Activision swung for the fences with True Crime: Streets of LA, a title that, even today, remains ambitious in its scope. While I’m not typically drawn to open-world crime games, the sheer audacity of recreating a massive chunk of Los Angeles – roughly 240 square miles – piqued my interest, especially as a resident. Coupled with a star-studded voice cast promising a compelling narrative, True Crime: Streets of LA had all the hallmarks of a blockbuster. And while it undeniably delivers on some of its grand promises, numerous shortcomings prevent it from reaching true greatness.
A Mature Take on the Streets of LA
Let’s address the elephant in the room: True Crime: Streets of LA earns its mature rating. Stepping into the shoes of a renegade cop might seem tamer than playing a full-blown criminal, but the game doesn’t shy away from gritty content. While not excessively gory, the game’s realistic tone makes actions like shooting suspects or even running down pedestrians feel weighty and consequential. Profanity is liberally sprinkled throughout the dialogue and soundtrack, and the game features adult themes including strip club scenes and S&M elements. If you’re sensitive to mature content, True Crime: Streets of LA provides a stark and unfiltered experience.
Recreating the City of Angels: Scale and Detail
The standout achievement of True Crime: Streets of LA is undoubtedly its sprawling rendition of Los Angeles. Spanning from the skyscrapers of downtown to the glitz of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and extending to coastal locales like Venice and Santa Monica, the sheer scale of the game world is breathtaking. Driving from downtown to Santa Monica, mirroring the real-world 10 Freeway, takes a surprisingly realistic fifteen minutes – a testament to the game’s sense of distance and scale, especially for those familiar with LA traffic (or the lack thereof in the game’s rendition).
However, Los Angeles residents should temper expectations of perfect accuracy. While major landmarks are present, the city layout takes liberties. Buildings are often generic, and the inclusion or exclusion of specific locations feels somewhat arbitrary. Iconic landmarks like the Shrine Auditorium, Dodger Stadium, and the University of Southern California (USC) campus are notably absent, replaced by generic streets where USC should stand. Conversely, UCLA, Beverly Hills High School, Santa Monica College, and even Activision’s headquarters are faithfully rendered (though, perhaps wisely, their name is omitted from the building). Similarly, street layouts and freeway exits are condensed or altered, leading to some geographical distortions, especially at the edges of the game map. Famously, the 110 Freeway hilariously splits into smaller, seemingly nonexistent streets within the game world. Another immersion breaker for LA natives is the limited draw distance, restricting visibility to just a block or two even on familiar thoroughfares.
Despite these inaccuracies, the sheer ambition and level of detail remain impressive. Few players will likely explore every nook and cranny of this digital Los Angeles, but the vastness is undeniable and contributes significantly to the game’s immersive quality.
Open World Gameplay and Mission Structure in True Crime Streets of LA
True Crime: Streets of LA primarily unfolds through open missions. While objectives guide you, the game encourages exploration, allowing players to cruise around the city, responding to random crimes reported on the police radio. These crimes vary from mundane drug deals and street brawls to intense shootouts and even recovering stolen Activision games – a touch of self-referential humor. Success in these encounters earns badge points, the game’s currency for upgrades. Badge points are crucial for unlocking enhancements at upgrade facilities scattered throughout the city, improving driving skills, combat techniques, and shooting accuracy. Each facility offers a single unique upgrade, incentivizing players to explore and engage with the open world to maximize their character’s potential.
Gameplay in True Crime: Streets of LA seamlessly blends fighting, shooting, and driving. Players can fluidly switch between these modes during missions. Engage in hand-to-hand combat, pursue fleeing suspects in high-speed car chases, or engage in gunfights – the choice is yours. Initially, the controls in each mode can feel clunky and unresponsive, particularly before acquiring essential early upgrades. However, as players unlock new skills and techniques, the gameplay deepens and becomes considerably more enjoyable. Eventually, you’ll master nitro boosts and 360-degree turns in vehicles, develop a diverse combat repertoire, and achieve deadly accuracy with firearms.
Beyond the open-world structure, True Crime: Streets of LA features linear story missions with specific objectives. These missions offer a mix of racing, brawling, stealth, and shooting sequences. While plentiful, these linear missions are generally short. Gunfights and chase sequences are highlights, but attempts to diversify gameplay into stealth and tailing missions fall short.
Stealth sections, intended to evoke titles like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid, are overly simplistic. Rather than emphasizing genuine stealth tactics, these sections devolve into approaching enemies and instantly knocking them out with a single karate chop – a jarringly unrealistic mechanic in a game otherwise striving for a degree of realism. Similarly, tailing missions are frustratingly poorly implemented. Maintaining the correct distance from a target vehicle is hampered by unpredictable AI behavior. The target vehicle frequently gets stuck in traffic or makes sudden turns, making it difficult to follow without being detected, often leading to mission failure through no fault of the player.
Narrative and Story Quirks in True Crime Streets of LA
The overarching narrative of True Crime: Streets of LA is straightforward and entertaining enough to maintain engagement, despite lacking truly dramatic moments. The story cleverly integrates gameplay choices and consequences. Mission failures don’t halt progress, and cinematic scenes adapt dynamically to reflect player actions. The game features a “good cop/bad cop” morality system that significantly impacts the storyline, branching into three distinct narrative paths with unique characters and finales.
However, the narrative takes a bizarre detour into the fantastical with a late-game sequence that clashes sharply with the game’s grounded tone. In a series of missions, the protagonist confronts Ancient Wu, the 340-year-old leader of the Triads, residing on a throne above a lava pit beneath Chinatown. This encounter involves battling flaming skull “demons,” teleporting concubines, and a Chinese dragon – elements that feel completely out of place in a game striving for a realistic crime narrative. Thankfully, this surreal interlude is quickly forgotten, and the story reverts to its more grounded crime themes.
Verdict: Rent Before You Buy on the Streets of LA
True Crime: Streets of LA is a challenging game to definitively judge. Its ambition is commendable, boasting a massive open world, diverse gameplay styles, and branching storylines. However, this ambition also leads to numerous frustrations and technical issues, including lengthy load times and game crashes. While the game offers moments of genuine excitement and immersion, its flaws are undeniable. Therefore, a rental is highly recommended to determine if True Crime: Streets of LA’s unique blend of ambition and imperfection aligns with your gaming preferences before committing to a purchase.
