$9.99Rebel Cops Outgunned, outmanned, still fighting
Lead a small band of outlaw cops through tense turn-based standoffs, where every shot counts and every choice stains the rebellion a little.
Is Rebel Cops worth it?
Rebel Cops is worth it if…
- you like slow, deliberate turn-based tactics where every step is a decision
- you enjoy stealth first, gunfights second, and the tension of knowing one mistake can end a cop
- you want a grim crime story about holding a line when the whole town has given up
- you have patience for long missions that can swallow an entire evening
- you would rather arrest a crook than shoot him, if the plan allows it
Screenshots
A guerrilla war where one shot settles everything
You are out-manned and out-gunned, so head-on fights are a last resort. The smart play is quiet: use cover and concealment, slip up behind a guard, and put him down before he can raise the alarm. There are non-lethal weapons and equipment for exactly this, plus tactical perks to unlock as your rebels improve.
When violence does come, there is no health bar to lean on. A wounded man bleeds out fast, and a bullet to the head is instant death, for your cops just as much as for the crooks. You creep through a dark office, cuff a guard in the stairwell, and then hear a second set of footsteps you did not plan for. That is the game.
Scavenging keeps the rebellion alive
You are desperately short on supplies, and the game makes you feel it. Beyond the compact operations where you fight for every inch of ground, there are large open sandbox levels to explore: search each room, crack safes and vaults, poke at areas that look out of reach, and grab anything that might be useful. Ammo you find today is ammo you can spend tomorrow.
Each mission you choose how to move: stay together and advance with caution, or fan out and risk running into trouble alone to clear more ground. It turns looting into its own tense little decisions, because every extra room searched is one more chance to be spotted.
Your reputation is worth more than loot
Viktor Zuev rules Ripton through intimidation and blackmail, and his mercilessness is the source of his power. The question the game keeps asking: can you beat him without playing by his rules? Do you answer the pleas of desperate townspeople even when it puts the operation at risk? Do you spare the civilian guards who are only doing their jobs?
Your choices stick. Act badly on the streets and your good name goes in the mud: merchants refuse to deal with you, and even some of your own people may turn their backs. Reputation is more valuable than money, the game insists, and then makes you pay for finding out the hard way.
Questions about Rebel Cops?
Do you need to play This Is the Police first?
No. If you have played This Is the Police 2, the combat will feel familiar, since this takes that system and builds an entire game around it. A character from the earlier games does show up, and knowing the series adds a little weight to that moment, but the story works without it.
How hard is it, really?
Hard, and it is designed that way. The game does not forgive mistakes: a botched approach can snowball fast, and you only have so many cops to lose. One early mission in particular, the Estate, has a reputation for being brutal, and several people nearly quit there. Push through it and the lessons it teaches carry you through almost everything else. If the pressure gets to be too much, you can turn on unlimited saves and save as often as you like.
How long does a mission take?
Longer than you might expect. Missions regularly run half an hour or more, and a big sandbox level with side objectives can swallow several hours, especially if you go after everything worth looting. There is a way to speed up animations, but it needs a held key rather than a toggle, so plan your sessions accordingly. This is a game for unhurried evenings, not quick rounds.
Can you play it without killing anyone?
Mostly, yes. Stealth, arrests and non-lethal equipment are the intended core of the game, and a careful squad can clear a lot of ground without a single shot fired. But the game is honest about it: sometimes violence seems inevitable, and when that moment comes, hesitating gets people killed. How far you are willing to go, and whether you spare the guards who are just doing their jobs, is one of the choices that shapes your reputation.
What does it look and sound like?
It keeps the series' comic-book art style, seen from an isometric angle, with a dark American gangster mood over the whole thing: gloomy streets, grim interiors, a town gone rotten under its new owner. The soundtrack is a strong point and does a lot of work setting that somber tone. Nothing here is bright or cozy; the look matches the story of cops fighting a losing war for the soul of their town.
