Hopkins FBI

MP Entertainment

Industry	Video game development
Founded	1998
Products	Hopkins FBI

Hopkins FBI is a 1998 point-and-click adventure game developed by MP Entertainment, recognized for its graphic and explicit violence. A follow-up titled Hopkins FBI 2: Don't Cry, Baby, centered on a mission to save the President's daughter, was announced but ultimately never launched.

Plot

In this title, players embody FBI agent Hopkins as he tracks down the criminal mastermind Bernie Berckson through various settings such as the FBI headquarters, a tropical island, and an underwater submarine facility.

Development and release

The game's unique visual style was crafted by several cartoonists, including the French illustrator Thierry Ségur. Each scene was meticulously hand-drawn frame by frame before being scanned and enhanced digitally. The content was primarily aimed at a male audience of teenagers and pre-teens, incorporating explicit violence alongside suggestive themes.

Its soundtrack featured a blend of licensed 1960s rock tracks from bands like The Troggs, Blue Magoos, and Rare Earth, complemented by an original musical score. Additionally, the game contains a short first-person shooter segment reminiscent of Wolfenstein 3D gameplay.

Hopkins FBI launched on July 16, 1998, with PolyEx Software publishing it for BeOS and OS/2 Warp (the latter in a French beta version). Given OS/2's limited user base, developing for multiple platforms was necessary. Versions planned for Mac OS and Rhapsody were ultimately canceled. It stood among the earliest commercially available games on Linux alongside titles such as Doom, Quake, and Civilization: Call to Power. Distribution responsibilities were divided regionally: Friendware managed Spain, Cryo Interactive handled France, and CD Projekt took charge in Poland. Despite its British origins, the game remained relatively obscure in North America.

Reception

PC Gamer described the game as "clumsily made", "misogynistic", and "harsh in tone". Adventure Gamers labeled it a darkly twisted experience that might appeal to some as an indulgent guilty pleasure. Adventure-archiv pointed out drawbacks including restricted save functionality and an awkward inventory system. Adventure-Treff noted player dissatisfaction stemming from illogical puzzles and frequent dead ends. Classic Adventure Games referred to it as "a genuinely British production".