Future Cop: LAPD
{{Short description|1998 video game}}
{{Redirect|Futurecop|the electronic music group|Futurecop!}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = Futurecop.jpg
| developer = EA Redwood Shores
| publisher = Electronic Arts
| designer =
| engine =
| released = PlayStation
{{vgrelease|NA|September 16, 1998{{Cite web|author=GameSpot staff|date=September 16, 1998|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/now-shipping-to-stores/1100-2464864/|title=Now Shipping to Stores [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]|website=GameSpot|publisher=CBS Interactive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990128023748/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_09/16_shipping/index.html|archive-date=January 28, 1999|url-status=live|access-date=April 23, 2021}}|EU|1998}}Windows, Mac OS
{{vgrelease|NA|November 25, 1998{{Cite web|author=IGN staff|date=November 25, 1998|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/26/news-briefs-240|title=News Briefs|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000304001239/http://pc.ign.com/news/5883.html|archive-date=March 4, 2000|url-status=live|access-date=April 23, 2021|quote=Now Shipping: Electronic Arts is shipping Future Cop: L.A.P.D....}}|EU|1998 (Windows)}}
| genre = Third-person shooter
| modes = Single player, multiplayer
| platforms = {{cslist|PlayStation|Windows|Mac OS}}
| composer = Dave O'Neal
}}
Future Cop: LAPD is a third-person shooter developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts and released first for the PlayStation, then Mac OS and Windows. Future Cop was originally developed as an installment of the Strike series.
In the game, players assume the role of a pilot for the X1-Alpha, a robot designed to fight in the "Crime War" in Los Angeles in the year 2098. The X1-Alpha is a police vehicle that can transform between a fast, hovering pursuit vehicle, and a slower, full-fledged combat mecha.
Gameplay
There are two modes of play in the game, Crime War and Precinct Assault (both modes can be played either as single player or two player). Precinct Assault is a strategy mode that is similar to Herzog Zwei (except the player can actively help their armies get to the other base) and is well known for inspiring MOBA games like DotA and League of Legends.{{Cite journal|last=Lopuszanski|first=Stefan|date=July 2019|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335566159|title=It's Mods All The Way Down|doi=10.13140/RG.2.2.25818.08644}}{{Cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Caty|date=October 19, 2017|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-visceral-games|title=The Rise and Fall of Visceral Games|website=USgamer|publisher=Gamer Network|access-date=September 20, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031052527/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-visceral-games|url-status=dead}}
=Crime War Mode=
Crime War is a story mode, following a day in the life of an LAPD X1-Alpha pilot. The story events range from rogue lunatics arming observatories with weapons, to a malfunctioning supercomputer. Players begin in a futuristic Griffith Park, but as they advance through the game they may unlock areas such as Venice Beach, LAX and Long Beach. Crime War also supports a second player in cooperative play. Cooperative play features the unique feature that the life bars of the two players are intertwined; if either player is destroyed, it counts as a failure for both players.
=Precinct Assault Mode=
Considered an early form of the MOBA genre by some, Precinct Assault is an arena battle mode in which each player starts with a single base and can capture automated Turrets or Outposts across the map. The objective is to defeat one's opponent by purchasing and deploying Hovertanks to invade their main base. The game ends when one player's base is breached by either a standard or super-sized "Dreadnought" Hovertank. Players may also deploy defensive Helicopters or the "Flying Fortress" Superplane to assist in securing their perimeter, shooting down enemy tanks that come near the base. Single-player mode consists of fighting a computer opponent named "Sky Captain", whose in-game avatar is a Superplane, more powerful and advanced than the X1-Alpha. Two player mode is a competitive battle between two X1-Alpha robots. There are five different precinct assault areas with 10 difficulty settings (for single player); however the level "La Cantina" was not on the original PlayStation release, only being added later for the computer versions. There is also a bonus area, known as 'Bug Hunt', which is the same as the 'Proving Ground' level, except all objects have been made into creatures such as worms and butterflies, instead of Hovertanks and Helicopters. The Flying Fortress is now a bat, and the Dreadnought is a large, armored caterpillar. The level features an up-beat music track in comparison to the game's normal dark military music and "Sky Captain" is a dragonfly.
