Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: True Crime: Streets of L.A.

Written by Tony Kennetz on February 14, 2003

First Impressions: Ever wondered what would happen if Tommy Vercetti went to work for the boys in blue?

Today when people think of crime and video games, one series comes to mind. Grand Theft Auto. It's truly a tough task to speak about any game of what has become GTA's genre without making a comparison. True Crime: Streets of LA is yet another entry into the now flooded crime game arena. But this one holds something a little different in its tank: You're not making committing crime (per se), but stopping it. As Nick Kang, players will take the journey of a disbanded cop, fired for nothing else but excessive violence, who has been recruited by a special ops unit to work the streets of LA. Best of all? They really don't care how the hell he does it. It's every cop's dream.

УNon-linearФ has become something of a clichщ with this generation of gaming consoles. So many titles have taken the go-and-do anything formula to new heights, that it seems we're almost a complete turn around in the industry. Following this trend, True Crime looks to make itself noticed by doing something new: Making the formula better.

To keep things fresh, gamers will not only get to answer at least 100 scripted events and missions, there will also be 100 or so randomly generated crimes to tend to when the call comes in. It's how you handle these calls of duty that will decide your fate. Say you're told to tail a suspect in a murder suspect to a certain area. You could do so, or you could simply break his neck. All without ever seeing УMission FailedФ popping up on the screen. Of course, now you miss out on whatever he may have been leading you to, which will obviously affect the way you'll progress to the end.

The question of how your decisions will affect your progress can be answered in two simple yet remarkably notable words: Branching storyline. However, the way things break off is another thing that takes True Crime out of the crowd. Anyone who has played Resident Evil 3 has seen the multiple-choice questions that will alter your path and story. No such warnings here. You'll never know when your choices are being documented and counted towards the closure you'll receive, but you'll always need to think about it if you want to gain a specific persona. Luxoflux has said there will be bad, good and great endings, saying that while you'll want the best one, you're not going to be left high and dry with the worst. One can't help but be a little skeptical when something like this is said, however.

So, you killed him. That informant whom you thought might be stabbing you in the back. Turns out you were wrong, and guess what? You aren't going to get him back. People die on the streets of a volatile LA, and this can make things better and worse for you. Whether or not you take the chance to kill off a crime lord could come back to haunt you no matter which road you take.

Every cop you'll meet likes to think of a specific plot of land in the city they patrol as Уtheir own.Ф The land you'll get to patrol is a whopping 300 digitally recreated square miles of LA's sprawling landscapes. The trademark of LA's streets, its traffic, has yet to be confirmed. Its safe to say you'll see some of it, but if this aspect will be fully represented is yet to be seen.

RPG fans will also find something for them in this otherwise rough world of gunplay. Around the city there are various dojos where you'll be able to sharpen your skills, and learn all new fighting techniques. You'll do this through a lot of practice, or Уleveling upФ for all those Role Players out there. As well as hand-to-hand combat abilities, you'll also go to УschoolФ for gunplay and driving. Only if you conquer these institutions of higher learning will you be able to defeat the toughest foes on the block, all your skills are to be tested to the fullest extend by many of this game's baddies.