G-Police: A Bargain/Bin Special

Every now and again we find a game for Bargain/Bin that deserves more than a 300 word write up.

Psygnosis, now Studio Liverpool, were bought by Sony in 1995 and what followed could be seen as something of a heyday for PSOne gamers. These are the guys who produced Wipeout, Demolition Derby and Colony Wars. Square-Go readers may know that Phil is a Wipeout nut but for a single stand alone game from this company we both agree it has to be G-Police.

Our first encounter with the game was when Brian picked it up a year after release at a reduced price, yes we were already looking for bargains then. With time on our hands we spent a couple of evenings a week playing the game and the only reason we didn't finish was because of events outside our control. We have since been back to it time and again over the years, there is something attractive and addictive about the whole package even today.

G-Police starts as it means to go on. It is noir; both gritty and hard,  created during the days when cut-scenes were developed separately and expensively, rather than using the in-game engine and it still helps G-Police still look good today. The noir feel runs throughout the plot as resources on Earth run dry and, after a protracted war, the corporations take control of the outlying Solar System with a weak government police service. Thanks to an unrelenting narrative barrage, G-Police continually raises questions over the ethics of corporate control and corrupt police ranks.

You play Slater, who has come to Jupiter's moon Callisto to find out the reason behind his sister's death while working for the G-Police. As soon as you arrive, G-Police commander General Horton, a fleet captain from the wars and out of place in his current job, has seen through your false identity but keeps you on board. His reasons are unclear but as you progress you find a web of intrigue running in the underbelly of the moon.

This is all told through a voice over which attains to the better film noir, rather than the cheesy dialogue which often tries to pass itself off as dramatic. The story grips well and although we want to steer away from telling you too much plot detail there is one moment of sheer brilliance in game design which we will have to mention later.

As we all know though, good cut-scenes and a well told story don't necessarily make a good game. Fortunately in G-Police, the gameplay is deep, varied and utterly engrossing. From the pilot seat of your Havock, a jet-copter, you patrol these futuristic city domes and there is no way to predict what that might involve. One mission might start with you scanning crates and trucks for illegal weaponry only to be attacked by some terrorist fighters forcing you into a dog fight between the skyscrapers.

After that you might have to escort some seriously out-gunned police cars to the site of the crates, only to have to chase down some escapees, paralyse them with your EMP attack and then guard them until the arrest team arrives as their own people are trying to kill them. Other highlights include giant mining robots going crazy in the city centre, bombing runs and collecting devices from the back of a moving train.

If that sounds ambitious, it was. It still would be today and yet, Psygnosis managed to pull it off on the original Playstation. Flight controls and the variety of weapons on offer ensure that you always have the tools you need no matter what the current mission has thrown your way but learning conservation techniques definitely helps in the future.

This is because missions are hard with a variety of ways that you can fail. You need to take each attempt as a learning experience and move on, as honing your skills is the only way to complete this game, cheat codes aside. Once you get to grips with the controls however, you will find your skills improving, which is necessary as your opponents' skills and general level difficulty also increase as you progress. The climb isn't too steep but makes this a considered shooter for those looking for a challenge.

There is one moment in an early level that particularly endeared us to the game. During the mission to escort the Krakov President whilst trying to balance three objectives, your Wingman Tachikawa complains he has a system fault and then is killed due to an "accident". Yes it seems questionable at the time but the facts are there. Unless, as we did in our first play through of the game, you get lost on the level. We flew right into the sight of Tachikawa being gunned down by a fellow G-Police comrade. It's just one of those nice touches that show the developer could be bothered.

There is so much more that you can say about this game but it's better for you to experience it for yourself. G-Police is now available on the Playstation Network for under a fiver as well as in some of the second hand bins. It's a hard one to find there though because it was such a classic. Don't get it confused with G-Police: Weapons of Justice. We found this sequel a little limited with clumsier controls and no beautiful cut scenes to enjoy. It works, but it's no Helen of Troy.

We would heartily recommend those who remember it fondly to go back and have another go and new players to spend a little cash for this classic. Sure the graphics are grainy and draw distance isn't too long but this doesn't matter because it has obviously been play tested to death to ensure gameplay shines through. With secrets to unlock, even within the classically well produced tutorial level, adverts for cake and a damage system featuring a recharging shield, a whole generation before Halo no less, you can't ask for more.

G-Police is just ace and we've enjoyed spending even more time on Callisto dealing with the build up to... ah. Well that would be telling!