Blue Force, a 1993 release by Tsunami Games, is a somewhat cliché but playable point and click detective style game. The premise has been made into countless movies, video games and TV series. The protagonist, Jake Ryan is the son of an undercover cop. As a young child, following a deal that went sour, Jake witnesses the brutal murder of both his mother and father at the hands of a ruthless gunman. Jake does not forget this tragedy, goes to live with his grandmother and matures to become a police officer himself.
After graduating from the Academy at the top of his class, Jake becomes interested in his parents’ case. Despite the constant efforts of his father’s partner, Lyle Jamison the case has gone cold and is seldom considered any longer.
Jake has other assignments. As the newest member of the Jackson Beach Police Department, he becomes involved in a case that involves stolen weaponry from the United States National Guard. The case leads him down a twisted and dangerous trail and also provides him with clues that he believes may lead to solving the murder of his parents.
Blue Force, in the style of Police Quest, blends the point and click adventure with police action cut scenes. One extremely positive point of this video game is an unusually
user- friendly interface. The entire inventory is always visible in a sub screen, taking some of the guesswork and fiddling out of interacting with people and objects. All the actions that Jake can possibly perform are also listed in plain view, speeding along the action.
Play follows the police action and adventure themes. Jake must make sure to keep his gun clean to prevent misfiring before continuing into the world. He must learn to disguise himself and his trail and must follow the protocols of actual police work. If Jake arrests a criminal, he must recall reading the thug his Miranda Rights and there is always a ton of paperwork to fill out after a booking. Jake must also choose which facet of a lead to follow, which takes him to dead ends or more leads, creating some surprises and open-ended play. Overall, it is fairly realistic with nicely detailed graphics and mediocre sound that still enhances the effect of the game. The variety of choices allows for some degree of replayability and it is a good balance of encouraging and frustrating, being not too easy or hard. Blue Force is a solid play, if you like the point and click adventure.
