On the Digital Beat: An In-Depth Review of Police Simulator: Patrol Officers

I. Introduction: The Beat of Brighton

“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers,” developed by Aesir Interactive and published by Astragon Entertainment, invites players to don the badge and experience the daily grind of a U.S. police officer in the fictional, sprawling city of Brighton. The game’s journey began with an Early Access release on Steam on June 17, 2021, followed by a full launch on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2022. A Nintendo Switch Edition later joined the roster on October 29, 2024. This staggered release across multiple platforms, while common, often leads to varied player experiences and expectations, particularly concerning performance and feature parity.

The core premise is straightforward: immerse players in the multifaceted, often mundane, but occasionally intense, life of a patrol officer. This involves everything from issuing parking tickets and managing traffic flow to responding to accidents and apprehending suspects. Developer support has continued post-launch, evidenced by significant content additions like the “Highway Patrol Expansion,” which became available around June 17 or 18, 2024, and the more recent “Garage & Tools Update” in May 2025. These updates signify an ongoing effort to refine and expand the game.

The allure of police simulation games often lies in the fantasy of upholding the law, the structured, procedural gameplay, and the unique perspective offered on a profession rarely gamified in such detail. However, developers in this niche face a significant challenge: striking a delicate balance between the often-mundane reality of police work and the need for engaging, enjoyable gameplay. Furthermore, the portrayal of law enforcement itself is a sensitive subject, requiring careful handling. This review will delve into whether “Police Simulator: Patrol Officers,” in its current, updated state, successfully navigates this tightrope or succumbs to the common pitfalls of the simulation genre, such as technical shortcomings and repetitive gameplay loops. The game’s continued development, including a public Trello roadmap and numerous updates, suggests a commitment to addressing initial flaws and building upon its foundation. However, the persistence of similar complaints regarding bugs, performance, and AI behavior across various updates hints at potentially deeper, systemic issues that may be difficult to resolve or indicative of inherent limitations in the game’s core design or engine.

II. Gameplay: On Patrol in a Dynamic City

The fundamental gameplay experience in “Police Simulator: Patrol Officers” revolves around a structured shift system and a gradual progression of duties and responsibilities, all set within the dynamic, albeit flawed, city of Brighton.

A. Core Gameplay Loop & Progression

Players begin their careers by selecting shifts—morning, evening, or night—and choosing a patrol area from the initially available neighborhoods within Brighton’s three distinct districts: Downtown, Brickston, and a third, unnamed district. Patrols can be conducted on foot or, once unlocked, in a vehicle. The in-game workweek spans from Monday to Sunday, with players having the option to take two days off. Standard shifts are designed to last approximately 20 minutes in real-time, translating to an 8-hour in-game period, though free-roam shifts offer longer, more open-ended patrols.

Duties evolve as the player gains experience. Initial responsibilities are minor, such as issuing parking tickets for violations like expired meters or parking in no-parking zones, and citing pedestrians for littering or jaywalking. As officers prove their competence, more complex tasks unlock. These include responding to traffic accidents, where officers must secure the scene, take photographs, interview witnesses, check for injuries, and clear debris. Crime intervention also becomes a larger part of the job, involving tasks like disrupting drug deals in local parks, chasing down graffiti sprayers, and apprehending suspects wanted for theft, assault, or property damage. Traffic enforcement expands to include stopping speeding vehicles using radar guns, conducting DUI checks, and dealing with vehicles obstructing bus stops.

Progression is tied to a points system. Officers earn “Shift Points” for correctly performing their duties and adhering to procedures. Conversely, “Conduct Points,” which start at a maximum of 100 per shift, are deducted for unlawful actions, procedural errors, or incorrect use of force. The remaining Conduct Points at the end of a shift influence the conversion of Shift Points into overall Experience Points (XP). This system, while intended to promote realistic and ethical policing, frequently becomes a source of player frustration. Many users report losing Conduct Points for actions they perceive as justified or due to the game’s own AI or mechanical failings, such as AI drivers stopping abruptly and causing the player to be at fault in a collision. This suggests a potential disconnect between the designed intention of the Conduct Point system and its practical implementation, leading to penalties that feel arbitrary rather than instructive.

