minimalistic animations resulting in bizarre facial expressions. Available for $39.99 on PlayStation 5, it stands up with its fair share of ups and downs.
And just a quick note: this review is thanks to a PlayStation 5 review copy from Aerosoft.
