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

Written by Tony Kennetz on January 07, 2004

Full Review: I remember thinking this was going to be the GTA killer when I just started playingЕ

Something always seems to happen to me after I play a game for a while. It's not that the formula starts to grow old. It's not that some flaws become apparent where they had formerly been translucent (although some will think that's exactly what I'm talking about in a couple seconds). It's that I can no longer force myself to overlook the errors that have been made in an attempt to distinguish said game from a behemoth in the same genre. Think any turn based RPG in the realm of Final Fantasy and you'll get the idea here. True Crime: Streets of L.A. has the same issue, except the УvillainФ is crime kingpin Grand Theft Auto. Is it GTA behind a badge? Not exactly, but as much as I hate to admit it this statement is a lot closer to the truth than I had originally anticipated it would be.

Nick Kang is the type of cop that makes even the ballsiest of criminal flinch and cringe in terror. A loose cannon with a flair for tacky one-liners and killer hand to hand combat moves, there isn't a member of the force looking to work with Kang. Unfortunately for one Rosie Velasquez, the partnership was made for her by Chief Parks. They'll fight crime, while Nick probably commits just as many as he prevents. Nick's good cop/bad cop meter (to be described soon) will take you down your destiny's path based on your choices, as you battle with your multiple personalities to ultimately choose your ending. In a lot of ways, this reflects on the game as a whole: multiple personality disorder.

True Crime has all the good on paper in terms of gameplay. Bullet time, all out hand to hand combat system, precision aiming, and pinpoint driving techniques. The problem? Well, as with most games that make all these promises, the development team is stretched so thin that although all the bases are hit, none of them are given the proper treatment.

Getting behind the wheel, possibly the most important of the above features, may be the weakest link in True Crime's chain. Based upon some strange control set ups (I'll never understand using the right analog stick for acceleration/breaking, although the standard buttons can also be used) and physics, some things just never feel like second nature in True Crime. After awhile you'll grow accustomed to the oddities, the truth is that you shouldn't have to make yourself work with a game, the game should work for you. The score currently reads GTA 1, True Crime 0.

The gunplay is, aptly placed, the middle of the pack. I liked the targeting system and found it to be much more intuitive than Grand Theft Auto's, but that really isn't say much, GTA's was just that far off the mark in my book. Driving down a busy LA street and drilling a car with your pistol is just fun, few can deny, and True Crimeаmakes it happen. Easily. Almost too easily, but that said it trying to manually aim and drive is harder than it needs to be, and more fun can be had just beating the bad guys with the auto aim on. That's what counts in the end, so here I count one for True Crime.

The strongest suit in True Crime's hand is its hand to hand combat. The extensive list of abilities to be gained at various dojos around the city is excellent, helping keep the game from the punch, punch, run, punch, punch, run УcombosФ I frequently found myself making in Grand Theft Auto. Speaking of combos, they actually exist in True Crime. Isn't that fantastic? What? Yes it is, monotonous action isn't all that fun, and you can avoid that with this game.

So, to recap, so far True Crime leads Grand Theft Auto 2-1. Time to move on to the technical judging.

In terms of graphical prowess, this title is a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the environments and characters shock you with mediocrity, while others do so with flair and technical power. Take, for instance, the automobile models. Packed with brilliance and the wow factor, jaws drop all around. However, on the other side of the table the framerate frequently visit's the lower end of the scale, slowing down when the action gets too hot and heavy for the graphics engine to keep up. This will happen from time to time, and it shouldn't when the only standout in the game's visual department are the auto models.

Artistically, this appears to be a highly interactive and accurate recreation of Los Angeles. Nothing more, nothing less. It's amazing that the developers were able to make such a great design out of what was already standing, but when you're taking a real setting and making it into a video game, creativity isn't the cheapest of commodities. The character designs are standard and rather bland, doing nothing to stimulate the mind's eye. Tie this game at 2 all.

The soundtrack, on the other hand, really pushes towards Vice City quality with many fresh tracks recorded just for the game by real West Coast rappers like Snoop Dogg. Nothing provides a more realistic feel than not only hearing hip hop in the right place, but hearing the right hip hop in the right neighborhood. Voiceovers are more than solid featuring Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Michelle Rodriguez and more. Clearly, Activision wasn't playing softball having seen the likes of GTA's killer lineup of songs and voices.

True Crime will take about 15 hours to complete per ending, so getting your money's worth in playtime really isn't a question. If you liked Grand Theft Auto, you'll like playing through this since unlocking everything take s a good 35-40 hours. If not, well, you probably already knew this wasn't going to be a game for you to pick up.