Grabber:

COPS 2170: The Power of Law has several good points going for it but its drawbacks make this a game that I would only recommend to hardcore fans of the turn-based combat genre.

Screens:

http://pc.gamezone.com/gamesell/screens/s23662_0.htm

http://pc.gamezone.com/gamesell/screens/s23662_3.htm

http://pc.gamezone.com/gamesell/screens/s23662_16.htm

Review:

Set in the near future where crime is becoming a serious problem for society and corruption is rampant, COPS 2170 is a role-playing game that uses turn-based combat and movement. The plot starts out very interesting, but the high difficulty of the game and the flaws in the movement system became irritating very quickly. The graphics are not as polished as they could be. With the three-quarters overhead view and low-detail environments this game is closer to Diablo II than many more recent games. The sounds are fairly well done, but the repeated one-liners from your police team as you order them around can become tedious quickly. 

COPS starts out like many role-playing games. The player gets to watch a cutscene where the main character explains some of her motivations. Then you get to start your career as a police officer. You are able to assemble your own team from characters who are standing around the police headquarters. Next you get to hit the equipment storage depot. The quartermaster has a wide variety of weapons, armor, and equipment available for you to check out. Quantities are limited, especially in body armor, so choose carefully.

Early on players are given choices that will determine the course of their game. For example, in your first mission you are allowed to pick up additional police from the headquarters to form your own team. One of these cops is a young, bitter man who has lost his ideals. Now he is in it for his own rewards. He begins your first mission by advising the main character to shed her ideals and join the ranks of corrupt officers. This is just one “theme” that players are given early into the game. Following themes can lead you to further choices that will help determine the fate of your team.

The combat system is a turn-based fighting system. While I am not a die-hard fan of the genre I have seen it done well in the past. I was looking forward to seeing how COPS 2170 played. Then I began seeing the frustrations in the system. As soon as your team is in combat, or even near combat, you are stuck in turn-based movement. This can lead to some aggravation as you move around. It is more time consuming than it has to be when there are no enemies around to fight. Players can stock up on “remote cameras” that expand their viewable range, and this can come in handy. Instead of running all over creation looking for enemies you can check out areas without risking life and limb in an ambush.

The combat system has one other flaw: Your characters can die. Easily. Most enemies are just as fragile as your team, but a few enemies, like bosses or the military robots you see early on in the game, can absorb a frightening amount of punishment before going down. This is a problem since the quick-fire weapons are all small caliber weapons that bounce off heavy armor without doing any damage. Since these are also the enemies with the heavy-duty weapons, fighting them can be very tough. Long range weapons and high caliber guns are your friends. Unfortunately the heavier weapons require higher police ranks to equip.

On a more positive note there are lots of options for players to use during combat. You can move, use items in your inventory like grenades, attempt to heal your characters, or fire your weapons. There are several different firing options available with different action point costs. Aimed shots require the most points but have a hefty bonus to hit. Standard shots are medium cost attacks with decent chances to hit. Shotguns can also play a prominent role because they are area-attack weapons. Anything in their spread risks being hit. This can be a quick way to dispatch enemies if you can get in close, but watch out! - the enemies can do the same thing to you.

The three-quarters overhead view has become a classic standard for gaming. It dates as far back as the original Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a classic gem that still works. The dated graphics in COPS 2170 are a different story. The graphics are not badly done, they just are not as polished and spectacular as most games I’ve seen recently. The camera position and angle are controlled by the player so you can look around the area a bit without a problem. This is a big help over similar games I’ve played where you could lose an enemy or item on the ground behind a corner or small building.

The sounds of COPS 2170 were also a little disappointing. The voiced dialogue was well done. I enjoyed how each of the characters you are able to interact with has a distinct voice and mannerisms. The combat sounds were about what I would expect from any modern game, but nothing outstanding. The repeated character lines during combat are the main irritant for the sounds of COPS 2710. Your characters toss off one-liners whenever you select them. When you are walking around for a couple of minutes real-time searching for the last enemy those one-liners can get tedious quickly.

In the end COPS 2170 is just another role-playing game to toss in the genre. Fans of the turn-based movement classics like Fallout might enjoy this title, but other players should consider buying something else. The character-driven plot line and themes cannot quite save this game from the bland graphics, repetitive sounds, and frustrating combat interface.

Gameplay: 6.0
I’ve seen turn-based combat and movement done well before. COPS 2170 tries to do it well but doesn’t quite measure up. The interface itself is good and the controls are responsive, but that doesn’t quite make up for the frustrations of the turn-based movement and the difficulty of mastering the combat system.

Graphics: 6.5
The graphics for COPS 2170 leave a bit to be desired. The game world is fairly expansive but there is a lack of detail. Compared to more recent games COPS is definitely below average. I got the sense that the design team was trying to create an intricate setting. While they captured the feel for a few areas I explored, I just did not have any desire to poke around just to see the scenery.

Sound: 6.5
The dialogue and combat sounds are fairly good in COPS but they cannot quite make up for the annoyance of the repeated one-liners during combat missions. Listening to a few comments over and over again when trying to find that last enemy hiding on the map gets old quickly.

Difficulty: Hard
Fighting bad guys with guns is hazardous duty. I can understand how easy it is to die when someone starts shooting at you with a machine gun or pistol. Still, almost every time my characters got within weapons range of an enemy it was a one-shot kill as the officers under my command dropped. It was very annoying to try and fight the robots early on who have the same weapons range as the visual range of the party. The reverse was true for low-level street punks, but I would have preferred longer fights so I would at least have a chance to save my injured characters.

Concept: 6.5
COPS 2170 starts with an interesting story. The characters all have their own goals, which can open up side missions and “themes.” The three-quarters overhead view works well for the game engine. These don’t quite make up for the aggravation of running around in “combat mode” even when you cannot see your enemies. If you are not a fan of the turn-based combat genre this game might not be for you. One bright point for the game are the character- and player-driven themes available for you to explore.

Overall: 6.4
COPS 2170: The Power of Law is another role-playing game in a popular genre. The dated graphics, repetitive sounds, and high difficulty make this game more frustrating than it has to be. The inclusion of character-based themes and player decisions to determine the outcome are definitely interesting to see in action, but unless you are a die-hard fan of the turn-based genre I would recommend taking a good look at COPS 2170 before buying it.

Tips:
In your first mission you have to go out and establish order at a riot. Thankfully the enemies are spread out so you aren’t stuck in the middle of a massive firefight. There are a couple of street punks who go down easily. The problem are the robots you have to fight. They have a huge range and will kill any of your characters that get within range in a single shot. Make sure you pick up the sniper rifle from the equipment master before starting the mission. The robots are big, powerful, and dumb. You can pick them off at range with the sniper rifle. It takes a few shots, but the robots aren’t smart enough to try moving towards you.

When fighting your stance will determine how accurate your firing is. It also determines how many action points it costs to move your characters around the combat arena. If you have the movement to spare always switch to crouch mode before firing. Crouching gives you a bonus to accuracy which can come in handy. Just don’t forget to change to walking or sprinting before moving around. Crouched movement is the slowest you can get.