Police Simulator: Patrol Officers' new Highway Patrol Expansion brings more chaos and fun

I’ve never tried to hide the fact that I adore Police Simulator: Patrol Officers. It’s not a perfect game, but it is one of the best simulators on the market, particularly on consoles. I pop-in for a patrol shift here and there after originally reviewing it when it launched nearly two years ago. The latest reason for my return to duty is the new Highway Patrol Expansion that has added a surprising amount of content and changes to the game. The term “expansion” is thrown around a lot nowadays, especially with live service games, but developer Aesir Interactive has delivered what feels like a true expansion for PS:PO.

To that end, the Highway Patrol Expansion almost feels like a new game at times, with so many new tasks and callouts for officers to respond to. For instance, I spent an entire shift working a semi-truck weigh station checkpoint, and that is only one new addition to the game. If you’ve ever noticed such a station while traveling along an interstate, just know that there is serious work happening behind-the-scenes. I busted overweight drivers (their trucks, anyway), drunk drivers, and others transporting stolen goods tucked away indiscreetly amongst their above-board cargo. It was amazing.

Before busting 18-wheelers, my first experience with the new update was a call to assist with setting up a spike strip roadblock to put an end to a high-speed chase. Hilarity ensued, which you can see in the video below. Suffice it to say that the perpetrator never made it to my spike trap, and I had to chase her down and arrest her for all manner of violations – Brighton’s citizens still love breaking the law, and I still love catching them in the act.

There can be so much going on that it can get downright chaotic, but also entertaining. While detaining that speed demon, a three-car accident happened nearby, which led to one of the drivers fleeing from the scene on foot. Of course, I had to chase him down and taser him when he would not comply. It reminds me of when you get a high wanted level on Grand Theft Auto and all hell breaks loose. Police Simulator is not like that all the time, but it’s gameplay is just emergent enough to keep the entertainment rolling.

Besides high-speed chases, roadblock traps, and weigh station checkpoints, the new expansion has also added road debris clean-up, car thefts, vehicle fires, and more. There is so much content that for a mere $19.99, it feels like a no-brainer if you are a fan of the game, or just now jumping in. Additionally, two new police vehicles have been added as well – a Smokey and the Bandit style classic cruiser, and an SUV with a net device to catch fleeing vehicles. Don’t worry, because if that doesn’t work, you can now pit maneuver cars.

Mistakes were made

It's not all sunshine and donuts however, as Police Simulator still sports (and likely always will) a decent amount of “simulator jank”. The AI doesn’t always behave like it should, cars do stupid stuff, graphical issues rear their ugly head, and so on. With that said, as I note in my gameplay above, there is no denying that the game has come a long way from a technical standpoint since launch, meaning that Aesir is not standing idly by. It’s not a perfect game, but damn it’s fun.