True Crime: Streets of LA

"True Crime... well, what can I say?"

True Crime: Streets of LA, if nothing else, serves to be an endless generator of crude jokes and one-liners that would make your mother gasp. The audacity of the game when it comes to these matters is so high that it's laughable. I guarantee you that if you're looking for your share of cheap laughs; this game will satisfy you beyond any doubt. But don't come expecting anything substantially more than that, because you will undoubtedly be disappointed. It's flashy and pumped full of more ATTITUDE than you could ever imagine, but when you start to talk in terms of how the game actually plays, you will find that it's nothing more than a mediocre driving/shooting/fighting game that vaguely reminds you of a certain Grand Theft Auto series (Coincidence? I think not).

The game puts you in the shoes of Nick Kang, a loose-cannon cop of Los Angeles with a past shrouded in crime. Despite his rather “unorthodox” and “violent” personality, he's practically the best cop in LA. Barely five minutes after starting the game, good ol' Nick comes across a crime which seems to be a minor one at first, but soon evolves into a huge crime, one that makes up the game's plot, with branching storylines. But rather than being based on decisions of yours, as is usually the case, the direction the story takes is based on your performance. Every time you fail a mission, you're given the option to continue the story without repeating the mission. Continuing the story without finishing a mission almost always sends you down a “negative” story branch, and it can even prematurely cause the game to come to an end. While this is an interesting and somewhat new approach, all of the novelty and innovation is hindered due to the actual story.

The story is a bit confusing. Not just in terms of the actual plot, but also in terms of what sort of story it is. You can't help but wonder if it ever takes itself seriously. It's obviously trying to be funny, but it tries to get funny in all of the wrong places. And that's not saying that it actually succeeds in being funny. Let's just say there are one too many Viagra jokes in there for my tastes...

However, when the story does attempt to take on a serious tone, it's hardly a welcome change of pace. The seriousness of nearly every situation is almost always lost through Nick's “unorthodox” way of handling things. Due to his personality, it's nearly impossible to take any situation seriously, yet the game is obviously implying that it wants you to. It leaves you, the gamer, somewhere in the middle, wondering whether to attempt to laugh at the chain of events or to get serious and concentrate. This is a rather uncomfortable feeling to start having at every other cut-scene in the game. The story only serves to disrupt the flow of the game, which is not good... not good at all.

The game in general looks fine, and nothing else. There aren't any super-realistic graphics here, and while I will admit that some effects (like explosions... yow!) that will make your jaw drop; the rest of the game is so average that it actually seems worse in comparison. I'm not an L.A. native, so I can't give an opinion on how “Los Angelish” the game looks, but I can say with reasonable confidence that it does do a good job of replicating the feel of a crowded and very popular city.

There are way too many things that look like either they weren't polished or not enough care was put into them, however. Some of the scenery is very bland, jagged, and not to mention glitchy. It's not uncommon to find yourself halfway through a part of the scenery or background after a huge car-crash near the edge of the road, and there are various other glitches that happen way too often. With a (lot) more polishing on the visuals, the overall feel of the game may have improved. However, you have to work with what you have, and what you have is mediocre, at best.

The gameplay itself is, in one word, shaky. It should come as no surprise, seeing that the game has taken on the unheard-of task of blending 3 genres into one. That is correct. True Crime is a shooting game. It's a driving game. It's a fighting game. (If you can't see the big, red STOP SIGN right here, you need your eyes examined.) It would take a very special game to implement all of these three features at once. A very special game indeed. True Crime... is, unfortunately, is not exactly that game. It makes valiant steps, which it should be commended for, but in the end, it tries to do too many things at once, not spending enough time on each section. As a result, each and every section of the game has its own flaws. While they may be small flaws individually, they amount to major flaws as a whole. No amount of shooting, driving, and kicking fat guys through tables could possibly make you forget that. But the game still tries... it really does. But “trying” and “delivering” are two different things entirely.

One thing that you must commend the game for is its effort. The Los Angeles you play in is not some cheap imitation Los Angeles; on the contrary, it's almost the exact opposite. The game makers went and recreated about 200 square miles of actual-size, photorealistic Los Angeles. All of the main and minor streets are here, even the buildings and highways. 80% of the time, you're free to cruise around at your leisure, with no time limit. And, best of all, it's completely vulnerable to your “destructive” tactics. Drive crazy, shoot the scenery, shoot people, blow up your own car and then jack another one... the list of things you can do goes on and on. I cannot count the number of trees and fences I've knocked down in this game... but let's just say it's a lot. The very fact that you're in your own Los Angeles and that you can destroy it and its inhabitants at your leisure is one of the few things that saves this game from obscurity.

While cruising around Los Angeles, you will eventually be alerted to random crimes (you mustn't forget, you're a cop, albeit one without a uniform and a tricked-put car.) These “random crimes” are one of the few things the game claims as “unique.” These crimes vary from a simple street fight to a high-speed car chase, and while they may be a break from the monotony of cruising around, they, too, can eventually become a chore, because the way you handle them is calculated. Kill everyone, and you will get a “bad cop” point. Neutralize and arrest the villains, and you'll get a “good cop” point. These points will add up and eventually impact on the missions you can play, and random crimes are not the only ways to receive them. But this brings me to my next point. Since going on a rampage is viewed as “bad” (perish the thought!), you will receive many bad cop points for, as I like to call it, “having fun.” So, basically, unless you don't care about your game status, you have to play like... well, a cop.

