True Crime: Streets of LA

"Good Cop"

This is the rare game that seems to improve in many ways over the games that it has been compared to (GTA series, The Getaway, Driver, etc.). It is a game of gigantic proportions, almost an exact copy of the real LA landscape. It takes nearly 40 minutes to drive from one side of the city to the other in the fastest car in the game (top speed: 180 mph). The rest of the game is broken down into categories:

GRAPHICS: 8/10
By far the worst part of the game. But, if you think about the scale of the game, this is about the best that the graphics can ever hope to be. the scale is much bigger than the landscape of Vice City but the graphics are much better. This shows how much effort Activision put in to make all of the landscapes an exact copy of the real LA. All of the famous streets, side streets, one-way streets, alleyways are included with startling detail. Also, the cut cinemas are don surprisingly well. the dia;ogue perfectly matches with the movement of the characters lips.

SOUND: 10/10
This game is a harmony of rap, metal, and beuatiful voice work by the actors. There is a great rap soundtrack that perfectly fits in with the events of the game. Even if you are not a fan of rap music (and I am not) then you will like this soundtrack. Also included are several metal tracks, the most fitting of which is ''Peace Sells, But Who's Buyin?'' by Megadeth. The celebrity voicework in this game is top-notch. From the beginning of the game when Christopher Walken speaks to the end when the familiar voice of Nick Kang reflects upon his adventures, you will love the voicework.

CONTROL: 10/10
The controls just feel right. No learning curve, I picked them up in about 5 minutes. evry motion feels like it should go that way and is perfectly blended with the actions of an LA cop.

OVERALL: 10/10
This is much more than I expected it to be. When I first popped the game into my Gamecube, I was totally pleased, sitting back and relaxing to the voice of Christopher Walken, watching pedestrians cringe as I shot down the people across the street from them. From the shooting rang to the dogo to the driving range, from the ghetto to downtown to the high-rise, this game willl please all that pick it up. The driving is top-notch, the fighting system is without flaw, the shooting reticule is perfect, and the upgrades make it much better. This is by far the best crimr game I have ever played, and I've beaten all of the GTA series.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/16/03