Ok, first review - True Crime:Streets of LA.
The idea of the game - True Crime centres around the fact you are a cop who has recently returned to service after being suspended. The game sees you embarking on various missions doing a variety of police work - the main twist of the game is
how you do the work. Bad cop or good cop - the choice is yours.
The game holds a variety of genres - shooting, driving and beat-em-up, something for eveyone but the question is does it all fit together?
Gameplay - As mentioned the game is basically 3 parts. Similarities will instantly be drawn with the GTA series - the same components as each other. However those inital thoughts soon fade as you realise that true crime aims to be a very different type of game.
You have the choice of being good or bad - which then affects the ending you get. You can be good by arresting people or shooting them with "neutralising" shots. If you wish to be a bad cop then killing people with headshots or running them over would do the trick
Upgrades are earned through tasks which such as shooting targets on a firing range, to get these you must have badges which you recieve throughout the game. The upgrades form a big part of the game as you develop your skills (provides upgrades such as fast reload and dual shooting which can become very useful)
Driving sections - Driving, its as you expect. How diverse can it really be? True crime includes the standards with a number of different vehicles to drive and standard controls. The missions are also a good variation - some see you tailing a car needing to ensure you keep your distance while not falling too far behind. Some include the need to gun down another car. (Yes you can shoot while driving!!)
Downsides? well the cars aren't realistic - they can take huge amounts of damage from other vehicles yet blow up after a few bullets hit the roof. The speed of the cars is also wayward, no matter what car you are in if you are being chased then they will always go faster then you.
Shooting sections - This is where true crime comes into its own. Though not exactly in depth, the shootouts are fun and easy to control. You can pull off cool looking moves after just 10 minutes of playing.
The game uses a crosshair system and automatically aims at the enemy - you simply roll, dive, dodge and shoot. You are able to pick weapons off the ground to use (you only start off with pistols...).
Though the best part of the action of true crime it is not perfect - the choice of weapons is poor with a limited amount, plus you have to use the pistols for the majority of the time. The a.i is also disappointing in this area.
Fighting sections - Often this involves you vs several others then a "boss" type who normally just has a longer health bar and a weapon. These are honourable fist fights, no guns allowed. The locations are nice and varied but the actual combat is far too button mashing to excel. 3 buttoms for punches and kicks while you also have a guard and grapple button. Its not complex and this part of the game quickly becomes tiresome.
Other sections - This game really does have a lot of variety! Stealth missions! Again, the locations are good - you go from searching a spa to trying to enter a nightclub. However, in practice these missions are very poor and lack imagination. Its simply a case of press the button when you arrive at this point - one button kills the guard while another disables them (are you a good cop or a bad cop?)
Presentation - Some good graphics with very few glitches. I was very impressed with the size of the city, in this area it puts every other game of this kind to shame. Some nice car physics and the scenery is mostly destructable
The narrative and cut scene's of the game are very impressive. The story is a good one and is so much like a movie that it is unbelievable. Indeed you will probably comment yourself on how many times you have heard a simliar plot - all those cop action films!This is true crimes strongest selling point - it is like playing through a movie that is all fun action.
Overall - A solid and very well made game. A number of faults in some areas but they are outweighted by a strong plot, plenty of action, varied gameplay and a fun game to play.
Better then - Driver 3Worse then - GTA3Review score -
81%