I can hear my readers now... “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...”

Admittedly, the only other thing that's fun about the game, besides the destruction, is the driving. Forget all of the fancy driving techniques, and the car upgrades, the driving is where it's at. The driving physics are nothing to write home about- it's just the sheer fun that makes this the most enjoyable part. In the right car, you can reach speeds of up to nearly 200 MPH. Just think of cruising down Main Street at that velocity! Call me a maniac, but it was pure bliss to send pedestrians diving out of my way, screaming, some making it and others not. (Wow, I guess you really can call me a maniac...)

However, the car selection is disappointing. There are about 15 or so cars in the game, in about five or six colors. Not nearly enough, considering there are a few of your token “useless cars” which can only go about 55MPH on a good day. The aforementioned “driving techniques” are, for the most part, useless, except for the Nitro Boost. That... now that's useful and fun.

The shooting is sort of a step down in quality, mainly because it overdoes itself. Nick is almost helpless against enemies without his gun, so he is sure to carry at least one (with an unlimited supply of ammo) at all times. That's unlimited bullets, along with a certain feature called “Bullet Time.” Bullet Time can be said to be overused in some games, but this game more than overuses it, it sucks all the life out of it. Seriously, EVERY TIME you execute a diving shot or go to shoot in first person mode, no matter what, every single time, the game slooooooows... ... doooooooooooooooown... ...

...

It gets annoying after a while. Sure, you can line up shots perfectly, but is that very realistic? Luckily, this bullet time only lasts about 10 seconds before the game speeds up again.

Even without Bullet Time, the shooting aspect of the game is still pretty mediocre. There are only a few types of guns you can use, and they don't make much of a difference. The only way you can get the guns that actually make a difference (read: the real, automatic-fire heavy machine guns) is to kill someone who already has one. And since you'd probably get killed in the process, it's safer to stay with your handgun. And you'll have to get used to it anyway, because any super-powerful weapons you pick up form enemies can only be used until they run out of bullets. And since the enemy's most likely emptied half of their gun trying to kill you, this takes a shorter time than you'd think.

The fighting part of the game is just a joke. There is no other way to describe it. You will almost never fight in the game unless it's a last resort or the game forces you to. Why? Because it's hard, jerky, and not fun at all. Actually, that's not true. It's only fun when you execute a high-flying combo to knock your opponent off of a high ledge. But the only way to accomplish this is to “fight” through the laughable fighting system for about a minute (ha!) and hope you can press awkward button combos in time just to see this five-second result. Is it worth it? You decide!

When you speak of the missions themselves, this word will most likely come to mind: “repetitive.” If the mission is not of the four “fighting, shooting, driving, or cruising” categories, it's a welcome addition, and it most likely won't be seen or heard from again. The missions themselves aren't too hard; in fact, they're all downright easy until you get to some of the later ones. An exception can be made for the fighting missions, no matter how much you practice; the first fighting mission seems to be just as hard as the last. At least there are some instances that stand out in my mind, such as the “plane chase” or the “strip-club fight...” Heh...

The sounds of the game are... okay. Most of the time, the air is filled with the sound of Los Angeles, and this rises one major question. Since when was Los Angeles so... quiet? It almost seems empty, despite the activity going around you. This fact constantly reminds you that you're playing a game. However, whenever you step into a car, everything changes. Your ears are filled with loud, booming rap and hip-hop music. True Crime decided to go in the urban direction with the game, and that fact is not reflected better anywhere else than in the music of the game. And don't get me started on the language. It is not uncommon to hear the “f” word about 3-4 times during each play session. The game consistently throws such language at you that you wonder if they did this on purpose. I do not know if the music and language match the reality of Los Angeles. All I can say is this: If you like that kind of music, or if you're used to that kind of language, this game will make you feel right at home, regardless of where you live.

The sound effects themselves are pretty unrealistic. Fighting is a prime example of this fact. I do not believe I have ever heard those kinds of sounds while two people are fighting. It sounds like those two people are... I don't even want to attempt to guess. The rest of the game pretty much follows the fighting example.

One good thing that can be said for a game like this is that it has a lot of replay value. This should go without saying, with the alternate storylines and around 4-5 or more different endings, but it is worthy of being mentioned. There are also many “alternate” missions and side tasks you may feel like taking, but most of them seem to have no use after you finish the game. The only real reason you'll want to keep playing is to see the alternate endings, and that's it.

When it comes down to it, True Crime: Streets of L.A. is a mediocre game, and that's it. Nothing less, nothing more. It has its strong points in its wild attitude and “inappropriate” fun, but its weaknesses show when you start to play it extensively. It is the perfect example of a good, solid rental. Buy it only if you're in the mood for some repetitive, semi-humorous fun.

5/10

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/15/04