Crime Patrol

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Crime Patrol is a live-action laserdisc video game released by American Laser Games in 1993.

[edit] Storyline

Crime Patrol, just like the company's previous releases, didn't focus so much on the storyline as on the general concept of the game, which was in essence its being a rail shooter. A plot is still present though. The player is employed in the police force and works his way up from Rookie to Delta Force, achieved through systematically neutralizing threats which appear in various environments and scenarios. With your gun (or mouse, depending on if you use the computer version), you shoot down gangsters, murderers, druglords and terrorists in various tactical situations, only to ultimately face a serious nuclear threat in the final scenario.

There are four levels which the player completes one by one, not counting the shooting range, which one can access to improve his or her aim and reflexes. As a Rookie, the player teams up with a somewhat boisterous policewoman, taking on shoplifters, armed robbers and gang members. After getting promoted to Undercover, the player gets a slightly overweight male partner and confronts drug smugglers and crimelords in a nightclub, impound lot and airport. Next, in SWAT, bank robbers and terrorists become the enemies. Finally, in Delta Force, the player must stand up to criminals who are a serious threat to national security, such as a hijacked shipment of Nuclear material, hijacked planes, and assassination attempts. Each part of the game is made up of three separate scenarios, with one final mission involving a plot to steal plutonium that is filmed partly in nightvision, awaits the player who can complete all of those in Delta Force.

[edit] Gameplay

Gameplay is relatively simple, though this somewhat depends on the version of the game. The PC version, for example, involves the use of a mouse or light gun to aim and shoot the villains. Reloading is done by moving the light gun outside of the screen and pressing the trigger; this is also achieved when using the mouse by directing the cursor to the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and right-clicking. This must be done when the ten available bullets are spent, though the player can reload at any time and an infinite number of times. The player has three lives at his disposal and must be careful not to lose them by getting shot or gunning down innocent civilians. There is no possibility to choose one's path in the game.

[edit] Acting

The game has been both lauded and ridiculed for its acting. The acting, for most parts, is budget level. However, the game has earned fans due to the humour of it. Certain parts of the game are obviously thrown in merely for a laugh. One example includes the hijacked plane mission, where a Delta Force member throws open a door by the cockpit. Randomly, either an armed terrorist will pop out, or a flight attendant will, request that you return to your seat, then suddenly noticed your armed teammate in shock. Another is in an airport terminal, where after having shot over nine terrorists in the lobby, a worker will stare at you grimly while pushing baggage across the screen. Still another classic example is a bank robbery which features a security guard leaning back in terror, shouting "Don't shoot me, I'm union!".