PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Woah, what’s this? A game that allows you to assume the role of a tough highway cop, patrolling miles of speed limit-free German motorways, chasing ne’er do wells, handing out fines, helping broken down motorists, cleaning up after accidents, tackling robbers and shootouts and generally upholding law and order wherever you go? Sounds terrific! Recently returning to work after an accident, your mind is preoccupied with taking down the careless boy racers who nearly brought your career to a premature end. Your boss, though, has other ideas. For whatever reason, he’s decided you’re not experienced enough for this particular case, and insists that you work your way up from the bottom, slowly rising through ranks until you’re deemed ready for something a little more involved…

APS3‘s premise is certainly sound, but its execution unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. Its waxwork-like character models, low-resolution textures and rudimentary facial animations are visually rather unappealing, and some very stiff and awkward movement both while driving and on foot make getting around a lot more difficult than it ought to be. The slightest brush against another vehicle (none of which have drivers inside them), a sign post or any of the game’s invisible walls can send your car spinning up into the air, often impaling itself onto bollards or crash barriers on the way back down, leaving no option but to reload the game. A seemingly endless catalogue of bugs and glitches provide further frustrations – the playthrough for this review came to an end when the game decided a car chase was in progress after the perp had already been dealt with, locking all other missions until the now non-existent chase was complete. With no option to quit the supposedly-active mission or reload an earlier save file, the game ground to a halt with nowhere left to go.

There are definitely some fun moments to be found (the early “Animal Hazard” mission features a particularly eye-opening cutscene) but it does feel like APS3 has been released long before it was really ready to see the light of day, and it certainly seems that there’s a lot of potential for game-breaking bugs to halt your progress.  , but it probably shouldn’t be recommended to anyone seeking a smooth, sleek and realistic experience.