Fashion Police Squad

Fashion Police Squad has its issues, but it’s a very good game. Likewise, some of the things like being unable to change difficulty on the fly or being able to get out of bounds are staples for the genre and decidedly non-issues. More importantly, from a foundational level to the highest highs, Fashion Police Squad is an incredibly fun game. The shooting feels great, the humor is enjoyable, the platforming is fun to master and easy to understand, and Fashion Police Squad didn’t overstay its welcome.

You haven't seen an FPS quite like this. Taking down fashion criminals with a creative range of weapons makes for some stylish fun.

Still, Fashion Police Squad, with its sheer outlandishness, is easy to recommend to first-person shooter fans. With its colourful visuals, purposeful weapons and camp sense of humour, there’s nothing else quite like it available. You’ll chuckle at its dialogue, be thrilled with its gameplay, and take glee in fixing fashion errors that may cause you genuinely roll your eyes in real life. Who’d have thought making your enemies stylish could be so much fun?

While playing the first person shooter,  Fashion Police Squad for review, I kept expecting Austin Powers to pop up and exclaim, “Oh, Behave!” But does the game have anything going for it aside from a sense of humor?

When it sticks to its themes, Fashion Police Squad is as fun and outlandish as its premise. However, when it runs out of relevant topics and relies on jokes and references beyond fashion, the story begins to fray. The gameplay is frantic and the weapons are clever, but it eventually gets worn out as the last quarter of the game relies on throwing more at you rather than tailoring a fitting challenge. If you’re interested in a new boomer shooter, it’s worth a look. If you want more than that, its patchwork of ridiculous plot and characters might be enough to keep you invested throughout.

When you think of video games and the world of fashion, what genres come to mind? A dress-up simulator? A licensed Barbie game? Maybe a more obscure simulator where you have to manage a clothing store? I’m pretty sure something like this exists, if even lawn mowing simulators are available for computers AND consoles. But I’m here today to showcase a perfect marriage of two things that, at first glance, feel like complete polar opposites. What about a retro-styled first-person shooter, ins...

First-person shooters aren't really my thing but what about the hilarious and super-fun Fashion Police Squad? Now, that's my kind of FPS.

Fashion Police Squad is an incredibly silly shooter hearkening back to the original DOOM in its design, while also taking into account some more modern sensibilities. While the combat does suffer from a lack of choice, the tight platforming and hilarious premise does make up for it somewhat.

At the end of the day, Fashion Police Squad is a cute, rather lightweight game with a strong sense of humor, telling a simple joke over and over… but it’s a joke that makes me smile, and isn’t that what really matters? I had fun with it and I enjoy its approach to things. Control issues might be there, but that’s really about choice of interface, and if you’re looking for a solid retro FPS on the Switch, it’s a strong candidate. One might even call it… vivacious.

Despite its basic port-feeling nature, I didn’t run into any bugs, and quick resume worked flawlessly.  Best I can tell there is no online functionality in the title, nor did I feel much urge to go back for achievements or secrets.  There are collectibles to find and you can hop back into any mission after you’re done with it at your leisure.

With excellent visuals and lots of creative, unique ideas, Fashion Police Squad could have easily been something special. If only it wasn't so needlessly aggravating, cramped, and tedious.

Fashion Police Squad is a splash of color in an otherwise dull Doom clone world. For a casual FPS, the vibrant pixel graphics and funky chiptune soundtrack go a long way towards making it stand out. But does it play as well as it looks?