The Precinct

This week I put some other things on hold as I tried out this newly released game. Years ago I played Grand Theft Auto in its early versions and had a lot of fun. The Precinct draws heavily on the old-school style of GTA with a top down perspective but it brings amazing lighting which enhances the game a huge amount…

Unlike GTA you play one of the good guys, a Police Officer. Initially you are a newly assigned recruit but you will rapidly work your way up to being a fully fledged Officer as you deal with day to day crimes and some background story based activities. In fact, your first shift is interrupted by a bank robbery which results in a serious shoot-out with the criminals…

…followed by a car chase. Ultimately this leads into the Gangs storyline which will keep you busy in various episodes as you play.

There have been many police based games released over the last few years but most have been deficient in one aspect or another. I think this one has found the right formula to be a success. Aside from the missions associated with the story lines, it takes a strict Police Procedures approach. Initially your partner will help out but it won’t be long before you will need to identify the crimes committed when you stop a suspect. Here’s a simple example. I saw this car being driven erratically so I blipped the siren and pulled them over. The result was a textbook DUI arrest…

…All the actions I took appear on the left of the screen and the lady was off to court. It doesn’t always go so smoothly – I’ve had drivers I tried to pull over for littering decide to make a run for it resulting in a full blown car chase! Then there are the criminals who just pull a gun on you without warning – You will be killed in the line of duty sometimes in this game! Fortunately, when that happens you will just get respawned near your vehicle in your patrol area though if you had any arrested criminals under escort at the time you will lose them.

The game gives you a law enforcement handbook where you can check appropriate responses for any scenario at any time…

…Here’s the section on Vandalism for example…

…and when taking on a new type of patrol for the first time you may get a prompt about what you’re looking for like these parking offenses…

…Yes, you do get to do some mundane tasks as well as the exciting stuff – but the next foot chase is usually just around the corner 😅

When dealing with various types of crime there are permitted levels of response and these are detailed in the handbook…

…and at the times when you are dealing with a criminal activity the game shows the appropriate level of ‘force’ on the screen. Even then it can be easy to accidently overstep the mark like the time my partner and I both tasered the same criminal simultaneously – that was unnecessary use of force and was penalised.

Aiming of weapons in the game can be a bit hard but if you get it right then even the most hardened criminals will be brought down…

…This was a justified homicide and the perp has been bagged up ready for the trip to the morgue. Just remember that your Baton is probably the first thing you should draw and only grab the gun once you’ve been shot at!

At the end of your shift, if your patrol car isn’t a complete wreck…

…You probably weren’t doing your job 🤣 Note the reference to ‘Gremlins’ on the poster 😂 – The game is set in 1983 and the film released in 1984.

This game is great fun and the dev’s should probably have an arrest warrant out against them for peddling addictive items 😅 Highly recommended and if you, like me, have watched too many Police movies and series over the years you’ll love the background soundtrack music which was created just for the game and evokes memories.

Developed by Fallen Tree Games and published by Kwalee, the game is available for PS5, XBox and PC.