Laying down the law with extreme prejudice.
QUEST LOG #3: FUTURE COP L.A.P.D.
Future Cop L.A.P.D. is one of those games I picked up without prior knowledge. Shopping for games when I got my hands on the PlayStation was influenced by magazine articles, recommendations from friends, playground rumours, the allure of cover art, and the tempting copy on the back. I recall seeing Future Cop on the shelf in Electronics Boutique, and to be honest, the name alone would have been enough to entice me. Future? I like the future. Cop? That sounds cool, rounding up crooks? Can do! LA? Never been, but I’m sure it’s lovely. So far so good! Had I only been able to see the spine of the box, I would have reached out with intrigue anyway, but it was face out, so I was able to see the cover art at the same time – and quite the cover it was. Still is, actually - Young Tom approved and so does the older version. A law enforcement mech mid justice dealing with a massive police badge slapped next to it? SOLD! Someone bang a gavel or something. Right then, I picked up the box and after absorbing the details on the back, I proceeded to formulate a courtroom argument for why it was necessary to bring the game home with us. I carried it over to my dad and quickly realised I had wasted cognitive effort. From what I recall, he said something along the lines of “This looks good mate.” He was equally enamoured by it, and it wasn’t long before the pair of us were sat in front of the tiny telly in my parents’ bedroom, controllers in hand, bowls of freshly consumed ice cream and Cadburys’ mini roll wrappers scattered about. The sweetness in our mouths was then complimented by the timeless PlayStation logo fading from the screen as the game loaded, and thus our next year or so was set.
In the 21st Century, gangs have taken over Los Angeles. Hit the streets with your standard issue walker, hover craft and all-purpose justice dealer.
We played Future Cop into the ground back then but it was eventually shelved for newer titles, and before I knew it, decades had passed. I briefly replayed the first hour or two of the game on a stream a few years ago, and despite all the flaws, (it being somewhat outdated, and the controls being awkward sometimes) the charm and visual style remained. I wasn’t looking at the game critically back then, and to be honest, I probably won’t be that observant now. There is a considerable amount of nostalgia hanging over me on this one, even taking off my rose-tinted glasses might not help – it’s likely that even my eyeballs have been tinted. Perhaps I’ll just use my other senses… Although maybe I’ll avoid my sense of smell, as the game has been living in my parent loft for many years. I had a look on eBay just to see what a PC version of the game might cost, and I found this little artefact from the time, which was released as a piece of promotional material for the game. Never got my hands on a copy at the time – a fascinating piece which expands upon the Future Cop world.
Anyway, the game… let’s actually talk about it. It was published by EA, and as such, you’ll be reminded of this upon starting. Fair enough I suppose. It was published by EA Redshores, and originally was intended to be a continuation of the Strike series of games. Well that’s what I’ve read anyway… a big shrug from me there as I have never played any of those titles, of which there are five, starting with Desert Strike in 1992, and ending with Nuclear Strike in 1997. If Future Cop is anything to go by, I think I missed out - perhaps a look at these can be added to the eventual and ever growing list. Future Cop is third-person shooter, and while this is technically correct, it strays between being that, a hovercraft driving game, and a simulation in police brutality. After you’ve watched the exciting cinematic introduction to the state of things in future Los Angeles, you’ll be met with two options. You can either begin the story mode, which can also be played co-operatively in split screen as well as single player, or you can play multiplayer versus, either against a chum or the AI. As you sit and consider, the music will prep your mind for what you are about to experience. There are a lot of excellent scores out there, but David O’Neal did a fantastic job here – immediately the tone is set, and what a tone it is! A mix of futuristic electro, dispatch radio transmissions, and sirens. Some games have a rather gentle introduction. Tomb Raider opens with the spinning circle of Lara’s travel ephemera before an image of Lara and the Scion, the evocative strings swelling as you prepare yourself for adventure. Future Cop is more of an auditory punch in the face, and I mean that in a good way! Quite a lot for the ears, but a more on-tone piece of music I’ve never heard, and the rest of the soundtrack sits perfectly with each level, enhancing the gameplay - it’s totally engrossing. After a minute or two of enjoying this, you’ll be ready to go, and you’ll likely pick the story mode first.
The conceit of the story, called Crime War, is that you experience a day (a fucking long one) in the life of a police officer, specifically one who operates an armoured mech. You’ll be known as X1-Alpha from now on, and you’ll be spending the next few hours in your killing machine. From the very start, you are a quiet witness to the events that unfold, and it could be said that your colleague in dispatch, who will be in contact throughout the entire game is just as much of a main character as the mech itself. The same can be said for the cast of criminals too, each of whom feel characterful and unique.