Accumulating XP allows players to rank up and earn “Duty Stars.” These stars are the currency for unlocking new content, including additional neighborhoods and districts to patrol, new police vehicles, more advanced tools, and more complex types of callouts and game modes.

B. Key Gameplay Mechanics

The “Intuition System” is designed to aid officers by highlighting important clues during witness interrogations or observations at a scene, guiding players toward resolving situations correctly. Success with this system requires players to pay close attention to both verbal cues and visual details. However, the effectiveness of the Intuition System can be undermined if NPC cues are unclear or if other game bugs interrupt the interaction flow. For instance, one review highlighted that the game penalizes players for using logical deduction based on observed behavior (like erratic driving) if they act before a specific “intuition” prompt appears, essentially punishing proactive policing in favor of waiting for a game-triggered cue.

Officers are equipped with a range of tools, including handcuffs, radar guns for speed enforcement, flashlights, cameras for documenting evidence at accident scenes, road flares, stun guns, a service pistol, pull-over signs, citation books, and a police computer accessible via the patrol car or a handheld device. This computer allows for background checks on individuals (IDs) and vehicles (license plates, insurance status) to uncover outstanding warrants or prior violations. The May 2025 “Garage & Tools Update” further expanded this toolkit by introducing an Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system and the ability to swap certain gadgets between different owned police vehicles.

Vehicle handling is a critical component, yet it has drawn considerable criticism. Reviewers and players have described it as “bad,” “clunky,” or “terrible”. A specific complaint is that patrol cars, even those marketed as pursuit vehicles, accelerate very slowly unless specific, potentially unintuitive, procedures like “launch control” are used. This sluggishness can make responses to urgent callouts or pursuits feel unresponsive.

C. Highway Patrol Expansion

The “Highway Patrol Expansion,” released around June 2024, significantly broadened the game’s scope by adding the Brighton Highway district and a new set of duties. This expansion introduced high-speed chases, the ability to perform PIT maneuvers, checking cargo trucks for illegal items, assisting stranded motorists, and responding to major accidents, fires, and auto thefts. New tools like spike strips and the ability to request roadblocks were also added, alongside new vehicles such as the Interstate Police Vehicle and the Endurance Police Vehicle.

Player reception to this expansion has been decidedly mixed. While some players appreciated the new content and found it a “great refresh” to the gameplay loop, many others reported that the DLC was “horrible” and “even worse” than the base game in terms of bugs and AI behavior. Specific complaints include AI vehicles stopping immediately in the middle of the highway during traffic stops, an “insane” number of AI-caused accidents, buggy weigh stations leading to unfair penalties, difficulties with deploying and removing roadblocks, and receiving callouts in the city that are unreachable from the highway patrol zone without penalty. The expansion appears to have either exacerbated pre-existing problems with the game’s AI and physics or introduced new issues specific to the high-speed, open environment of the highway. This suggests that layering new content onto a somewhat unstable foundation can amplify player frustration, as the core systems struggle to cope with the expanded scenarios and mechanics.

D. Co-op Multiplayer

“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers” supports a 2-player online co-op mode, allowing friends to patrol the streets of Brighton together and tackle duties as a team. For some, this shared experience can be enjoyable, at least for a few hours. However, the co-op mode is not immune to the game’s technical issues. Reports indicate that bugs can be more prevalent or manifest differently in multiplayer, including desynchronization of NPCs between players, the client player not being able to see tickets written by the host, or even players falling through the game world. One player explicitly noted that bugs were worse “especially in coop”. The May 2025 “Garage & Tools Update” also introduced crossplay between PC and Xbox platforms, potentially broadening the pool of co-op partners but also possibly introducing new cross-platform complications.

E. Overall Engagement: Realism vs. Repetitiveness

The initial appeal of “Police Simulator: Patrol Officers” often lies in its attempt to simulate the “dull, mundane day-to-day routine” of police work, which some players find uniquely engaging or even relaxing. The game is described by one critic as a “unique mix of challenging, fun, repetitive, and broken gameplay that somehow grows on you”.

