Fellow Officers,
the Highway Patrol Expansion is coming closer and closer, and we really can’t wait for the release. While some things will obviously be only available for owners of the expansion, other things will be free for absolutely everybody owning the game. Today, we want to break this down in more detail to explain what you can expect on June 18 when the highway finally opens.
Coming for free for everybody
As you can imagine, the highway is always busy and also much faster than the inner city of Brighton. That’s why, in preparation for the release of the expansion, we overhauled the entire car lane switching behavior to allow the AI to perform smarter moves. We also expanded the variety of NPC cars and added new designs. In addition, we improved car physics and overall damage models. Within the city, you can also sometimes observe NPCs unparking their cars!
During your daily shift on the streets of Brighton there’s now a good chance that you can witness someone trying to break into a car: Carnapping is finally here! NPCs can steal a car and drive away, requiring you to pursue and stop them. Maybe you should perform a PIT maneuver… yes, this is also new! And it looks cool. And it’s fun. Believe us.
Accident sites will require your attention even more now – after all, these cars take a lot of damage. Debris will now spawn around the cars which you have to pick up and remove. Otherwise, they will pose a great danger to other cars! Sometimes, you will also receive a callout for that.
Cars can now also break down and become stranded at the side of the road. Make sure to help the drivers, assist them, and call for a tow truck.
Exclusive to the Highway Patrol Expansion
This might seem obvious: Stuff that happens on the highway, stays on the highway. This, of course, includes larger accidents on the highway (and they’re really large), sometimes requiring you to equip the new fire extinguisher.
More advanced car chases are also part of your duties, but a PIT maneuver isn’t your only option to stop them: You can also request roadblocks! If you receive a callout that you need to support your colleagues, it’s your responsibility to set up a roadblock and even spike strips. Other violations are also observable, for example drunk drivers. They might act quite suspiciously on the street… make sure to check them out.
The safety of other road users is of utmost importance – that’s why trucks (also new!) need to follow all rules. To make sure they do just that, trucks need to leave the highway to regularly perform a check at the weigh stations. These will be manned by you: Check the trunk, make sure nothing illegal is being transported, inspect the papers and ensure they’re still within the legal weight limit.
There are also two new patrol cars, exclusive to owners of the expansion: The Interstate Police Vehicle (IPV) and the Endurance Police Vehicle (EPV). You wanted an SUV, you’re getting an SUV. Isn’t that nice?
The entire highway itself is only available if you own the Highway Patrol Expansion. You can check out the full map here.
The highway is coming closer!
We have even more surprises around the Highway Patrol Expansion available for you, both at release and afterwards. Stay tuned for more!
The Highway Patrol Expansion will be available on June 18, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at a price of 19.99€ / $19.99.
Pre-orders are available now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2350410/Police_Simulator_Patrol_Officers_Highway_Patrol_Expansion/
For rookie officers, the new Gold Edition, which will launch at the same time, will include both the main game plus the Highway Patrol Expansion and the Garage Bundle. It will cost just 39.99€ / $39.99 or the regional equivalent on all available platforms. In select countries, the Gold Edition will be available in retail for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at the same date and price.
Your Police Simulator Team
