Police Quest: SWAT 2
Encyclopedia
Police Quest: SWAT 2 is the sixth game in the Police Quest
series (and the second game in the SWAT series). It is an isometric
view, squad-level RTT
game in the mold of the classic X-Com
or Jagged Alliance
games. The game takes place in real-time, with the player issuing orders to individual SWAT
team members from a three-quarter overhead view of the level. It was the sixth and last game of the Police Quest
series. Later SWAT games dropped the Police Quest title turning SWAT into a spin-off series.
Many of the game's missions were based on real life events, such as the North Hollywood shootout
, and a small scale riot
that can be seen as a parallel to the L.A. riots that followed the Rodney King
incident.
The game was later rereleased under Police Quest: SWAT Generation collection (with SWAT and SWAT 3).
Early releases of the game were listed as Police Quest 6 (PQ6) in the file names and folders. The number does not appear on the title screen.
As an homage, Sonny Bonds, the protagonist of the original Police Quest
series, is one of the SWAT officers available for the player to send into missions during the SWAT campaign. Sonny's high initial stats—some of the best in the game—allow him to become certified as an element leader.
The player assumes the role of Police Chief John De Souza, and direct control of the SWAT Elements on the mission map. He’s aided on site by the CNT
negotiator Sgt. Michael Alvarez. At the end of a mission, the player is debriefed by Sgt. Griffin Markossian.
The Five Eyes is controlled by Basho, a high-ranking officer in the Council of the Five Eyes. Basho provides all briefings via a TV screen. Basho’s right hand man is Dante, a self-proclaimed Bellwether of the Second Order. As a terrorist there’s no specific persona the Player assumes. Instead they merely control all terrorist units during a mission.
The game play in the Five Eyes scenario is slightly different, as members have to be recruited instead of being readily available, and killing a hostage (in lieu of capturing a suspect) is acceptable and encouraged.
The weapons are also different, but still have the same purpose, such as the terrorists' primary automatic weapon being the LR 300 instead of SWAT's MP5A2.
With much more positive reviews than the previous two games, it still had several flaws, such as the overly complicated interface and imperfect AI
, and a simple trick of selling the sidearms of unused characters that allowed players to ignore the budgeting aspect of the game.
There are 30 missions in total, fifteen each for SWAT players and for the Five Eyes scenario. They are independent storylines and neither affects the game of the other. Both scenarios can be played from the start of the game, simply by selecting the option at the New Solo Game interface window.
The terrorist missions have a similar interface, though with fewer options and the basic premise is comparable. One important feature is often a mission may come to an end when all police are killed. This may or may not be favorable depending on how many mission objectives have been completed.
The first two missions in both scenarios are training missions. Subsequent missions greatly impact the budget (see above), and outright failure in certain missions may end the campaign altogether.
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
series (and the second game in the SWAT series). It is an isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
view, squad-level RTT
Real-time tactics
Real-time tactics or RTT is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics...
game in the mold of the classic X-Com
X-COM
X-COM is a series of strategy games created by Julian Gollop. In 2010 2K Marin announced the official reboot of the series, entitled simply XCOM. The original game has a cult following.- Original series :...
or Jagged Alliance
Jagged Alliance
Jagged Alliance is a tactical role-playing game released in 1994 for MS-DOS and in 2009 for the Nintendo DS. It is the first game in the Jagged Alliance series, and was followed by Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games and Jagged Alliance 2 .-Plot:Jagged Alliance takes place on the fictional south...
games. The game takes place in real-time, with the player issuing orders to individual SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
team members from a three-quarter overhead view of the level. It was the sixth and last game of the Police Quest
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
series. Later SWAT games dropped the Police Quest title turning SWAT into a spin-off series.
Many of the game's missions were based on real life events, such as the North Hollywood shootout
North Hollywood shootout
The North Hollywood shootout was an armed confrontation between two heavily armed bank robbers and officers of the Los Angeles Police Department in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles on February 28, 1997...
, and a small scale riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
that can be seen as a parallel to the L.A. riots that followed the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
incident.
The game was later rereleased under Police Quest: SWAT Generation collection (with SWAT and SWAT 3).
Early releases of the game were listed as Police Quest 6 (PQ6) in the file names and folders. The number does not appear on the title screen.
Plot
The game's story revolves around a conflict between SWAT and a fictional emerging left-wing domestic terrorist group called "the Five Eyes".As an homage, Sonny Bonds, the protagonist of the original Police Quest
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
series, is one of the SWAT officers available for the player to send into missions during the SWAT campaign. Sonny's high initial stats—some of the best in the game—allow him to become certified as an element leader.
Game Play
The game features two separate campaigns, one in which the player control SWAT and another in which the player take the role of a lieutenant in the Five Eyes terrorist organization.The player assumes the role of Police Chief John De Souza, and direct control of the SWAT Elements on the mission map. He’s aided on site by the CNT
CNT
-Buildings:* Canadian National Tower, or CN Tower, a communications and observation tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Businesses:* Cantiere Navale Triestino , an Italian shipbuilding company founded in 1908 and renamed Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico Monfalcone in 1929-Non-profit organizations:*...
negotiator Sgt. Michael Alvarez. At the end of a mission, the player is debriefed by Sgt. Griffin Markossian.
The Five Eyes is controlled by Basho, a high-ranking officer in the Council of the Five Eyes. Basho provides all briefings via a TV screen. Basho’s right hand man is Dante, a self-proclaimed Bellwether of the Second Order. As a terrorist there’s no specific persona the Player assumes. Instead they merely control all terrorist units during a mission.
The game play in the Five Eyes scenario is slightly different, as members have to be recruited instead of being readily available, and killing a hostage (in lieu of capturing a suspect) is acceptable and encouraged.
The weapons are also different, but still have the same purpose, such as the terrorists' primary automatic weapon being the LR 300 instead of SWAT's MP5A2.
With much more positive reviews than the previous two games, it still had several flaws, such as the overly complicated interface and imperfect AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
, and a simple trick of selling the sidearms of unused characters that allowed players to ignore the budgeting aspect of the game.
There are 30 missions in total, fifteen each for SWAT players and for the Five Eyes scenario. They are independent storylines and neither affects the game of the other. Both scenarios can be played from the start of the game, simply by selecting the option at the New Solo Game interface window.
The terrorist missions have a similar interface, though with fewer options and the basic premise is comparable. One important feature is often a mission may come to an end when all police are killed. This may or may not be favorable depending on how many mission objectives have been completed.
The first two missions in both scenarios are training missions. Subsequent missions greatly impact the budget (see above), and outright failure in certain missions may end the campaign altogether.