Contraband Police is an open-world action game developed by Crazy Rocks and published by Playway S.A., in which you play as the new border station inspector. You are tasked with ensuring the safety and protection of your home country of the Acarist People’s Republic by safeguarding the country from smugglers and gang members from entering. It is with thorough inspection and following the guidelines set before you that you are able to make sure that no contraband makes it through the border.
When it comes to Contraband Police, the graphics aren’t anything to sing home about, and are the weakest point with the game. There isn’t any sense of style or artistic direction, instead opting for a more visually realistic approach. While it makes the visuals not really exciting to look at, it does help sell the region’s mountainous vibes, enveloping you in a chilling isolation, despite the plentiful interactions with other characters within the game. And while there isn’t much of a sense of artistic direction present, the graphics themselves are above most other independent developers.
While the graphics left more to be desired, Contraband Police isn’t about the graphics but rather it is the engaging and entertaining gameplay that keeps you hooked. Let’s paint a picture using an example scenario that a player can experience within the game. The atmosphere is often quiet and there is a sense of apprehension in the air as you exit your trailer and saunter over to the border gate controls. You let the first car in as you scan the morning air. There are birds circling over the nearby forest. You return your attention to the car, the gentleman driving handing over his identification. You naturally take it and open your journal, where all of his papers have been set out before you.
You were told to be on the lookout for someone from one of the neighboring countries, so you scan the ID card and sure enough, he’s from there. You also notice the name is incorrectly spelled on the Entry Permit as compared to the ID, so you have the gentleman step outside his car. He reluctantly obliges, and you get to the nitty-gritty. You climb inside his car with ease and armed with a tactical knife and a dark-light flashlight, you scan the interior, where you find a small drawing of a snake written in invisible ink. It is an insignia from the local smuggling gang, indicating that there are goods hidden there.
You slash at the leather seat that the sign is placed on, and sure enough, several bundles of cocaine are hidden inside the back. You get out and the driver, knowing that you found hidden contraband, attempts to bribe you. It’s a lot of money, and it could let you buy some more supplies and tools from the nearby store; perhaps you could upgrade your station with the funds as well. However, you are loyal to your country, and you instead arrest the gentleman, locking him up until you can transfer him to the local labor camp. You then continue the search, systematically scanning the vehicle until you have returned to the office with several more bundles of cocaine found stuffed inside a tire, under a bumper, nestled beside the engine, and even inside the gentleman’s cargo, this time being hidden within a bag of concrete that wasn’t supposed to be in the car according to the cargo log. You clean up the border station and stow away the contraband, and with all said and done, you move on to the next car, allowing them forward for inspection.
The gameplay is extremely addictive and is akin to a puzzle game more so than anything. However, the game also contains a vast map to explore and a multitude of things to do, such as upgrading the station, buying supplies, and transporting contraband and prisoners. There is also combat as well, as the nearby gangs will attempt to brute force their way through if they aren’t able to sneak through or bribe their way in. There aren’t many games like Contraband Police, and that is a shame, as this game is extremely fun to play and keeps you intrigued and entertained for hours on end. Not to mention that this doesn’t even cover the narrative elements present in the game as well. All in all, I would highly recommend this game for anyone looking for an amazing puzzle game with action, exploration, and a generally great sense for what is fun.
SCORE: 9/10
Contraband Police is available for PC via Steam, where you can also find a demo version. For more information, follow PlayWay’s official Twitter and Facebook profiles or visit the website.
Related: Reviews by Matthew White
An avid gamer, Matthew is also an aspiring game developer. Because of this, Matthew knows not only what makes a game great, but also the hard work and artistry required to craft such a phenomenal experience.
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