Techno Cop Review by: endings - 4.4/10
The game TECHNO COP is under arrest for bad control Techno Cop. Its an old game for Genesis that got a reputation for its violence. And jeez its pretty violent for the time period it was introduced in. It had a warning on the case. That is probably the most noteworthy thing about Techno Cop, that it was gory action well before Mortal Kombat. Its a single player game, with two different modes - a driving section, followed immediately by a platforming one with a boss type.
Unfortunately for the game - neither mode is well done. The driving is OK, if bland. Its like RoadBlasters - where you have a little gun on your car that can blow up other cars on the road. If you hit a tree on the side you spin out and are restarted, much like Out Run - also by Sega. The platforming, which contains the suspects and the maze of apartment hallways full of goons, is marred by clunky controls and persistent enemies.
The entire game plays out with you getting a message to head to a location, driving there, then finding a suspect in the labyrinth of seedy dives and cracked out hallways before the time runs out. The bosses range from attacking you to just trying to run away, but there are quite a lot of them.
Graphics: 5
While not fantastic, the driving does look fairly comparable to racing games at the time. Its lackluster, the occasional sign or tree and two kinds of vehicles are all you see. Inside, most of the hallways look identical, though they do have a lot of touches of detail .. cardboard boxes, graffiti, posed streetwalkers outside rooms, etc. that helps break up the confusing layouts. When you shoot your gun, it actually has two modes - the net doesn't really look like a net.. and the bullets - well they make the bad guys explode. The grisly explosion is done quite well, too bad the developer didn't spend time making the rest of the game look better.
Sound: 3
There is a shortage of music in Techno Cop. There is clumpy walking sounds, a monotonous car engine, some dull explosion noises as cars are destroyed, and our hero grunts when he leaps. I was quite disappointed in the sound, overall, however it does have some decent, scratchy (common at the time) vocal audio in the title.
Addictiveness: 3
Honestly, its not that fun to play. The controls for the platforming are stiff - a big problem when bad guys are swinging weapons in your face constantly. Probably the worst part was your 'mission' is to find the suspect under a time constraint - if you fail, you just move on to the next, like it doesn't matter in this game if you get them or not.
Story: 4
Well, you're a cop in the future where serve and protect is now carried out with lethal force at all times. You never see any other officers, though you are getting your missions downloaded to your arm-phone from somewhere. No backup? Dang guys...
Whatever these people are guilty of you are trying to apprehend,it doesn't matter if you shoot them or net capture them - you deal with their dozen goons and hope you find them before the time runs out. In fact if you shoot a civilian theres no real game penalty for you. Some bosses just run away almost as soon as you see them. Its a strange game in that it lets you keep proceeding when you fail repeatedly. There is an ending, but the game just isn't fun enough unless you enjoy splattering every soul (criminal, kid, elderly) that you run across.
Depth: 4
Two different game types (if flawed) make the world seem a bit more fleshed out. Its not just randomly teleporting into identical crackhouses.. you are driving down identical grassy roads to get to near identical crackhouses.. Anyway, the ability to jump over and past enemies and holes is a good tactic - however there is a stamina bar you must mind - and this prevents you from hopping through the whole level. The gun having two options is good, one gives more points, but ethically, you are a pretty cold-blooded cop sometimes. The variety of bosses is unique, and the fact they are just as simple to capture as the cookie-cutter brethern is .. refreshing. No giant life bars, just you tracking down a boss guy and getting him before he runs or shoots you. I would think just based on our hero's entire game of driving somewhere to kill people that his future world is quite dystopian and sad. But you don't get to see any of the bigger picture.
Difficulty:7
You get a set number of lives, and will likely lose a few as some of the platforming mechanics are cheap. Jumping over pits can be irksome, but its not the biggest worry you have since they don't lead to instant death. You can crouch and avoid most enemies attacks, but your net doesn't work when you crouch. Also, the enemies do NOT stop attacking you when they are in range. They become possessed at swinging mindlessly in your face. With no invincibility frames, your life will fall fast if you don't dispose of them quickly. The stilted controls have you awkwardly standing or crouching without a fluid movement. The jumps are huge, and can only be done moving forward. The gun has unlimited ammo, though the net is real slow, and the bullets need to reload. Your enemies have no such handicaps, throwing knives rapid fire at you.
The driving, while dull, also has a few cheap shots. If you leave one of the big cars on the road with you when you are about to park, they can still shove you into trees while the game freezes you! Don't stop shooting for anything if they are on the screen, though the off-center gun may take some practice.
Final score: 4.4
While not a great game, Techno Cop's main failure was its mantra. It seemed more about pushing censorship boundaries instead of just making a solid game. It hasn't aged well, but for a brief moment, this was one of the most shocking games of its age.
Graphics
5 Sound
3 Addictive
3 Depth
4 Story
4 Difficulty
7
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