True Crime Streets of LA

Ever since GTA3 became America’s favorite crime game, any and every video game even remotely similar to the free-roaming non-linear gameplay GTA3 offered, got tagged as “The next GTA” or a “GTA rip-off”. You don’t have to stop the comparisons that True Crime has with GTA, as it has been Activision’s answer to it ever since it was announced at E3 2002. But True Crimes looks to offer more than you can possibly handle, if done right, True Crime will be giving GTA3 a run for its money, and it just might be able to steal GTA3’s throne, as best crime game ever. So how does Activision think they’re going to manage this?

Well in True Crime: Streets of LA, you’ll assume the role of Nick Kang. A police operative whose been kicked off the police squad for excessive force and massive property damage. But it isn’t long before Kang finds a way to continue fighting LA’s most vicious gangs, through the E.O.D., a specialized crime task force with the ability to handle situations any way they like.

Kang can jump in slow mo while firing, making it easier to aim, and much cooler to watch.

True Crime will offer the deepest combination of driving, fighting, and shooting ever fused into a single game. You’ll be able to commandeer any vehicle on the road, fire two different weapons simultaneously, learn martial arts, pull 360’s in cars (Or 180’s while firing at the vehicle behind you), snap necks, dive in slow motion while gunning and loads more. There will be celebrity voice work from the likes of Christopher Walken, Michael Madsen, and Michelle Rodriquez. There will be nearly 100 missions, and 100 random crimes to take care of. And it will all take place in a 240-square-mile re-creation of LA. Excited yet? There’s more.

In True Crime, it’s not actually possible to fail a mission. It is so open ended, it offers you so many diverse ways to complete the game. If you’re on a stealth mission and get caught, it’s not game over. You just have to deal with the thugs sent after you, if you don’t, you’ll get your ass kicked then tossed outside. Activision is taking this unique aspect of the game to it’s full potential, and experimenting with so many different ways to let players get through the game. So expect to be playing this game over and over once you’ve beaten it, just to see all the different routes you could’ve taken.

Does Nick Kang have what it will take to bust a cap in Vercetti’s ass? We’ll soon find out.

True Crimes has been in development for quite some time, by the folks over at Luxoflux (Responsible for the Vigilante 8 series on the Ps1/DC/N64). It is still a few more months away from hitting the streets, and that time will be spent tweaking and perfecting the game physics and controls, since they’re still a bit weak at the moment.

True Crime: Streets of LA is already forming up to be a killer title, maybe even a GTA killer. We’ll have to wait and see if crime does pay though, when it hits store in November.