You wouldn’t think that a game set in a police state with a massive cop watching you would be as relatable as it is, but here we are. Militsioner’s story starts with a giant cop arresting you for a crime you know nothing about. What’s the crime? Why were you arrested? What’s going on?
It makes for an interesting start to a game’s mystery, but it makes for a fucked up world when it’s the one we’re experiencing in reality. The United States is detaining people regardless of their citizenship and spreading fear that certain cities are crime-ridden, despite the statistics telling us otherwise. But does the data matter when our current administration doesn’t trust it or fires those involved in tracking information? On top of regularly attacking the press.
Depending on where you get your news from, you’d think New York City is a crime-ridden hellhole. I recently took a trip into the city and passed through Times Square to see a swarm of cops guarding a private MMA fight. It was surrounded by large fences and cops five feet apart, sometimes closer. Their focus was on protecting the MMA fight and bothering tourists to keep walking. Meanwhile, at least one white shirt commanding officer was busy watching the fight.
If New York City is full of crime, why are these cops wasting their time doing nothing? Between moments like these, ICE arresting whoever they want, and an armed National Guard patrolling Washington, D.C., why should I feel comfortable around those who we once thought were there to protect us? The second I started Militsioner, I immediately wanted to channel my frustration and anger towards this giant cop. A simple order telling me not to blink during a conversation made for an easy decision to do exactly that. Screw him.
Before I even finished Militsioner’s intro, this cop represented everything I hated about our current reality. Which only made my demo playthrough a more complicated experience. I expected to spend my time attempting to escape from a cruel guard watching me. But I instead got a character the developers at TallBoys humanized with emotions and his own struggles. In between searching for my escape route, he shared his insecurities and interests with me.
The first time I trespassed into a house, he gave me a second chance as long as I immediately left. Moments like these made me almost trust the massive watchman over our actual police. While exploring the city he placed me into, he’d occasionally make little comments and write notes about me. In some cases, his mood would change from factors completely out of my control. But that gave me a chance to try and influence his mood for better or worse with gifts.
I may have stolen a cat to cheer him up, but I didn’t know it would immediately run away and make him sad. I won’t lie, I did take advantage of this in a later run to access a new area. This is part of how the developers nail the immersive sim vibe, where there are many paths to accomplishing your goal. In some ways, it’s neat how the city reacts to the cop’s emotions. Being sad can completely flood an area, preventing you from going there. This can push you toward traveling between rooftops to avoid drowning.
On the contrary, keeping him happy can dry up all that rain and reveal an underground pathway to explore. Learning how to manipulate his mood and sometimes the moods of lesser characters becomes a large part of Militsioner. You’ll still spend most of your time searching for ways to reach new areas, but occasionally you’ll grab a wine bottle or a donut that you can use later. This interactivity with the cop reminds me of classic RPGs that let you handle encounters through dialogue instead.
Nowadays, you can say, hey, I’m a citizen, and an ICE agent will say that you have no rights while arresting you. It feels like modern games that prioritize action over complex dialogue are closer to real life than they should be. It’s a ridiculous world where the massive cop looming over me can be more rational than our law enforcement.
After three hours fiddling with different ways to escape via the daily train, I felt a connection to this being. While knowing that he could destroy buildings to get to me, I still sympathized with him when I finally escaped. All he could do was watch the train leave as he begged for me to return, promising that he wouldn’t file a bad report on me. I began the Militsioner demo hating this creature because of the current state of the United States. When I really should have directed that anger toward what our current government is doing to good people. I’m looking forward to seeing where Militsioner goes, but not quite as thrilled to see what this country becomes.
Jeff is a journalist with over 10 years of experience writing, streaming, and making content about video games. With an associate degree in journalism, he’s a sucker for RPGs, survival games, roguelikes, and more.