True Crime: Streets of LA

"A good turn from the GTA-series,but its not nearly as good as GTA."

Hello Reader.This is my review for Activision's True Crime: Streets of LA.An RPG/Free Roam/Shooter/Driving/stealth/Fighting game.When I first heard about this game,I was excited.Cruising through Santa Monica,jacking cars,you know,the works.I am a very very very large fan of the Grand Theft Auto Series,and When I found out you were a cop,I was still excited because I could then play the other side of the Crime games...when I bought the game at EB and put it in my Xbox...I was happy...and disapointed.

Graphics-6/10
The graphics in True Crime are sub-par.The cinematics are preety good and detailed.Lip syncs work okay,the faces have little emotion,and there just not that good compared to other Xbox titles.The in-game graphics arent very good either.The animations seem sort of like robots at times,there isnt much detail in certain objects,character models look very much the same,I've seen 5 of the same guy walking down the street! The gun graphics are preety well-made,but they lack detail also.There are a very limited amount of different cars.True Crime has about 60 different car models,while GTA: Vice City (XBX) has about 100+.Los Angelos is HUGE,I mean HUGE,Gigantic! You can take about 8 Vice Citys and put them into LA,but that all comes at a price.All of the neighborhoods look the same.All in all,the graphics do the job,but thats it.

Sound-7/10
The sound in True Crime is also sub-par.Nick's comments to certain things are funny,like in the end of a shooting mission,Nick will say ''Aww man,this is gonna take one s***load of paperwork.'' Those are funny,but I hear them ALOT.The music in True Crime is not very good.If you like rap...bump this score up to a 9/10,if not,keep it at a 6/10.I personally HATE rap.Luckily,there is a custom soundtrack option,so I can listen to my music.The voices for the characters are all preety well made,especially Nick's.The sound effects for guns work well,which is good.Again,the sound in True Crime gets the job done.

Gameplay-7/10
The Gameplay in True Crime is like taking elements from an RPG,free-roam,shooting,driving,stealth, and fighting game into a pot and out comes True Crime,which does an okay job at making them all together.The RPG elements are horrible for fans of RPGs (The only RPG I like is Final Fantasy 7),as you can only upgrade your guns,car,and fighting moves.Thats basically it for the RPG.The free roam elements very well.You have all 200+ sq. miles of the City of Angels to explore.There are highways,alot of neighborhoods,everything that LA should have,and since your a cop,you get the awesome abilities to solve street crimes! From hostage situations to stolen video game trucks,I never get tired of driving around doing those street crimes.The shooting elements of the game work pretty well,you can upgrade your guns,for example,at first,you get two .38 revolvers,after alittle while of doing missions and what not,you upgrade your .38's into 3 other types of pistols! The shooting resembles that of Dead To Rights (XBX),you can target multiple people,use people as human shields,use cover,and pick up dropped guns.Meaning your fantasys of being able to hold an AK-47 in one hand,and a SPAS-12 shotgun in the other hand are going to come true! The driving aspects are just okay,alot of the cars look EXACTLY the same,the cars dont have names (unlike in GTA),and I just dont like it that much.The stealth parts of the game are again,just okay.You get a tranquilizer gun,the ability to karate chop people,the usual,and it works alright.Finally,the fighting system I HATE.It just doesnt work,you can upgrade your moves and stuff,but thats about it.I mean,Martha Stewart fights like she spent 50 years in the damn Kung-Fu temple.The gameplay in True Crime works though.

Controls-4/10
The controls in True Crime are very frustrating! Nick Kang moves slow,you have to use the D-Pad to switch from roam,to fighting,to shooting,whereas in GTA,there all-ready there.Sure,you have the ability to precision aim your pistols,but god Activision,dont use the same button that fires the weapon to use the aiming ability!Fighting is sluggish,free-roam is sluggish,and shooting is sluggish.I mean,c'mon! Im used to to playing GTA: Double Pack,where you press the R trigger to accelerate and the L Trigger to decelerate,The L trigger in True Crime makes you enter and exit a car,so im bailing half the time! The control in True Crime needs work.

Story-6/10
True Crime's story reminds me very much of Big Trouble in Little China for some reason.You play as Nick Kang,badass cop who got suspended and is now re-hired for the Elite Operations Divsion.You have to fight Triads and Russian mobsters and then the multi-branching storyline does the rest.Its like this,lets say your mission is to get to some diner in Chinatown,you have 1:30 to get there.If you get there,great,you get the good cop story.If not,you must do things the harder way,by chasing the goon you had to get too in a car.I like that factor.At first the story was fun,but then BAM! Like that,you have missions where your fighting chicks that are on fire and demon-heads,and Dragons,DRAGONS FOR GODS SAKE.Activision,if you make a sequel,make it more realitic!

True Crime is good turn from most free-roam games where your a mobster,but,it lacks,in all aspects,but still fun to play.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/13/04