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

Written by Tony Kennetz on July 11, 2003

Updated Look: I'm gonna go all Hong Kong action flick on your ass unless you get outta the car now!

Violence, crime, and bullet-time are all things that have been made famous in the world of video games for the last few years by games like Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto. Since then we've seen other games try out their hand at the lucrative field like The Getaway. Other games have taken bits and pieces of the formula and turned them into games (Enter the Matrix comes to mind), and that's where True Crime: Streets of L.A. comes into play. Playing as the dedicated, yet simply vicious cop known as Nick Kang, gamers are going to step into the dark underworld of Los Angeles, California. Sounds like something that would come straight out of a relationship between Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City? You might see it that way, but really, True Crime is much, much more.

Activision still has quite a lot to prove however, if they want to show gamers everywhere that they're for real, and not just another company looking to cash in on other companies' success by launching their own clone. That simply isn't going to fly with the public, which has grown more and more skeptical of games of this genre lately. Are they going to be able to show the world that when they come out to play, that they're ready to play hard?

One of my favorite parts of games like, oh...Grand Theft Auto, was the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want. You aren't rushed to go from mission to mission, and place to place. If you wanted to spend a few hours ramming motorcycles into the backs of semis, you were always allowed to do it. Or you could even switch over to help out the good guys by busting fellow criminals for cash. These things really helped keep the gameplay fresh, and they have also become quite the trend among game developers. Luxoflux has taken this to heart and made sure that if you wanted to just wander around doing nothing, you can. They've also added a variety of different modes in which you can tackle randomized jobs, which they say adds nearly unlimited replay ability. Also along those lines are the branching storylines that, akin to your Grand Theft Auto, prevent you from ever seeing a game over screen when you fail a mission. You can kill anyone, even a person you were supposed to protect, and you might lose the respect of your peers back at the office. But you aren't going to get another shot at that mission. That guy you killed is never coming back, and who knows what information he might have had for you. That's the beauty of True Crime -- no matter how you play, you can Уwin.Ф The ending will be different, but indeed, you can complete the game if you tackle the missions handed to you.

The streets that you'll be dealing out all that pain and justice will be those of a faithfully accurate, recreated Los Angeles metropolis. Everything you would see on a trip to one of the most popular cities in the world, from Hollywood to Santa Monica, are here for your brutal pleasure as you serve the public and dishonor all the bad guys on your mission to rid the city of slime, one scum ball at a time.

To take down the enemy, you have to have your self-defense and offensive moves and weapons at a caliber, because when you step out onto these streets, it's no button mashing affair. Activision has promised all-out hand-to-hand and gunplay systems to keep things from getting stale earlier than they should. If you are familiar with the Jet Li films, you know about all the amazing things he can do, be it with a weapon or with his bare hands. Now think, this game is highly inspired by actors like him and the movies like his. Hopefully this part of the game turns out better than the Bruce Lee game that came out last year on Xbox. But when push comes to shove, my money says that this game is a success in this arena. Gunplay will feature the ability to take out different enemies on different sides of Nick, as well as precision firing. And let's not forget that True Crime is using one of the most popular features in games today: Bullet-time. So what if all it allows you to do is a standard fare? Being able to fire at multiple targets while flying through mid-air will always be cool, so I give this my whole-hearted approval.

Commandeering (in this case, we can legally hijack another's car) automobiles in True Crime is a great idea too, as I know it was a pain having to deal with police every time I stole a car as a criminal. Lucky for me, Nick Kang is a full fledged cop, and he can rip anyone out of their cars and blast down the road in pursuit of a fugitive. From there he can continue to shoot his guns from the privacy of his comfy car, taking out enemies at will. Not only that, but from what's been said and seen the chases are just plain sweet. Amazing.

As if all this wasn't enough, Activision has gone well out of their way to make the sounds of L.A. as realistic and dramatic as you're going to find in a video game of today's standards. Big name professional actors like Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken and Michelle Rodriguez have been confirmed for speaking roles in the game. Musically, Vybe Squad, a premier west-coast hip-hop label, has signed on with its high-profile talent to create a soundtrack that will set a new standard in gaming. Thus far, artists Ice Cube, WC-E40, Mac 10, EZ E Jr., KAM and 187 are all confirmed to be writing and performing music set to be played in the game, providing what is sure to be a real west-coast feel for the game.