Returning to X1-Alpha, you’ll find that the machine itself is a versatile creation, capable of bipedal movement, impressive jumps, and high-speed hovering. Movement is the weakest part of the game, but only at first. You’ll get to grips with it before long, and when you’re forced to platform (which luckily isn’t too often) you’ll learn to take it slow and steady. Movement with the analogue stick feels better, but when navigating a narrow catwalk or ledge, switching to the d-pad is advisable. When you’re not focused on navigation, you’ll be utilising the loadout of weapons you picked at the start of the level, and you’ll make full use of each of the three weapon types to destroy all in your path! Certain sections of the game trigger Crowd Control, and has the camera zoom in a little. You are then encouraged to switch to one of your appropriate weapons. This may be a minigun or a flamethrower – from this you might be able to see why the subtitle of this post references laying down the law with extreme prejudice… After burning drug addicts to a crisp, you’ll switch to your mortar launcher and blow up some distant turrets before engaging a unit of tanks with a barrage of missiles. All in a day’s work, eh?
You’ll kill, crush, explode, and hover your way across the state of California, split into eight zones. The enemies do become somewhat repetitive during the course of the game, but only in terms of mechanics. Enemy design is well realised overall, and new types are dropped in frequently, if only variations. You’ll find yourself facing off against a variety of infantry, tanks, turrets, aircraft, flying creatures, and drones, as well as more besides. The bosses are thoroughly unique, ranging from mutants and cult leaders to submersible dreadnoughts and weaponised observatories. The variety of weapons and upgrades scattered through the game really add to the fun and chaos too, and this aids in replayability, giving you the option of testing a run with a new loadout. Adding to the joy that is the gameplay, is the sound design. Along with the aforementioned music by O’Neal, the sound effects that accompany every shot, every explosion, the movement of your mech, and the cries of your enemies… the entire auditory experience is so well thought out that more than anything else, it’s the sound that will immerse you in this world. For lack of a better way to explain it, everything you do in the game sounds crunchy, heavy, deep, and in keeping to the setting. Even down to the subtleties in your mech’s servos when delicately manoeuvring. The world sounds as it should, and it sounds fantastic. Moving on from the sound, to the cinematics, and here you’ll be treated again. After each successful arrest, you’ll be rewarded with a short cutscene to bookend the level. These are typically very well done and are infused with a sense of humour and whimsy that is prevalent throughout the entire game – all the way into the credits. The tone isn’t always humorous however, and within the game itself, there are some darker moments – like wading through a river of blood, or accidentally condemning someone to torture via electrocution. Hard to feel bad about this however, having been utterly desensitised to violence after playing through a few of the levels.
After you have brutalised enough suspects, you’ll find your way to the multiplayer skirmish mode, known as Precinct Assault. In this mode, you’ll be in command of X1-Alpha again, but rather than moving through a linear level, you’ll have a whole map to explore. You’ll have your base on one side, and the enemy will be on the other. If you’re not playing against a friend, you’ll be head-to-head with the Sky Captain. This gravelly voiced enemy will go about the process of wiping you off the map as soon as possible, so you better get on with it. Leave your base and start capturing turrets and doing your best to explosively interfere with the Captain’s plans. With these captures and kills, you’ll accrue points, and they can be spent purchasing units or forward bases. Aircraft will defend your base for you, and tanks will go about assaulting your opponent automatically, and if you have enough capture points, you can overwhelm the opposing headquarters with flanking forces. Overall, this mode is far more fun and involved than a PS1 game deserves, and adds a considerable amount of replayablity to the title. If you can master all of the multiplayer maps, you’ll unlock a strange reward. Think the Cow Level in Diablo, but instead of cows it’s bugs and flowers. Playing this level feels like a fever dream, and the unique music within this mode is bizarre to say the least. It’s an odd addition, but a welcome one.
If you can overlook the obvious downsides of an aging game – which all games of this era are cursed with, I’d heartily recommend picking up a copy of Future Cop L.A.P.D, it certainly delivers on what it promises, and despite its age, I think it still looks pretty good, and anything that may seem primitive about the visuals ceases to become a problem before long as the overall aesthetics of the game and the futuristic setting give it a timelessness. Little of what you’ll encounter is relatable to the world we live in, and as such, it has dated better than some of its contemporaries. If the visuals and the gameplay are things you can’t overcome, there is a sort of reinterpretation of the game on Steam called L.A.P.D. 2195. This looks like it’s still a long way off however, and as with many projects in early access, it may never see the light of day. The release date is TBA, so don’t hold your breath. There are many mech games out there, but the law enforcement take is very underrepresented – if you want to enact your own form of justice, play the original. Unfortunately, it isn’t available on digital stores, but you can pick it up elsewhere… Have a go, if you never played it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
I’ve had great fun revisiting this game. I do wonder how I’d feel about it if I had played it completely fresh today… I just can’t imagine not enjoying it. Have you ever played it? If not, give it a go and let me know how you found the experience, I’d love to know your thoughts!
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