Police Quest: Open Season

Sierra On-Line
Industry	Video game development and publishing
Founded	1980
Headquarters	United States
Products	Police Quest series, including Police Quest: Open Season

Police Quest: Open Season, also identified as Police Quest IV, is a 1993 point-and-click adventure game centered on police procedural themes, developed and released by Sierra On-Line. As the fourth entry in the Police Quest franchise, it transitions from the fictional town of Lytton, California, to focus on detective John Carey as he probes a series of violent murders in Los Angeles.

The game was created with input from former Los Angeles Police Department chief Daryl Gates, who had recently been removed from his position following the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. This installment represented a shift in creative direction after original series director and ex-California Highway Patrol officer Jim Walls departed Sierra around 1991. The majority of the writing and design work was handled by Sierra staff member Tammy Dargan.

Upon release, Open Season garnered mixed critical responses and did not achieve the commercial success of earlier titles. Over time, it has been criticized for its racially insensitive and "reactionary" depiction of crime in Los Angeles.

A 1994 updated CD-ROM edition introduced voice recordings, improved animations, musical scores, and arcade-style gameplay segments. The series continued with an indirect follow-up and spin-off titled Police Quest: SWAT in 1995.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Open Season follows the mouse-driven point-and-click mechanics established by prior Police Quest games, utilizing icon-based commands such as "walk" and "talk" rather than text input. Players engage with characters and examine crime scenes through these interactive options.

Maintaining the franchise's emphasis on authentic police protocol, the game penalizes players for disregarding procedures, failing to complete paperwork correctly, or engaging in improper conduct. It incorporates full-motion video sequences featuring actors and photographic backgrounds of Los Angeles. The 1994 CD release supplements the experience with narrated audio that replaces on-screen text.

Plot

Detective John Carey of the LAPD's robbery-homicide division investigates a murder case in South Central Los Angeles, where he discovers the bodies of his friend Bob Hickman and a young boy. Initially suspecting gang-related violence, Carey soon identifies a serial killer responsible for multiple mutilated victims.

His inquiry leads him to a local cinema, where he endures a disturbing vision involving the theater’s proprietor. Assisted by a stray dog, Carey locates the killer’s residence and uncovers a hidden passage connecting it to the theater. He witnesses the killer abducting a woman while disguised as female and is subsequently captured.

After escaping captivity, Carey deduces that the theater owner is the murderer. He constructs a flamethrower device to incinerate the culprit and rescues the kidnapped woman. The story concludes with Carey being awarded the LAPD Medal of Valor by the city's mayor.

Development

Open Season marks the first Police Quest title developed without original creator Jim Walls, who left Sierra under undisclosed conditions. Built using Sierra's SCI engine, Tammy Dargan took primary responsibility for writing and design despite Andy Gates receiving author credit. Gates denied involvement in crafting the narrative, which Dargan claimed was influenced by Fab Five Freddy’s rap lexicon Fresh Fly Flavor, though this assertion has been contested.

Three potential box art concepts were considered: an image of a bloody handprint, a file folder design, and a depiction of the Los Angeles skyline. Focus group feedback rejected the file folder idea; parental concerns over the bloody hand led to selecting the skyline artwork for publication. The game was released in November 1993.

Unlike previous entries that included manuals detailing police procedures relevant to gameplay, Open Season provided an actual LAPD policy guide focusing on radio codes, uniforms, and legal regulations but omitted instructions pertinent to playing the game.

The 1994 CD edition incorporated voice dialogue tracks, a promotional video, and official LAPD documentation.

Contemporary

Critical reception to Open Season was mixed; some reviewers commended its detailed portrayal of police work.

Opinions on its narrative were divided. Computer Gaming World praised its exploration of themes such as "class conflict and poverty." Meanwhile, Electronic Games cautioned that certain players might find its subject matter unsettling. However, it drew criticism for racial stereotyping; Randolph G. Potts wrote in the Journal of African American Men (1997) that it exemplified troubling depictions of Black men as dangerous criminals and criticized its use of "Amos 'n Andy-style dialect."

Feedback on gameplay was varied as well. Electronic Games lauded its emphasis on authentic police responsibilities as both "rewarding and enlightening." Conversely, Next Generation found inconsistent penalties frustrating and concluded that an ideal Sierra police simulation had yet to be achieved. James V. Trunzo from White Wolf highlighted that strict adherence to procedure left no margin for error and noted Daryl F. Gates' involvement ensured realism that might polarize players based on their tolerance for detail.

The game's photorealistic visuals and atmospheric soundtrack received positive remarks from Computer Gaming World. Trunzo preferred the CD-ROM version due to its multimedia enhancements enriching immersion.

Retrospective

In later years, Open Season has been met with increasingly unfavorable evaluations concerning both its gameplay design and representation of Los Angeles. A 2013 review by Adventure Gamers rated it 2 out of 5 stars, criticizing its prioritization of "technical features" over narrative or engaging gameplay, alongside "banal" dialogue, reliance on ethnic stereotypes, and illogical puzzles described as "haphazard."

A 2018 retrospective article in Vice, authored by Duncan Fyfe, labeled Open Season as "the most reactionary game of the 90s," suggesting that Daryl Gates’ involvement aimed to provoke controversy and attract media attention. Fyfe characterized the game as embodying Gates’ "violent, racist, paramilitary vision of American policing."

Sales

By late 1995, combined sales for the initial four titles in the Police Quest series reached approximately 850,000 copies sold. Markus Krichel from PC Games noted waning player interest with Open Season, attributing this decline to Jim Walls' absence and dissatisfaction with replacing iconic protagonist Sonny Bonds. This prompted Sierra On-Line to redirect the franchise toward a new path with Police Quest: SWAT. By March 1996, Sierra reported total series sales—including SWAT—had surpassed 1.2 million units.

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