Last Updated on April 15, 2021
An upcoming video game developed by Corpix Studios and published by Ultimate Games S.A. will allow players to take on the role of a riot control police officer and suppress violent protests through various means, including the use of tanks and water cannons.
Riot Control Simulator’s game description reads, “Your daily job is to keep the people of this city safe, above all, protests happen now and then. This time, however, something is different. The country is changing, and people are taking to the streets. When frustration grows, the whole country might suffer. Protests are already happening in every major city. Do you think you can stop it? Despite the dictatorship, you still have a job to do. After all, the law is the law.”
Players will have to navigate through volatile crowd control situations through diplomatic or heavy-handed means, as “Aggression leads to more hostility, and if you overdo it, the whole masses will fight back. Molotov cocktails, stones, and batons will be an enormous threat to you, while shield and helmet can save your life.”
“You have heavy vehicles and crowd-breaking gear at your disposal,'” the description reads. “Nothing seems to stop protesters’ zeal more than a stream of water from a water cannon. As a last resort, you can even call in a tank to restore order. Wait a sec! Isn’t it too much?”
The game has attracted some attention from left-wing activists who claim the game is “racist’ because it is under development at the same time as violent Black Lives Matter riots threaten to engulf the United States in real life.
However, none of the marketing or promotional materials for the game seem to indicate any influence from political ideology, and the gameplay is set in an apparently oppressive dictatorship.
The game trailer for Riot Control Simulator can be viewed below.