History VideoGame / PoliceStories

...so sets the scene for ''[[https://policestoriesgame.com/ Police Stories]]'', a top down shooter developed by the Russian studio Mighty Morgan and published by [=HypeTrain=] Digital. It was [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/262888687/police-stories-pc-mac-and-linux-free-alpha-include funded]] on Website/{{Kickstarter}} on July 2nd, 2017, and released on September 19th, 2019 for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] through UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, with the versions for UsefulNotes/PS4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne expected in the near future.

* EveryoneLives: Possible, but unlike {{VideoGame/SWAT4}}, where you can take a beanbag shotgun and a pepper-ball gun, in Police Stories you get a taser with 4 cartridges and a couple of grenades tops, (and if you’re playing coop, you get an actually useful teammate too, but he’s also limited to using the above gear,) making achieving this significantly harder and [[ViolationOfCommonSense at times counterproductive]]. [[GameplayGrading To get an A+, you]] ''[[GameplayGrading will]]'' [[GameplayGrading have to take everyone in alive though.]]

* GameplayGrading: At the end of each level you get a rank based on how well you did. To get an A+, not only do you have to take everyone in alive, and have neither John nor Rick take damage, [[ViolationOfCommonSense but you’ll also have to be extremely quick, to the point where you’ll be forced to ditch standard room clearing doctrine in favor of sprinting everywhere like a madman]]. [[spoiler: It's ''possible'' to get an A+ with out a time bonus, but it depends on the availability of randomly placed drugs throughout the level. You still have to completely avoid injury and arrest everyone alive, but if you get enough drugs (and you're on a bomb level) you can get the A+. Barely.]]

** Opening a door will make everyone in the room turn to face it, which could result in you getting shot. Standing ''in'' the doorway while you opening ''will'' get you shot.

* DifficultySpike: After the first two missions, which, while not easy, feature general floor plans that can be used to your advantage, the third mission has one entrance leading to a long hall, ending in a door that opens into a hall leading to a living room and kitchen on the right and a hall with four doors on the left. If you're unlucky with the random generation, the living room can have as many as four suspects, and firing a shot at them will summon the other suspects (a total of ''nine'') to investigate what happened. Superior tactics are a must, as you are walking into a kill zone by design, with no other option. It's not helped by the fact that you haven't unlocked too many tactical options at this point, forcing you to rely on (unreliable) flashbangs and warning shots if you want to arrest everyone.

** Getting punched in the face ''will'' make a suspect or civilian give up immediately. Same as being hit with a taser round. It's really hard to resist when you're riding the lightning or bleeding profusely from your broken nose.

* CIAEvilFBIGood: [[spoiler: The CIA doesn't show up, but this is {{Averted}} by the FBI, who supply criminal gangs with weaponry and ''plant bombs on American soil'' all for the sake of "removing crime in the long run".]]

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: During gameplay, John and Rick have armored vests and carry MP5 submachine guns. During cutscenes, they frequently are only wearing blue t-shirts and carrying handguns.

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: On bomb levels, you'll need to interrogate the criminals on site for the bomb code, either by smacking them with your gun's stock, or by pepper spraying them. Some criminals will instantly give up the code, some will take a few smacks to start talking, and a few will refuse to talk at all, and attempting to interrogate those people [[RealityEnsues will result in you killing them]]. Everybody seems to instantly talk with pepper spray, though.

* RealityEnsues:

* RocketTagGameplay: Getting hit with one bullet ''may'' kill you. Getting hit with two ''will''. The same is true for the suspects you're fighting. Fast reactions and quick decision making are a must.

** Prior to this update, the [=HK MP5=] was the only firearm in the game (excluding the nameless pistol that came equipped with the ballistic shield) and was known by its actual name.

* OneBulletClips: Subverted, as the game actually gives you a limited amount of magazines and keeps track of how many rounds are in each one. An advantage of taking the shotgun is you don't have to worry about keeping track of your mags, since you can always fill up your tube after you fire.

** Rushing into a hostage situation without adequate preparation will result in a dead hostage. You ''must'' stun the hostage taker immediately, or the hostage will be killed as soon as you try to do something.