History VideoGame / PoliceQuest

You can play the first game free and legally in [=HTML5=] [[http://www.sarien.net/ here]].

Jim Walls later moved on to Tsunami Games where he produced the SpiritualSuccessor, ''VideoGame/BlueForce''. Decades later he started a Kickstarter for the ''Police Quest''-like game, ''[[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/precinctgame/precinct Precinct]]'', however, it was cancelled due to lack of funding. He did say in recent interviews that he still wants to get the game produced in some way in the future.

** In PQI-IV, your handgun. It does not have much use other than helping to uphold the peace (in the first game, you can put it in the gun locker at the jail and ''leave it there'' for the rest of the game), and is generally used more as an AppealToForce. The gun gets the most use in the second game [[spoiler: which is also the only time that Bonds shoots to kill]]. Justified in that you are an officer, and cannot unjustifiably go around and shoot people, even if they are about to assault you with a melee weapon or otherwise[[labelnote: note]]In real life, depending on state laws, officers can use lethal force, even if the public may deem it as unnecessary. Usually justified if the officer's life, or the life of others, are at stake. In the context of this game, it aims for non-violent solutions when it seems plausible.[[/labelnote]].

** Arresting the DomesticAbuser in the first callout in ''SWAT 2'' will yield a quantity of PCP, implying that the drug was a factor.

*** While not a central theme, in IV in South Central you can see a DARE billboard in the background(put there at the request of Darryl Gates) as clicking Hickman's medication on certain characters gets an anti drug response(Richard Marx say "I just say no" Barbie Can say "oh no no no no" and the Ragin Records owner says he can't take drugs because it messes him up and could hurt his business)

* ChekhovsGun: Taselli/Hoffman has a tattoo of a flower above his left nipple. This is important for preventing a judge from giving him bail (by showing that Taselli and Hoffman are the same person, and since one is wanted by the FBI in multiple murders, giving him bail would just let him get away), and for [[spoiler: identifying his corpse after Bains kills him and dumps in the river after Taselli escapes prison]].

* DrinkingOnDuty: Defied. Doing so will give you an instant game over. On the other hand, a beer or two is OK if you are off-duty (e.g. Jack's birthday party).

* DontTryThisAtHome: When you combine the aerosal can with a lighter, the narrator says this word to word.

* DarkerAndEdgier: For Sierra's adventures as a whole. While not without moments of levity, it's still much more serious and deals with darker themes[[note]]even the first game features multiple graphically-described murders, [[spoiler:and Jack's daughter dies from a drug overdose[[/note]] than the whimsical ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' and often affectionally parodic ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory''. To say nothing of the outright comedies like ''Videogame/SpaceQuest'' and ''Videogame/LeisureSuitLarry''.

** PQI's plot starts with an investigation of what seems to be an accident. It doesn't take much investigating to find out that the driver was shot, though, and his death and the police's subsequent investigation ends up uncovering and destroying a burgeoning drug empire. Somewhat Subverted in that the police already knew about the drug empire, but didn't have any information on who was behind it. The accident gives them a link to follow when they discovered the deceased man was targeted because of his connection to (and betrayal of) the kingpin.

* [[spoiler:SmoochOfVictory: In PQI original, Marie will kiss Sonny in front of city hall in the ending.]]

* BettingMiniGame / LuckBasedMission: You are required to play a game of poker against three other characters twice. In the remake, you have the option to skip this and choose to win, or even [[SchmuckBait lose.]] Of course, [[LastLousyPoint you won't win the points you get for playing and winning legit]].

* InNameOnly: ''Open Season'' and ''SWAT'' are not adventure games.

* TheDeterminator: [[spoiler: Bain's brother, Michael, attempts to have his revenge on Sonny for killing Jessie (in self-defense, of course). This is inverted however, since he [[KnowWhenToFoldEm gives up the moment he saw Sonny shoot at his men.]] ]]

* FaceHeelTurn: [[FromCamouflageToCriminal Bain's brother used to serve in the army]], but turned to drug dealing and [[spoiler: setting out for revenge]] when he learned that [[spoiler: Sonny killed Jessie.]]

* TheyFightCrime: Sonny Bonds is a ByTheBookCop who assesses most (if not all) situations according to procedure and is known for having played a key role in capturing a serial killer and drug runner, and then killing him in self-defense when he broke out, and has gained the reputation of being cop-of-the-year following Bain's arrest. Pat Morales is a female CowboyCop who is a loose cannon who doesn't always do things by the book and believes in harsh justice and that her partner is too soft. [[spoiler: Sonny fights crime. [[AvertedTrope She]] [[EvilAllAlong doesn't!]] ]]

* ConverseWithTheUnconscious: Marie ends up comatose, and the doctor encourages Sonny to bring in anything relating to her and interacting with her in hopes that she will wake up [[spoiler: (and it also helps a lot if you make sure she's receiving the correct IV dosage). Doing all you can do will eventually wake her out of it, smiling at Sonny.]] [[ButNowIMustGo If only it weren't for the fact that you still had a shift to cover...]] ]]

* TheyFightCrime: Sonny Bonds is a ByTheBookCop who assesses most (if not all) situations according to procedure and is known to having played a key role in capturing a serial killer and drug runner, and then killing him in self-defense when he broke out, and has gained the reputation of being cop-of-the-year following Bain's arrest. Pat Morales is a female CowboyCop who is a loose cannon who doesn't always do things by the book and believes in harsh justice and that her partner is too soft. [[spoiler: Sonny fights crime. [[AvertedTrope She]] [[EvilAllAlong doesn't!]] ]]

--> "BUSTED! You died of embarrassment!"

