The Precinct Review

If you’re as old as I am, you may remember how the original Grand Theft Auto was created. Not only did it become a classic, but it blossomed into one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time. The concept of the first game back on the original Playstation, though, is nothing like what you see on screen today. You played as a criminal in a city from a top-down perspective, and whilst it looked basic, the gameplay was addictive and unique. The Precinct, from developer Fallen Tree Games Ltd and publisher Kwalee, runs with a similar experience with modern-day visuals. However, this time, instead of partaking in a life of crime, you’ll be taking on the role of a rookie cop in the 80s.

Climb The Ladder

As an 80’s baby myself, the world was very different back then. The music, fashion and the atmosphere on the streets, nobody was walking around constantly glued to technology. I’d imagine crime wasn’t the same either, and The Precinct follows that era of just a couple of plain, simple bobbies on the beat with their trusty radios. The first two hours or so are almost like a tutorial, you’ll be working alongside your partner, learning the basics of policing. Dishing out parking tickets, patting down suspect criminals, breaking up fights and going after speeding drivers are just some of the several criminal acts you’ll be enforcing.

There is plenty of dialogue to work through with some cheesy voice-acted lines to introduce you to your colleagues, base, and how to engage with criminals. What I enjoyed the most were the spontaneous moments on the road, you’re never too far from someone acting dodgy. There is a clever formula where you can be dealing with one crime and another could be taking place, or you speak to an individual and you immediately suspect them. The meat and potatoes of the game, though, is dealing with and trying to disperse and arrest criminal gangs such as the Jawheads and Crimson Serpent. You get the sense of real-world policing with dealing with the small crooks on the streets in an attempt to locate and encounter their masterminds.

From Rookie To Top Cop

As you progress, you’ll be engaging more with the police notebook. This is a tool to assist you in your day-to-day policing, and when you interact with a potential criminal, you’ll need to ensure you’re dealing with them correctly. This comes in the form of a wheel where you can select what crimes you think they are potentially guilty of and whether you want to deal with them on the spot in the form of a fine or take them back to the station. Accusing people of the incorrect crimes or being slightly off with the offences you collar them for could impact your experience at the end of the shift. Don’t forget to read them their rights as well, this is a must in the eyes of the law!

Gaining experience as a cop will bring upgrade tokens that will allow you to upgrade the stats of Cordell, and buffs to stamina and better weaponry can be acquired. Alongside this, you’ll also open up the world map with new areas to explore, which in turn makes police chases, especially in vehicles, more intense as there is more room for a possible escape. There are other bits and bobs to partake in, such as special jumps and races that extend the gameplay slightly beyond its approximately 15-hour playthrough.

Visuals & Audio

The team at Fallen Tree Games has come on leaps and bounds when it comes to game design compared to some of the other titles they have played. It is nice to see them continually improving when it comes to overall presentation. Whilst I would have liked the world map to be a bit larger, and there are some limitations, the city of Averno is interesting and intriguing enough as it is. The top-down view has been well executed with solid gameplay mechanics regarding the driving elements of the game. The lighting and visual effects are fantastic, especially when you’re in a high-speed chase in the dark.

There are no complaints with the audio from me. The voice-acted dialogue is a bit cheesy, but I feel it gives the game some character. Sound effects are superb with everything blending into a city style atmosphere, car horns, doors slamming, tyres screeching and sirens blaring, it all sounds as you’d want it to.

Final Thoughts

I’ve played plenty of games where you take on the role of a police officer, and the majority have been way below par. The Precinct has nailed the atmosphere and the feel of protecting the city and its community. It does get slightly repetitive in parts, especially when it comes to dealing with louts on the streets or issuing countless parking tickets. But I suppose, realistically looking at life in the police, that is part and parcel of being in the force. The gameplay is engaging enough to see it through, and the narration, along with a bit of backstory, helps make the playthrough a bit more personal than just being completely generic.

For a game where you play the good guy, shake some potential criminals down, make arrests and get involved with some chaotic cat and mouse style police chases, it is a cracking time. If you’re looking for any multiplayer options here, then sadly, there aren’t any, but I don’t think the game would suit anything else alongside a solo experience. If you become reeled in by The Precinct, then you may want to check out American Fugitive by the same development team, which has you in a similar world on the other side of the coin as a criminal.