The Precinct

If you’ve been searching for a truly unique police game, The Precinct might be exactly what you’re looking for. It draws inspiration from some of the biggest names in the industry but combines those ideas in a way that doesn’t feel like a mere copy. Instead, it delivers a fresh, innovative, and engaging experience.

The Precinct may not live up to the expectations of those who expect the madness of classic GTA from the point of view of the cops, nor of those who believe it to be just a bureaucratic simulator of police life. Finding a new, immersive and fun place between these two aspects, the game is surprisingly diverse in gameplay and carries with it the heritage of tone of the good buddy cop movies of the 1980s and 1990s.

From its overarching campaign where you try to take down crime lords to its day-to-day patrolling, there's a lot to love about The Precinct.

The Precinct effortlessly blends simulation, sandbox, and silliness. Imagine being a cop in one of the early top-down GTA games, but with modern game design and accoutrements. It's not perfect, but it nails the core gameplay loop that inspired it.

The Precinct is an impressive sandbox romp. Fueled by a dynamic crime system that offers up hours of fun, bite-sized objectives, it's a very difficult game to put down. Every patrol is different, and although tedium does start to set in as the campaign approaches its conclusion, it's still easy to appreciate the intricate and tight design of this ode to old cop movies.

The Precinct goes beyond offering a police simulator and offers an entertaining cycle of work days while we clear the streets of criminals and unravel the mystery of their history. The chases are fabulous and worth a try for just that, although its shootouts and other on-foot mechanics aren't as polished. A very enjoyable and addictive 1980s open world.

There aren't many traits to increase, but the character progression is quite stimulating. The most important thing when you sit down at the desk, however, is the awareness of having made Averno City a better place.

The Precinct sets out to do what it has promised in the trailers and a bit more. It's a chaotically good time and one worthy of picking up in-between some of the larger AAA titles. It doesn't succeed in everything but more than enough to warrant a large following.