--> "Breaking and entering doesn't look good on a policeman's record, Sonny!"

* UnwinnableByMistake: Not as much compared to other Sierra adventure games, even after the first game. For example, giving your gun to the front desk will net you an immediate game over.
** In fact, this gets averted later. When you are able to get to the gun locker, you can put your gun inside and keep it inside for the rest of the game!
** However, certain mistakes can prevent you from completing the game normally (playing this trope straight), such as not adjusting your sights in PQII (hope you saved beforehand!) and not investigating Marie's hospital bed for a discrepancy in medicine dosage [[spoiler: or getting internal affairs involved]] in PQIII.

* ConnectTheDeaths: A GameBreakingBug in this puzzle, which was present in the early versions of the game, often caused the game to become UnwinnableByMistake and earned it FanonDiscontinuity status with many fans.

* PixelHunt: For a Sierra adventure game, it's inevitable that this will show up, though it's easier to make out compared to other examples. You will need to get batteries for your flash light and use it to find a piece of evidence under the car. Otherwise, [[UnwinnableByMistake it's unwinnable.]]

* BlackComedyRape: Showering with Morris Fudley turns out to be a bad idea.

** The third game actually lampshades the fact that the player is probably expecting some kind of toilet humor, by including a toilet that can be interacted with, but not actually used. Continued interaction will lead to the game basically telling you to stop obsessing over it.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: You can call Sierra customer support and let them know that you'd like help. Then the guy on the line will inform you that it actually isn't a support line and tells you to [[RealityEnsues use a real phone instead.]]

** In the first game, the customer of a drug dealer will surrender immediately the moment you order him to freeze and come out with a gun, while the dealer runs (though if you keep Laura informed, she'll bintercept him as the game requires). The remake, however, subverts this as the customer does make an attempt to escape, but gets held up when Sonny gets closer and orders him to freeze once again.

* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: Throughout the series Bonds handles loads of tasks which should be done by a specialized investigator or officer. Probably the biggest example of this is near the end of the third game, where you call in a SWAT breach team to help taking on a group of criminals who have barricaded themselves into a crack house. All the SWAT do is plow down the door with their motorized ram, and ''Bonds proceeds to enter the house by himself while the SWAT waits outside''.

** PQI's plot starts with an investigation of what seems to be an accident. It doesn't take much investigating to find out that the driver was shot, though, and his death and the police's subsequent investigation ends up uncovering and destroying a burgeoning drug empire. Somewhat Subverted in that the police already knew about the drug empire, but didn't have any information on who was behind it. The accident gives them a link to follow back when they discovered the deceased man was targeted because of his connection to (and betrayal of) the kingpin.

** In PQIII, you can review files on [[spoiler: Pat Morales, and even a psychiatrist's personnel file on her to reveal that she has a slew of cases on her before the game started. To begin with: she has tempered with evidence and gone against protocol several times, leading to a prior investigation by Internal Affairs, but she was left untouched due to lack of evidence. Sonny can find actual evidence to finally have something done about her.]]

** The Narrator in IV does get quite snarky if you do things like clicking the notepad on your car in the first scene("There's no need to record the fact that you drove your car here") or the puddy knife on random objects("Feeling handy? Like Mr Fix-it Carey?") or the plastic bags on Lucky Mini Mart shelves("Are you shopping detective? Get back to work")

** Though the fourth game sets it in a non-fictional city of Los Angeles, California.

* RealityEnsues: PQII ends with [[spoiler: a shoot-out against Jessie Bains. What follows is Sonny's leave of absence for three days as Internal Affairs reviews if your actions were in self-defense. Thankfully, it was deemed to be so, and they decided to award Sonny, and even give him a two week vacation with pay for the trouble... ''unless'' you pulled the trigger first in the shootout. In that case, your actions were not in self-defense and Sonny instead gets ''arrested for murder''.]]
** PQIII took some liberties as to how the end scene is played off, and then once you complete that scene correctly, the narrator (Jim Walls) then informs you that "All that's left to fight is the paperwork." Not that Sonny minded, considering what he had to go through at the time.
** SWAT 1 has internal affairs coming in anytime you had to use a firearm, even if the mission was a success. This is done to review if the shot you took was justified. Accordingly, justified shots has you reinstated and commended, while unjustified shots has you arrested, ending the game.
*** Using a flash bang on a woman with a bad heart has her die immediately.
** SWAT 2 would suspend an officer for shooting a suspect as well, even if it was justified.
** When playing the terrorist campaign in SWAT 2, any terrorists who are severely wounded during a mission [[CareerEndingInjury will be labeled "maimed"]], and cannot participate in any further missions. It's not like they can just go to a hospital, after all.

* CompressedTimeFrame: Because there's no day-night cycle and no break from any of the action, the game appears to take place in less than a single day, with the first patrol shift starting at 1pm, the second shift at 7pm, and the sting happening at night. Presumably, the timeline is quite a bit longer.

* CompressedTimeFrame: The events take place over two days, with Bains breaking out of jail and escaping on the first day, and his RoaringRampageOfRevenge happening on the second day [[spoiler: until Sonny guns him down]].