Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1987
Platform: DOS; Amiga; Apple II; Atari ST; Macintosh

Score: 8

Review: My passion for adventure games–no doubt buoyed by playing alongside my dad–began with an AGI figure named Sonny Bonds. A traffic cop from Lytton, California, Sonny has aspirations of moving up in the police force, a goal roughly equal to his pursuit of beautiful women. Sonny begins the story performing his regular duties: briefings, pulling over unlawful drivers, and taking coffee breaks at Carol’s Caffeine Castle. Successfully navigating these basics of being a patrol officer will eventually help you earn a promotion to the narcotics division in order to pursue local drug lord Jesse Bains, the “Death Angel” mentioned in the title.

I love games that take place on Earth with real-world situations, because I can relate to the characters better and put myself in their shoes. Police Quest was created by police officer Jim Walls while on leave related to an on-the-job injury. The game’s depiction of accurate police procedure is so thorough that some precincts used it as a training tool to highlight the importance of following protocol. Yet the emphasis on correct police procedure is ridiculously high considering this is a regular ol’ adventure game. The most obnoxious example leads to a game over if you fail to check your squad car for flat tires. If you do a walk around, the tires will be fine; but if you ignore this protocol, the tire will magically end your career. And you must do the slow walk around EVERY SINGLE TIME you leave the police station (but not when you leave any other location!).

Thankfully, failure to do things correctly (such as correctly filing items into evidence) will often result in merely losing points rather than becoming stuck. And some procedures (like remembering the proper way to cuff a suspect) are a perfect example of how following the police manual is not only important but also enjoyable to learn and execute. While at times it can become mundane, driving Sonny around town and looking for suspicious vehicles gives the game a suspenseful, realistic feel. That is, until you run a red light or crash into a curb and hope you’ve saved your game recently.

Driving is fairly intuitive, which entails simply using the arrow keys and a keyboard shortcut to turn on your siren. The process for loading, aiming, and shooting your firearm is also slick; while you can use the parser, keyboard shortcuts make it less tedious while retaining the tension involved in the process. Even the copyright protection puzzles in the manual aren’t too annoying, as they are simply things that your average cop may need to look at a manual for anyway.

The typing parser is excellent for its time, understanding most obvious commands. The graphics are generally detailed, with impressive animations for handling your weapon and suspects. And while the sound effects are blips and bloops from the internal speaker, there are several scenes that are greatly enhanced by simple yet suspenseful background music. Even today, when Sonny approaches a suspect in a dangerous situation, the music gives me chills.

While I have played this game many times, I can find few faults. There is one ridiculous way to lock yourself out of a part of the game, but it only prevents you from completing that optional section. And if you choose to restore, it will only set you back about ten minutes or so. One annoying part is a poker game you must join.  If you lose, you have to restore the game, and considering how much luck is involved, it can become irritating.  There are also a few times where figuring out what to do next becomes tedious guesswork, visiting locations you’ve been, hoping it will advance the game.

While I am in the prime target audience for Police Quest, it really does have a lot that most adventure gamers appreciate. Every character has their own personality, even if they get little screen time. Captain Whipplestick becomes the victim of multiple pranks that you will take part in. There’s a sub-plot involving a colleague that tugs at the heartstrings. And your love interest Marie Wilkans (who was apparently Sonny’s high school sweetheart and is now unequivocally portrayed a sex worker) adds some much needed heart into this otherwise serious story. Add to that the realistic tension and intriguing arc of Sonny’s career, and you have yourself an all-around engaging gaming experience.