Highway Police Simulator Review (PlayStation 5)

Rating: 5.8
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · December 18, 2024

Highway Police Simulator Review, Put on your uniform and step into the shoes of an American police officer with Highway Police Simulator! This game brings the heart-pounding action of the American Highway Patrol right to your fingertips. Immerse yourself in the unique challenges and serious police duties that officers face on a daily basis and truly feel what it’s like to patrol the highways while maintaining law and order.

A compelling police story awaits you, with the option to play as either a male or a female officer. With both casual and simulation gameplay modes, Highway Police Simulator combines the best of both worlds: the freedom to drive and walk in an immersive virtual environment, and a diverse variety of exciting cases to solve in story-driven gameplay. Explore a diverse open world and tackle any situation that comes your way with an array of vehicles including cars, helicopters, and more.

Highway Police Simulator Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
19.59GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity slider.
Gameplay settings – tutorials, policeman field of view slider, lock minimap to the north, and policeman camera distance slider.
Four save slots.
Character creator – name, male or female, one of four preset avatars, civil clothes, hairstyle, hair color, and eye color, and then choose your story from street kid upbringing or raised in a Police family.
Each story choice has a list of Pros and Cons for each story background.
There is cosmetic damage to vehicles, bits can fall off, doors open, etc.
A full 3D game world with 360-degree camera control.
Three driving views.
Voiced characters.
In-game cutscenes and interactions.
As a Policeman you investigate accidents and incidents, you do this by searching the area, cataloging your finds, talking with bystanders and witnesses, taking photos, then you put your findings into a sketch-like system, and then filing your report.
Mission markers show and you get a checklist to tick off actions.
Find shortcuts around the map.
Unlock fast travel points around the map.
Two ways to play the game – simulation or casual mode. It basically comes down to casual mode has assists like mission markers, and easier game difficulties.
Main and optional side missions.
Earn exp from missions level up your rank amd unlock new abilities or negotiation skills.
Full stats breakdown menu.
Multiple choice encounters.

Highway Police Simulator Review Cons:

You cannot remap the controls.
The character creator is very basic and barebones.
No bumper or bonnet view.
The performance is very sluggish with stuttering, slow down, and pop-up happening a lot.
The Police car is very squirrelly with loose handling making it feel like you’re driving on ice.
Robotic and wooden animations with zero facial emotion or expression.
Cannot skip the cutscenes and they can go on for a while.
Voice work is very Wooden and flat.
The AI of the other people and drivers is bad.
I can be just driving on a freeway and then I just crash and roll, with no obstacles around.
No music in the game.
You can sit there and watch AI drivers just jump in the air or crash on nothing.
All the things you would need like lights, radio, radar gun, etc are all on many layers of a radial menu.
The performance is really bad and not great.
Getting stuck on the scenery is very easily done and to reset to the road is a case of going through many menus.
The mini-map has popped in which is a nightmare.
Breadcrumbs or mission sign posting is horrendous and starts the moment you hit the Police station.
It’s a game that in its current state is nearly impossible to play, the performance, the pacing, it all makes for a horrid experience.

Highway Police Simulator:

Official website.

Developer: Z-Software

Publisher: Aerosoft

Store Links –

PlayStation

6/10

Graphics - 6/10
6/10

Sound - 6/10
6/10

Accessibility - 6/10
6/10

Length - 6/10
5/10

Fun Factor - 5/10

5.8/10

Summary

Highway Police Simulator offers a mixed bag of experiences. On the positive side, the game boasts decent graphics and a manageable download size of 19.59GB. Players can aim for a platinum trophy, and the game provides various controller settings, including an inverted axis and sensitivity slider option. The gameplay settings are quite detailed, featuring tutorials, a policeman field of view slider, a lock minimap to the north, and a policeman camera distance slider. The game allows for four save slots and includes a basic character creator where players can choose their name, gender, one of four preset avatars, civil clothes, hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. Players can also select their story background, either a street kid upbringing or being raised in a police family, each with its own pros and cons.

The game world is fully 3D with 360-degree camera control and offers three driving views. Characters are voiced, and there are in-game cutscenes and interactions. As a policeman, players investigate accidents and incidents by searching the area, cataloging finds, talking with bystanders and witnesses, taking photos, and then putting findings into a sketch-like system before filing a report. Mission markers and checklists help guide players through their tasks. The game also features shortcuts and unlockable fast travel points around the map. Players can choose between simulation or casual mode, with casual mode offering assists like mission markers and easier difficulties. There are main and optional side missions, and players can earn experience points from missions to level up their rank and unlock new abilities or negotiation skills. The game includes a full stats breakdown menu and multiple-choice encounters.

However, the game has several drawbacks. The character creator is very basic and barebones, and players cannot remap the controls. There is no bumper or bonnet view, and the performance is sluggish with frequent stuttering, slowdowns, and pop-ups. The police car handling is very loose, making it feel like driving on ice. Animations are robotic and wooden, with zero facial emotion or expression. Cutscenes cannot be skipped and can be lengthy, and the voice work is wooden and flat. The AI of other characters and drivers is poor, leading to bizarre incidents like crashing and rolling on a freeway with no obstacles around. There is no music in the game, and AI drivers can be seen jumping in the air or crashing on nothing. Essential tools like lights, radio, and radar gun are buried in multiple layers of a radial menu. Performance issues are rampant, and getting stuck on scenery is common, requiring navigation through many menus to reset to the road. The mini-map has pop-in issues, and mission signposting is poor from the start at the police station.

In summary, while the Highway Police Simulator has some promising features and detailed settings, its numerous performance issues, basic character creator, poor AI, and lack of polish make it a frustrating experience. The game, in its current state, is nearly impossible to play due to its performance and pacing problems, overshadowing the potential enjoyment of its detailed police work simulation.