Police Quest 4

Investigative adventure game that feels too methodical

Police Quest is a relatively loved session of adventures, all focusing on the work of an investigator, searching for clues at murder scenes and uncovering a deep and realistically depicted web of police themed activities. However, within the series this 4th title seems to forget that it is an actual game, and complicates matters a bit too much. Clues can be missed a bit too easily and then you'll have to spend hours trying to piece tighter where you are and what you need to do. When you finally find out what it was that you were supposed to be doing you will feel cheated, as the game often times breaks down at the level of its most minor details. Graphically the game is very good, sporting realistic looking environments and characters. It's a shame that the game isn't more playable, though, as the graphics are wasted on the game. I'd see this game enjoyed only by hardcore fans of the series and even they would probably have to have a walkthrough at the ready. Otherwise the game will pin you down a little too often and not because of your lack of imagination or logical thinking, but because of this game's atrocious requirement for following exact sequences. Maybe it's a meta game about how hard it is to be a policeman, having to respect too many protocols and laws, but even so, I still think the game is too hard, even for serious adventure players who knotted many a neuron in titles such as Monkey Island, third episode or the like.