Ever since the first trailer for The Precinct, I knew I was in. Despite impressive visuals and the isometric view point it was impossible not to draw parallels with the old school Grand Theft Auto games. That’s really where the similarities end though. In this particular outing you are cast as the man in blue. Specifically, rookie cop Nick Cordell Jr. Fresh out of the academy with huge shoes to fill. Your late father had been the Police Chief years earlier, but tragically died in the line of duty. Now you not only want to emulate him, but find answers about his untimely demise.
For too long, game developers have been obsessed with the idea that bigger means better. The Precinct bucks that trend with a small, dense map that is filled with character and unique locations. Averno City also manages to capture the feel of 1983 in great detail, with a little bit of Gotham vibes in there too. It was so refreshing to not spend ages travelling between objective markers. Instead at times not even needing the sat nav in the mini map to find your desired location.
The world also feels alive, with incidents around every corner and a destructible environment far beyond the level you’d expect from a small team. All in, what Fallen Tree Games has achieved with Averno City is incredible. I have always been a fan of the isometric viewpoint, but here it really does shine. You can adjust the zoom in the settings depending on your preference. I went for the furthest zoom available, to help with oncoming traffic while driving. This vantage point didn’t diminish any of the amazing detail the game has on offer.
As I said earlier, the story revolves around our protagonist Nick Cordell Jr looking to both make his mark on the ACPD, while simultaneously getting answers on why his dad was murdered. Cutscenes play out with cut-outs of each character lighting up as they speak. This might not be to everyone’s taste, but for me it did a serviceable job at advancing the story and was a clever way to keep development costs down. If I had one gripe with the story it would be that sometimes there can be large gaps between narrative beats, but the gameplay loop was so addictive that it never annoyed me.
Speaking of gameplay, this is where The Precinct really shines. You’ll spend the majority of the game on shift. At the beginning of each day you get to choose between a few different patrols. These can be on foot, in vehicle or in the chopper and can focus on anything from parking violations, to robbery suppression, anti-gang initiatives and many more. As you progress you unlock more options and the ability to customise your shift by start time, duration, location and more.
Choosing what you want to focus on is a good starting point, but don’t think a parking violation shift can’t descend into a high speed hit and run. Because it can. And it will. The game does a tremendous job of balancing the seriousness of the job at hand with the absurd. I had multiple instances and someone chucking litter out their car window and when I put the siren on to issue a simple ticket, it escalated into a full scale chase with road blocks, spike strips and multiple forms of backup. They must have drugs on them I’d cry. Sometimes they did have their reasons to flee, but I did laugh at the few instances when the eventual crimes they were booked for was littering, evading arrest and speeding.
I mentioned road blocks and spike strips. These are two of the support options you have at your disposal. When a chase begins you’ll have a support meter at the top. Keeping close to your suspect will increase the bars, which will then unlock these options during the pursuit. It would be easy for this to become awkward and frustrating in the heat of the chase, but instead it has been implemented perfectly. The support options are selected via a wheel and when you open it, the games screeches to (almost) a halt, allowing you a small window to plan your next move.
Driving in The Precinct is a blast. There are many different vehicles all with unique handling. Your starting squad car may feel a little floaty at first, but once you learn how to tame it you’ll be weaving in and out of traffic and tight alleyways to catch your suspect. When you commandeer a civilian ride, you’ll put a little beacon on top. There’s so many excellent little nuances like this.
On foot chases can be thrilling too, especially once you get an upgrade to time an extra burst of pace and stop your stamina bar from emptying. I had my doubts about the gunplay going in, but this was another area that I found pleasantly surprising. It isn’t anything ground-breaking and maybe on the highest difficulty it would be problematic. But I found the laser sight enough to negate any potential issues with the camera.
Another huge plus, is that despite lots of realistic touches, Fallen Tree Games knows when to allow leniency to keep things fun. You can ask for a new vehicle and it’ll spawn just out of sight. You also don’t have to escort everyone you arrest back to the station. You can cuff them and leave them on the side of the road and another patrol car will turn up in a few seconds to take them for you. Being able to delegate paperwork is so handy as well. At first it was really fun trying to dot the I’s and cross the T’s on an arrest, but with one click you can also have your partner Kelly list everything and you just need to choose whether to fine or arrest.
All of these shifts aren’t just filler either. At the end of each day you’ll cash in XP from the amount of arrests you made, proper conduct etc. This displays as a leaderboard within the precinct and also helps you rank up. With each rank you gain an upgrade point that can be used in one of four categories. Physical, combat, policing and vehicle. Each upgrade felt like it made a real difference out in the field.
For the bulk of the game you’ll be trying to take down the Crimson Serpent and Jawheads gang. Making random arrests can turn up evidence. Sometimes that evidence may lead back to one of the two gangs. Collect enough evidence on a gang and you’ll unlock a mission to go after their captain, then their underboss and finally the boss. Each of these named missions are unique and require different skills in your arsenal.
There are also side activities too. Including rare vehicles to find, stunt jumps to complete, artifacts to find and more. It really is an impressive amount of content and I was constantly impressed with how much had gone into the game. However, as a trophy hunter I was a little disappointed by how tight the timings seemed to be in the time trials. Unless there are some work arounds I feel like that will stand between me and my platinum badge.
All in, I spent around 25 hours in Averno City. I completed 41 shifts, maxed out my character and did a sprinkling of the additional content. The game could be completed in less time, but I wanted to explore all the different shift types and take my time becoming familiar with the city. Crime never stops though, and that suits me. Because I’m itching to get back to work!
-Craig
