Review - Highway Police SImulator

AD Twindad
Jul 29
3 min read

Developer: Z-Software

Publisher: Aerosoft

Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

Review system: PC

Highway Police Simulator — Pulled Over Before It Could Get Going

I’ve always enjoyed free-roaming games where you can carve out your own experience. Skyrim, Starfield, and Fallout are just a few that have kept me hooked over the years. The success of the GTA series, especially the role-playing community of GTA Online, made Highway Police Simulator immediately pique my interest; it looked like it could be a great offline contender.

What’s Pitched vs. What You Actually Get

According to the developers’ Steam page, here’s what you’re promised:

“Put on your uniform and step into the shoes of an American police officer with Highway Police Simulator! This game brings the heart-pounding action of the American Highway Patrol right to your fingertips. Immerse yourself in the unique challenges and serious police duties that officers face on a daily basis and truly feel what it's like to patrol the highways while maintaining law and order. A compelling police story awaits you, with the option to play as either a male or a female officer. With both casual and simulation gameplay modes, Highway Police Simulator combines the best of both worlds: the freedom to drive and walk in an immersive virtual environment, and a diverse variety of exciting cases to solve in story-driven gameplay. Explore a diverse open world and tackle any situation that comes your way with an array of vehicles including cars, helicopters, and more.”

Sounds great, right? Police chases, helicopters, a variety of vehicles, cool police tech—it promises a lot. Unfortunately, the reality was pure frustration. After diving in and browsing the community discussion boards later, it was clear I wasn’t alone. At launch, the game felt more like a rough beta than a finished product. Cars would randomly crash into invisible walls, missions would glitch out or disappear, the dialogue was laughably bad, and vehicle control was practically non-existent.

For a game asking $29.99 at release (even though I received a free key), it felt like a complete rip-off. At this point, the only thing getting pulled over is my patience.

Have Things Gotten Better?

Now, writing this review five months post-launch, I can say there have been five patches, and yes, a few things have improved. But it’s still a long way from what was promised. Visuals remain mediocre at best. Even after turning everything up to ultra settings, I struggled to notice any meaningful quality improvement. Worse, the gameplay still feels clunky and frustrating more often than not.

Sadly, what I hoped would be a cool, immersive cop simulator ended up feeling more like a broken tech demo. Unless a major overhaul happens, I’ll likely be uninstalling the game right after finishing this review.

It’s worth noting that the developer, Z-Software, has prior experience making European police simulators, but a quick Steam search shows those titles sitting at “Mixed” or “Mostly Negative” reviews, too. That past track record shows here as well. What’s surprising is that the publisher, Aerosoft, has a solid history with successful, well-liked simulators, so seeing this title fall so flat was unexpected.

Community Sentiment and Missed Potential

The frustrations I ran into weren’t isolated incidents. A glance at the Steam reviews makes it clear that many players share the same disappointment. Highway Police Simulator currently holds a “Mostly Negative” rating, with only 29% of the 208 user reviews being positive. Common complaints include unresponsive controls, frequent bugs, and an overall lack of polish. One user summed it up perfectly: "This feels more like a tech demo than a finished game."

The concept does have potential; no question about it. But at this point, I think the momentum is gone unless the developers commit to a serious relaunch effort.

Final Verdict

In its current state, Highway Police Simulator feels like a missed opportunity. The idea is strong, but the execution falls far short. Unless significant improvements are made, it's hard to recommend this title, especially at full price. For anyone looking for a fulfilling police simulation experience, you’re probably better off exploring other options, at least until (or if) a major overhaul brings this game closer to what it promised.

For now, consider this game pulled over and impounded—permanently.