True Crime: Streets of LA

"GTA killer, that's laughable!!!"

True Crime: Streets of LA was being hyped by the media and people on the web so much. I remember almost a year ago, reading posts on the web about how xbox gamers shouldn't care about PS2 gamers having the GTA series because True Crime: Streets of LA is going to come out. Well, to consider this game a GTA killer is the most laughable thing I have ever heard. The game is so horrible to today's standards, I don't know why they even bothered to release it.

Gameplay: 2/10

This game was touted as three games in one once the advertisements began about six months ago. Well, to put it more clearly, it is three unfinished games in one. The engines for the driving, fighting, and shooting are so unpolished, it's disgusting to play.

Driving- This area of the game really ruined it for me. I was expecting a lot from this part of the game because it was what was so well done in the GTA series. But that is not the case. The engine feels so unrealistic, it's not fun to play. The sense of speed is also very horrible, because there is none. I unlocked the final car and its top speed is slow to say the least. Also, a city as large as LA, you would think there would be a lot of stuff to do. Nope, you can barely even go off-road. Most roads are blocked with impassable barriers. There aren't even any incentives to actually explore the city. The random crime generator is a joke. I stopped the same speeder that had never been caught something like 20 times, and I didn't even log but 10 hours on the game. The driving sequences remind me of a poorly done Headhunter.

Shooting- This area is actually decent. Albeit, it will be very frustrating at first, since you have to earn all upgrades. Once you get the twin .50 cals, it makes the game bearable. The game includes a very simplistic bullet time and a few other simple moves. Other than that it is hardly a stand alone game with the shooting elements.

Fighting- This area is also horrible. The fighting engine in this game sucks beyond belief. Random people on the streets can block kicks and punches like kung-fu masters. I had grandmas blocking the hell I was dishing out. Also, there is no variety in the engine. To get past every fight, I used the same combination: low kick until they are stunned, then supermove.

Sound: 7/10

The sound in this game is pretty good. The voice acting is superb. Christopher Walken in any game is a good thing. The sound effects are extremely repetitive and bland. I hate hearing ''you're ass just ain't my license plate'' after every stinking fight. Also, if you don't like hip-hop music, you're going to have to suffer, because thats all it has. Getting in and out of cars also angers me because there are no radio stations. A new song starts every time you get into a car, but it doesn't seem to be random at all. I have over 50 songs on my hard drive, but I heard Megadeth ''Youthanasia'' more than any song on the hard drive or on the soundtrack.

Graphics: 4/10

The graphics aren't bad, but I certainly wouldn't call them great. The car and character models look pretty good. But then again there are only a handful of each in the entire game. I saw something like 6 guys standing on a street corner, all the same model. And cars are the exact same way, if you get into a car, you'd better be expecting to see a lot more of that same model because you will. Also, what happened to the motorcycles that were supposed to be in the game? Another issue is the traffic in LA and in this game. Which is not recreated in any respect. Five cars on any street in LA at any given time? Virtually abandoned interstates? Give me a break.

Story: 3/10

The story is said to branch off and it does, but in a total of three times. If you want a branching story line in a game, take a cue from colony wars. I don't want to give away a lot, but it basically has you trying to figure out who killed Kang's father. Towards the end it gets really confusing as they mix in Japanese myth? and the North Koreans? Seriously, I had to fight a dragon in catacombs underneath LA.

Lasting Appeal- 1/10

It took me a total of 10 hours to get a 100% on everything and to get every ending. There is no replay value. I have absolutely no desire to pick the game up and play it again. There is nothing for me to do in the game. They basically took a non-linear style game and made it as linear as they possibly could.

Closing Comments:

I had a lot of high hopes for this game and I can safely say it didn't satisfy any of those hopes. It tried to bring down GTA and failed miserably. I wouldn't even call this game a ''Getaway'' killer. The game is so not fun to play and I think they just got a little too over ambitious. None of the games elements really come close to the caliber of game that GTA is. Do not buy this game, do not rent this game. It is actually detrimental to the overall video game experience.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/03