Activision’s game True Crime: Streets of LA was an ambitious project right from the start, and as someone living in Los Angeles, the concept of exploring a virtual rendition of my city immediately piqued my interest. While I’m not typically drawn to the open-world crime genre, lacking significant experience with titles like Grand Theft Auto, the sheer scale of Los Angeles promised in True Crime, coupled with a stellar voice cast, was enough to warrant a closer look. Activision positioned this title as a major release, and while it undeniably boasts impressive features, a number of shortcomings prevent it from reaching its full potential.
One of the first things players will notice about game True Crime: Streets of LA is its well-deserved mature rating. Stepping into the shoes of a somewhat unorthodox police officer might seem tamer than playing as a full-blown criminal, yet the game doesn’t shy away from mature themes. While not excessively gory, the game’s realistic tone makes actions like shooting suspects or even running down pedestrians feel impactful and weighty. Profanity is liberally used throughout, both in character dialogue and within the soundtrack. Furthermore, the game includes scenes set in strip clubs and encounters with characters in a mansion described as “S&M Freaks” wearing leather attire. Prospective players who prefer to avoid such content should be aware of these elements.
The recreation of Los Angeles in True Crime: Streets of LA is undeniably the game’s most striking achievement. Spanning over 240 square miles, the virtual city stretches from the urban sprawl of downtown LA to the glitz of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and extends to coastal cities like Venice and Santa Monica. The sheer magnitude of this digital landscape is truly impressive. A drive from downtown to Santa Monica, mirroring the real-world journey along the 10 Freeway, takes a comparable amount of time in the game – roughly fifteen minutes, mirroring a good day with light traffic in reality. (However, as any Angeleno knows, such days are a rarity).
While the street layout in Game True Crime Streets Of La is generally accurate, it’s important to manage expectations: this is not a perfect one-to-one digital twin of Los Angeles. Many buildings are generic placeholders, with only select landmarks meticulously recreated. The inclusion and omission of certain locations can feel arbitrary and dreamlike. Iconic landmarks like the Shrine Auditorium, Dodger Stadium, and the University of Southern California (USC) campus are not just missing; players can drive through residential streets where USC should realistically stand. Conversely, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is largely intact, as are Beverly Hills High School, Santa Monica College, and even the business park housing Activision’s headquarters (though, notably, their name is absent from the virtual building). Similarly, numerous streets and freeway exits are missing, and the game world becomes less coherent towards the map’s edges. A humorous example of this is the 110 Freeway, which inexplicably splits into two smaller, seemingly fictional streets at the game’s boundary. Another aspect that can be initially jarring for Los Angeles residents is the limited draw distance. Accustomed to the expansive vistas of LA, seeing only a block or two ahead on familiar streets can be disorienting at first.
While these discrepancies might be readily apparent to those intimately familiar with Los Angeles, the vast majority of players will likely remain unaware of these inaccuracies. For most, the sheer scale and level of detail will be captivating, and few will be able to claim they’ve explored every corner of this virtual metropolis.
The core gameplay of game true crime streets of la revolves around open missions. While there’s often a primary objective destination, players are free to explore the city, responding to randomly generated crimes broadcast over the police radio. These crimes vary from minor drug deals and street brawls to intense shootouts or recovering stolen goods, sometimes even including truckloads of (fictional) Activision games, adding a touch of self-referential humor. The primary reward for apprehending criminals is badge points. These points are crucial, as they can be exchanged for upgrades at specialized facilities, health replenishment at clinics, and vehicle repairs. Players typically earn ten to fifteen badge points per arrest, and every 100 points accumulated awards a badge. Badges are then spent at 24/7 upgrade facilities scattered throughout the city, unlocking new driving maneuvers, shooting skills, and combat techniques. Since each facility offers only one skill, a significant portion of open mission gameplay is dedicated to accumulating badge points and seeking out these upgrade locations to enhance abilities.
