The Precinct Looks Like a Modern GTA 2 if You Played as a Cop, but Promises so Much More

A true Police Sim?

Some of the game's key features are the procedurally generated events, such as crimes, bank heists, illegal street racing, drug deals, and even banal parking violations. You'll never know what to expect because the game isn't entirely scripted, with events popping up randomly, somewhat like in Sony's Spider-Man 2. Theoretically, this non-linear, crime-generation approach should keep things fresh and make every playthrough feel different.

Lewis Boadle, Art Director and co-founder of Fallen Tree Games, said, "The goal of this project is to deliver a high-quality police game that provides both action and simulation elements, so players really feel like a cop." Not to jump the gun, but judging from the trailer, it looks like they're mighty close to finishing their immersion goal.

Boadle also mentions that the team loves the classic top-down GTA games, which is a refreshing, truthful public acknowledgment many game developers refuse to admit regarding inspirations.

Returning to the "Crime Generation System," as they call it, Officer Nick Cordell Jr. will attempt to engage in four main types of events: Dispatch Callouts, Proximity Crimes, Infractions, and Incidents. The Dispatch Callouts crimes like bank robberies, gang shootouts, or the fan-favorite grand thefts auto will be reported to you via the Dispatch radio. You can accept or ignore the missions like an Uber driver does with potential clients.

Proximity Crimes involve more serious and harmful scenarios like drunk driving, street mugging, drug deals, etc. Infractions are less serious, like parking infractions, graffiti, and littering. Finally, Incidents are random occurrences happening along the way, like traffic accidents. However, pulling at the thread of some of them will reveal a sinister plot.

On foot, for example, aside from robberies, burglaries, and so on, you can fine someone for parking for six different reasons: Opposite to Traffic Direction, Too Close to the Crossing, No Parking Zone, Meter Expired, On the Sidewalk, or Obstructing Fire Hydrant.

Some more dangerous missions will offer increased XP as a reward, so that you can pick and choose depending on your playstyle. The more experience you gain, the more weapons and gadgets you'll unlock.

From the interview, it looks like Averno City is a page ripped out of Gotham's crime infestation book, which makes the thought of fighting "scum" as a beat cop very exciting. It also sounds a lot like 1987's "The Untouchables" movie with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery.

For better or worse, as to what concerns player freedom, you can't become a crooked cop like in "The Shield" (2002-2008) and start controlling street gangs. You'll get rewarded when you follow the rules but punished if you start getting sloppy on the job. According to the art director, the main story should last six to eight hours, but you can continue your duty well beyond the end credits roll on your screen.

I asked everything I could muster about the cars on the game's official X account, including what sort of vehicles are in the game and whether there's an official list. Are the nameplates from reality, or are the models made up like in GTA? Are they upgradable, etc?

They answered: "There is no official list at the moment, but perhaps in the future, there will be. We aren't aiming for realism but more of an action-arcade style game, so nothing is 1:1 realistic, and real life is simply used for inspiration. There will be no stats and upgradable cars."

However, what we do know about police cars and choppers is that during chases, you can call in roadblocks, police tactical vans or cruisers, helicopters, or spike strips. And yes, you can get in shootouts while driving, GTA-style.

Delayed

If you look at the developer's portfolio, you most likely won't recognize any of their previous titles, like American Fugitive, Quell Memento, Swapperoo, and so on. The publisher isn't world-famous either, with titles like Wildmender, Voidwrought, Robobeat, or The Spirit of the Samurai.

That's not a knock on their work, just that we're not talking about a AAA studio from the likes of Sony or Rockstar Games. However, with The Precinct, it looks like they have a real contender on their hands. You can tell just from the trailer and the somewhat complex gameplay mechanics that behind it all lies a truly passionate team.

While many might not necessarily be crazy about the theme of being a police officer, its exciting atmosphere, graphics, procedurally generated events, and gameplay might be enough to convince any nonbeliever.

Initially, it was announced for August 15, but it was delayed until fall 2024. As the great Gabe Newell once said, "Late is just for a little while. Suck is forever," so let's hope it's for the better, and when it comes out, it does so swinging with scores well above 8.0.

With so many multiplayer shooters, battle royale or third-person action adventures titles flooding the market and eventually blending into each other, the gaming industry is in dire need of something fresh. Of course, there are the neverending indie games, but let's hope The Precinct will be one adventure we won't forget pretty soon.

Currently, there's no price listing anywhere, but it looks like it's around the $40 price range. The Precinct is coming out on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as on consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. We'll also have to wait a little longer for the PC requirements to come out.