Policenauts

About

Policenauts is a 1994 adventure game that mixes point-and-click exploration with first-person shooting and visual novel storytelling. Developed by Hideo Kojima for Konami, it follows Jonathan Ingram, a former space cop turned private investigator. The story kicks off when his ex-wife hires him to track down her missing husband, leading him to a futuristic space colony tangled in crime and conspiracy. Players navigate environments by clicking to interact with objects and characters, solve puzzles like defusing bombs, and switch to shooter mode to fend off enemies. The game’s structure blends dialogue-driven investigation with timed action sequences, all set against a sci-fi mystery involving organ trafficking and cold-sleep technology. What stands out is its bold mix of genres and early use of voice acting and full-motion video cutscenes. Policenauts predated many of Kojima’s later innovations, like the summary screens in Metal Gear Solid that recap plot points. Despite never getting an official English release, an unofficial translation patch in 2009 introduced the game to western audiences, highlighting its cult status. Its retro aesthetic and ambitious storytelling still draw attention for how it tackles themes of space colonization and moral ambiguity. The PlayStation version even hid Easter eggs tied to Tokimeki Memorial, a cheeky nod to Kojima’s playful side.

Storyline

The game centers on Jonathan Ingram, one of the five "Policenauts", astronauts with police training, assigned to ensure the safety of Beyond Coast, mankind's first fully functional space colony in the year 2013. Johnathan tests a new space walking suit, but is drifted away into space by accident and is presumed dead by his colleagues. He is found alive and well 25 years later thanks to the cold-sleep module connected to the suit. Three years later, Jonathan (now a private investigator working in the former Los Angeles) is visited by his former wife, Lorraine who asks for Jonathan's help in solving the disappearance of her current husband, Kenzo Hojo, the only clues he left behind being a torn leaf, a set of capsules, and the word "Plato". Jonathan is reluctant to take her case at first, but after Lorraine leaves his office, she is attacked and murdered by a man in a black motorcycle suit. Jonathan, unable to catch the culprit, decides to fulfill his ex-wife's final request and travels to Beyond, where he is reunited with his former partner from his LAPD days, Ed Brown who agrees to help Jonathan investigate the circumstances surrounding Hojo's disappearance and Lorraine's murder. During the course of the investigation, Jonathan and Ed learn that Becker and Tokugawa have been involved in running an illegal drug and organ trafficking ring in order to counteract the negative side-effects of being in space for long periods of time. Hojo had been included in the business in order to save his daughter, Karen, and ultimately wanted to leave, only to be murdered. During a stand-off with Becker, Jonathan records Becker's confession about the scheme and has Meryl broadcast the recording live, exposing the scandal to the colonists. Ed saves Jonathan from death, while Meryl and the remaining police arrest Tokugawa. Jonathan donates his bone marrow to Karen upon learning that he is her biological father, and returns to Earth.