The PC version also allowed for online competitive play,{{Cite web|url=https://www.play-old-pc-games.com/2014/05/23/future-cop-lapd/|title=Future Cop: LAPD|date=May 23, 2014|website=Play Old PC Games|access-date=December 28, 2018}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| MAC = true
| PC = true
| PS = true
| na = true
| GR_PC = 80%{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197412-future-cop-lapd/index.html|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D. for PC|website=GameRankings|publisher=CBS Interactive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521121256/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197412-future-cop-lapd/index.html|archive-date=May 21, 2019|url-status=dead|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| CNG_PC = 8/10{{Cite web|last=Rausch|first=Allen|date=December 31, 1998|url=http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2372,00.html|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D. (PC)|website=Gamecenter|publisher=CNET|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816212932/http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2372,00.html|archive-date=August 16, 2000|url-status=dead|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| CGSP_PC = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web|last=Hunter|first=Scott|date=January 6, 1999|url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/123/future_cop_review.html|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D.|website=Computer Games Strategy Plus|publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030709044031/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/123/future_cop_review.html|archive-date=July 9, 2003|url-status=dead|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| CGW_PC = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite magazine|last=Nguyen|first=Thierry|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_176.pdf|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D.|magazine=Computer Gaming World|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=176|date=March 1999|page=163|access-date=April 23, 2021|archive-date=November 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121080259/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_176.pdf|url-status=live}}
| EGM_PS = 7/10{{Cite magazine|author=EGM staff|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D.|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=111|date=October 1998}}
| Fam_PS = 29/40{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=18808&redirect=no|title=装甲機動隊L.A.P.D. [PS]|language=ja|magazine=Famitsu|publisher=Enterbrain|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| GI_PS = 8.5/10{{Cite magazine|last1=Storm|first1=Jon|last2=Anderson|first2=Paul|last3=Reiner|first3=Andrew|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=nov98&doc=futcop|title=Future Cop [L.A.P.D.] - PlayStation|magazine=Game Informer|publisher=FuncoLand|issue=67|date=November 1998|page=57|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990914005752/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=nov98&doc=futcop|archive-date=September 14, 1999|url-status=dead|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| GamePro_PC = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite magazine|last=Morris|first=Daniel|url=http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/765.shtml|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D. Review for PC on GamePro.com|magazine=GamePro|publisher=IDG Entertainment|year=1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040906205116/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/765.shtml|archive-date=September 6, 2004|url-status=dead|access-date=April 23, 2021}}{{efn|GamePro gave the PC version 4.5/5 for graphics, 3/5 for sound, and two 3.5/5 scores for control and overall fun factor.}}
| GamePro_PS = {{Rating|5|5}}{{Cite magazine|author=Scary Larry|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_111_October_1998/page/n163/mode/2up|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D. (PS)|magazine=GamePro|publisher=IDG Entertainment|issue=121|date=October 1998|page=164|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040820121232/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/307.shtml|archive-date=August 20, 2004|url-status=live|access-date=April 23, 2021}}{{efn|GamePro gave the PlayStation version three 4.5/5 scores for graphics, sound, and control, and 5/5 for overall fun factor.}}
| GameRev_PS = B+{{Cite web|last=Dick|first=Kevin|date=September 1998|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34006-future-cop-lapd-review|title=Future Cop L.A.P.D. Review (PS)|website=GameRevolution|publisher=CraveOnline|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227213855/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/future-cop-lapd|archive-date=December 27, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| ML_MAC = "F.A."{{Cite magazine|last=Ho|first=Jennifer|url=https://archive.org/details/MacAddict-031-199903/page/n43/mode/2up|title=Future Cop: LAPD|magazine=MacADDICT|publisher=Imagine Media|issue=31|date=March 1999|page=42|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| OPM_PS = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite magazine|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D.|magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis|volume=2|issue=1|date=October 1998}}
| PCA_PC = 7/10{{Cite magazine|last=Lee|first=John|url=https://archive.org/details/PCXL06Feb1999/page/n93/mode/2up|title=Future Cop [L.A.P.D.]|magazine=PC Accelerator|publisher=Imagine Media|issue=6|date=February 1999|page=94|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
| PCGUS_PC = 76%{{Cite magazine|last=Williamson|first=Colin|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/7.html|title=Future Cop L.A.P.D.|magazine=PC Gamer|publisher=Imagine Media|volume=6|issue=2|date=February 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000229192559/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/7.html|archive-date=February 29, 2000|url-status=dead|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
}}
The game received favorable reviews on both platforms, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. In Japan, where the PlayStation version was ported and published by Electronic Arts Square under the name {{nihongo|Sōkō Kidōtai L.A.P.D.|装甲機動隊L.A.P.D.|}} on August 5, 1999, Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40.
AllGame gave the PlayStation version four stars out of five, saying, "Fun? You bet! The bottom line is that Future Cop is the ticket for fans of the Strike series and those longing for a third person shooter with personality."{{Cite web|last=Marriott|first=Scott Alan|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14103&tab=review|title=Future Cop: L.A.P.D. (PS) - Review|website=AllGame|publisher=All Media Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114231924/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14103&tab=review|archive-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=April 23, 2021}}
The Macintosh version was nominated for Best Macintosh Game at the 1998 CNET Gamecenter Awards, which went to Unreal.{{Cite web|author=Gamecenter staff|date=January 29, 1999|url=http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards98/ss04.html|title=The CNET Gamecenter.com Awards for 1998! (Macintosh Nominees 1)|website=Gamecenter|publisher=CNET|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815225730/http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards98/ss04.html|archive-date=August 15, 2000|url-status=dead|access-date=November 16, 2021}}
{{clear}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/future-cop-lapd}}
{{Visceral Games}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Future Cop: Lapd}}
Category:Cooperative video games
Category:Cyberpunk video games
Category:Electronic Arts games
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Multiplayer online games
Category:PlayStation (console) games
Category:PlayStation Network games
Category:Science fiction video games
Category:Third-person shooters
Category:Video games about mecha
Category:Video games about police officers
Category:Video games adapted into comics
Category:Video games developed in the United States
Category:Video games set in California
Category:Video games set in Los Angeles