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C.O.P. The Recruit (Nintendo DS)

common sense media says

GTA-type driving & shooting action game, but with no blood.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that in the action adventure game C.O.P. The Recruit you play as a police officer who fires shotguns, pistols, and machine guns in battles against criminals, terrorist, and rogue cops. You'll also drive around a large, urban environment chasing criminals and a terrorist armed with bombs. Characters can be heard cussing. Note that although the game resembles the Grand Theft Auto franchise, there is no blood, sexual situations, or opportunities for random criminal activity.

Educational value: Use of GPS and maps can enhance the understanding of spatial relationships, distance, and scale.
Positive messages: As with many games that involve firing weapons, you're a "good guy" using violence to solve problems. The ends are justified by the means, as you cannot harm innocent bystanders and you take out terrorists.
Positive role models: You play a street racer who applies his illegal driving skills for good when he joins the police. He's a bit of a rogue cop, but ultimately performs heroics such as weeding out corruption and terrorism.
Ease of play: The interface and controls are extremely easy and nicely designed. There's a "sandbox" element here, too, so players can drive around the huge city for fun, with no particular mission.
Violence: You fire pistols, shotguns, and machine guns at criminals and sometimes other cops. When hit, enemies flash then vanish from the screen. Players
also engage in vehicle chases against terrorists in "Bomb Cars."
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Characters use the words "bastard," "damn," and "hell" at times. 
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on C.O.P. The Recruit

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about how the lead character was a criminal who became a cop. Do you think these situations exist in real life?
  • The game uses a GPS and maps. After familiarizing yourself with the city, how necessary were these tools? Did you find you knew where you were using landmarks instead?
  • This game has been compared to the Grand Theft Auto games, but has none of the more violent elements such as the ability to rob and shoot random pedestrians or steal cars. Do these changes make the game less or more appealing than GTA?

What's the story?

What's the story?

C.O.P. The Recruit puts the player in the role of Dan Miles, a young recruit eager to leave behind his underground street racing life. The city, a vast map of streets and buildings that resembles New York, is being terrorized by the Zombie Bomber, and the main objective pf this game is to stop him. This involves driving around, following leads, meeting contacts, and dealing with police-related business along the way. You can comandeer just about any vehicle you want simply by standing in the middle of the road and waiting until it halts. However, there's no GTA-like hijacking of vehicles (your character explains he's borrowing the car for police business and you don't ever see the original driver). The cars and trucks give you freedom to zoom around the city, guided by a GPS and map. Missions vary from racing the clock, tailing suspects, shootouts, and stealth missions where you must avoid patrolling guards as you tap into computers or access keys. You'll also be able to take pictures of certain locations and landmarks. Overall, there are 50 missions and dozens of side-quests.

 

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
C.O.P. The Recruit is a very good game with lots of gameplay, a huge environment in which to play, and very intuitive controls. The graphics, especially for the DS platform, are excellent, too. There are minor issues with cars too easily spinning out control and the shooting mechanic, but overall, the controls are impressive. This is very much a toned-down version of Grand Theft Auto IV, and most kids will be aware of this. It could, however, serve as a good alternative for kids who want driving, shooting, open-world play but aren't mature enough for the intense violence and language of of the Grand Theft Auto series.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo DS
Not available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: UbiSoft
Released on: November 3, 2009
Price: 29.99
ESRB Rating: T for Mild Language. Violence.
Screenshots
This review was written by Alex Porter
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

Nico9000
adult
14
 
this game is cool. The graphics are great and the city really does look like ny. Violence: Sometimes on undercover missions you will kill gang members and help criminal activity. If you shoot an innocent person they just run. Sex: One use of nymphs but that's it. Language: D@mn, hell and ass used rarely.
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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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