However, a pervasive criticism is the onset of repetitiveness. Many players report that after approximately 8-10 hours, the gameplay loop—issuing tickets, responding to similar types of accidents—becomes monotonous. The game aims for a degree of realism in its depiction of police procedures, but this is often undermined by the aforementioned AI behavior, frequent bugs, and the sometimes frustratingly punitive Conduct Point system. Furthermore, some players note that the lack of high-stakes situations or the ability to lawfully use more forceful measures (like discharging a firearm in genuinely threatening scenarios, which the game seems to avoid) can detract from both the realism and the long-term excitement for a segment of the player base.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Unique premise of simulating daily police work, offering a different kind of simulation experience.
• Gradual progression system with unlocks provides initial goals and a sense of career advancement.
• Wide variety of duties, from minor infractions to accident investigations and some criminal encounters.
• The “Intuition System” can be a helpful guide when functioning correctly.
• Co-op multiplayer offers a shared experience, which can be enjoyable with a friend despite bugs.
• The Highway Patrol Expansion adds new environments and mission types, increasing variety.
• The “Garage & Tools Update” introduced vehicle customization and new tools like ALPR.

Cons:

• Gameplay becomes highly repetitive after the initial hours.
• The Conduct Point system can feel unfair and punitive due to bugs or unclear mechanics.
• Vehicle handling is often described as poor, clunky, or unresponsive.
• AI behavior (both civilian traffic and suspects) is a significant source of frustration and breaks immersion.
• The Highway Patrol Expansion, while adding content, is plagued by numerous bugs and AI issues specific to its environment.
• Co-op multiplayer suffers from stability issues and bugs.
• Lack of depth in some crime scenarios and investigative procedures.

III. Verdict: Is It Worth the Badge?

“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers” presents an ambitious attempt to capture the intricacies of police patrol work. It offers a unique simulation experience that appeals to players fascinated by law enforcement procedures and the idea of maintaining order in a virtual city. However, its execution is marred by a persistent array of technical issues, questionable AI, and gameplay loops that can quickly become monotonous.

A. Overall Summary of Strengths and Weaknesses

The game’s core strength lies in its premise and the initial engagement of its progression system. Starting as a rookie officer and gradually unlocking new tools, vehicles, and more complex duties provides a tangible sense of advancement. The variety of potential incidents, from simple parking violations to multi-car accidents and even some criminal activity, offers a glimpse into the diverse challenges faced by patrol officers. The addition of co-op multiplayer and expansions like the Highway Patrol and Garage & Tools updates demonstrates a commitment from the developers to evolve and expand the game.

However, these strengths are consistently undermined by significant weaknesses. Gameplay often devolves into repetition, with many tasks lacking true depth or variation. The graphics, while serviceable on higher-end PCs, are generally dated and suffer on consoles, particularly the Switch. Sound design is a notable low point, with generic effects and poor voice acting that detract from immersion. The absence of any meaningful story or campaign mode means the game relies entirely on its simulation mechanics for long-term appeal. Most critically, performance issues, pervasive bugs, and unreliable AI behavior are constant sources of frustration, frequently breaking the simulation’s illusion and impeding player progress.

B. Scoring Table

C. Final Recommendation

“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers” is a game that will likely appeal primarily to a niche audience: die-hard fans of simulation games who have a high tolerance for technical issues and repetitive gameplay, or those specifically looking for a casual, non-violent police-themed experience, perhaps to enjoy in co-op with a friend who shares similar patience. The game is often available at a discount or through services like Xbox Game Pass, which significantly lowers the barrier to entry and risk.

Considering the base price often around $29.99 to $39.99 (depending on platform and edition) and the additional cost of DLCs like the Highway Patrol Expansion (around $19.99), it is difficult to recommend a full-price purchase given the persistent technical problems and the often-shallow gameplay loop. Potential buyers should carefully weigh the mixed critical reception and numerous player complaints before investing, especially if they are sensitive to bugs or expect a highly polished experience. Waiting for a significant sale or trying it via a subscription service is advisable.

D. Concluding Thoughts

“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers” embodies a fascinating concept that struggles under the weight of its own execution. The ambition to simulate the daily life of an officer is commendable, and moments of genuine, if mundane, satisfaction can be found. However, the journey through Brighton is too often derailed by technical faults, frustrating AI, and a gameplay loop that fails to maintain long-term engagement for a broad audience. While the developers continue to update and expand the game, the core experience remains a compromise between its potential and its persistent problems. It serves as a stark reminder that in the world of simulation, immersion is fragile, and easily shattered by the very bugs and inconsistencies it seeks to overcome.