Gameplay in True Crime: Streets of LA is built around three core mechanics – fighting, shooting, and driving – seamlessly interchangeable during missions. Players can transition between these styles at any moment. Want to subdue a suspect without gunfire? A button press initiates hand-to-hand combat. However, if the suspect attempts to flee by car, players must commandeer their own vehicle for a high-speed pursuit, potentially resorting to gunfire to disable the fleeing vehicle. Each of these gameplay modes receives equal emphasis in terms of screen time and control mechanics. While each has minor quirks, they are all fundamentally enjoyable. The initial hours of the game can feel less polished, as the starting abilities in each mode are intentionally basic. The first few upgrades are almost essential to overcome the initial control limitations. Without upgrades allowing for precision shooting or defending against rear attacks, the controls can feel unresponsive and frustrating. Fortunately, as more techniques are unlocked, the controls become more refined, significantly enhancing the overall enjoyment. Eventually, players can master nitro boosts and rapid 360-degree turns in vehicles, develop a diverse repertoire of punches, kicks, and grapples in combat, and achieve deadly accuracy with firearms.
Beyond the open-world missions, game true crime streets of la features linear missions with specific objectives. These missions might involve racing to a location, engaging in firefights with groups of enemies, navigating stealth sections through alleys, or fighting through buildings. These linear missions are more numerous but generally shorter in length. While some offer exciting gunfights and chases, attempts to diversify gameplay with stealth and tailing mechanics are less successful.
The stealth mechanics in certain missions seem inspired by games like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid, but True Crime: Streets of LA implements them with significantly less depth. Instead of focusing on remaining unseen, the game is remarkably forgiving. Approaching an enemy closely and executing a single “karate chop” to the chest instantly incapacitates them. In a game where even elderly civilians can pose a surprising challenge in a fight, the concept of one-hit stealth takedowns feels incongruous. Consequently, stealth missions can be completed with minimal strategy, relying heavily on repetitive karate chops.
Another less successful mission type is “tailing.” Conceived as “stealth on wheels,” the flawed execution makes these missions frustratingly difficult. Players must maintain a specific distance from a target vehicle without being detected. The problematic AI of the target vehicle is the primary source of frustration. The target car frequently becomes unexpectedly stuck in traffic, forcing the player to abruptly brake and maintain distance until it resumes moving. Often, the target vehicle will then make sharp turns and accelerate rapidly, leaving the player struggling to catch up. Furthermore, the game can unfairly register the player as “too close” even when maintaining a reasonable distance, particularly when the target vehicle turns onto a perpendicular street, creating a situation where the player is deemed too close despite being separated by buildings and remaining stationary.
The storyline in game True Crime: Streets of LA is relatively straightforward. While lacking truly dramatic moments, it provides enough entertainment to drive progression through the game. A notable strength is how the narrative intertwines with gameplay and reflects player choices. Missions can be failed without halting progress, and most cinematic scenes have multiple variations to account for mission outcomes. The game also features a “good cop/bad cop” morality system, influencing the storyline based on the player’s actions and recklessness, leading to significant plot divergences at certain points. In fact, the game offers three distinct story branches, introducing different characters and significantly varied finales, enhancing replayability and player agency.
However, the story is marred by a particularly jarring and incongruous series of missions. In a game striving for a semblance of realistic crime drama, a sequence of events veers into the absurdly fantastical. The protagonist, Kang, tracks down the leader of the Chinese Triad, Ancient Wu, who is revealed to be a 340-year-old character with incredibly long fingernails. This is further compounded by the revelation that Wu resides on a throne positioned above a pit of lava beneath Chinatown. Wu then subjects Kang to three “tests.” The first test involves battling “demons,” which are visually generic flaming skulls reminiscent of enemies from the game Doom. After defeating the demons, Kang engages in martial arts combat with Wu’s concubines, who are tattooed and possess the ability to teleport. The final test culminates in a shootout against a giant Chinese dragon. Thankfully, this bizarre sequence concludes, and the game returns to its more grounded, realistic tone, as if the supernatural events never occurred.
True Crime: Streets of LA is a complex and somewhat uneven game to evaluate. It showcases commendable ambition in its expansive open world, diverse gameplay mechanics, and branching narrative. However, this very ambition seems to contribute to its flaws, including frustrating gameplay elements and technical issues like lengthy loading times and occasional crashes. Ultimately, game true crime streets of la is worth experiencing, but it’s advisable to rent it before committing to a purchase to determine if its strengths outweigh its weaknesses for individual players.
