The Precinct Review - You Are No Longer in the Academy

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Complicated and thrilling cases involving thugs and police always fill me with adrenaline and excitement. Acting as the police GTA Online always gave me a good time. But The Precinct let me experience all the aspects of being a cop in one of the most dangerous cities, although not everything always involves action. Justice can come from stopping violent thugs, arresting drunk drivers, or simply issuing fines. Often than you think, you will unravel one of the city’s most aggressive criminal gangs from a day of quiet patrolling.

From Rookie to Hero

After arduous days at the academy, your protagonist finally graduates to become the rookie of the Police Department in Averno City. If the city’s name wasn’t obvious enough, this remote place is just as corrupt and rotten as Gotham. You will see many criminals acting even in broad daylight, gangs of criminals disputing territory, or distributors of illicit substances walking around the alleys like it’s nothing.

You may wonder why anyone would want to go to a city like this or if it’s some hazing for the protagonist, Nick Cordell Jr. The truth is that it’s something much deeper for Nick because he arrives in the same city where Captain Nick Cordell, his father, was killed years before, and the case was closed because it lacked information. That’s as far as I’ll go to avoid spoiling things, but the plot ramps up quickly in ways that will surprise thriller fans and anyone remotely interested in police stories.

The team at Fallen Tree Games Ltd, the makers of The Precinct, did a great job of trying to honor neo-noir crime movies in this sandbox. Mainly, as we take on the role of the new rookie, we meet a peculiar and colorful team of colleagues that, although they follow the typical characters in a police movie, have a unique touch. For example, we have the figure of the “mentor,” and although this officer shows us the essentials of the department, he also shows us the tips and tricks of an expert, like where to eat the best hotdogs.

The police team in The Precinct feels like a cohesive, united unit, and it’s interesting how, as we advance in our “training,” we get to know more members. But slow down, rookie, because the higher-ups won’t let you get on their patrol and go into action; you have to earn their trust. The gripping story unfolds at a good pace and maintains the thrill of mystery.

A Typical Day in Averno City

Just because you are the son of the legendary Captain Cordell or because you graduated with excellence does not mean everyone will welcome you with open arms. Learning the systems feels more like “your first day on the job.” With your mentor, we will begin our first patrol and learn our ever-reliable handbook. Like most people, I didn’t read the handbook, but believe me, you will need it more than you think.

The first thing you learn in The Precinct is to do your patrol to guard your assigned area and look for anyone committing a crime, but other people will be nervous around you. So you must know how to approach them, ask for their ID, or even search them; you never know if they will have illegal weapons, stolen items, or narcotics.

Every crime is different, and you must learn the procedure for each. If you have already found a culprit, you need to know if it is appropriate to fine and give a good scolding before letting the criminal go. Others may have only a fine but get violent with you and even try to evade arrest, so you will have to charge them. It may seem fairly simple, but making a mistake with the charge or missing them will subtract EXP at the end of your shift. EXP is essential to increase your rank in the police department, improve your skills, and unlock new parts of the map.

The gameplay is dynamic, fast, and sometimes chaotic in the middle of intense gunfights. I did experience a bit of lag when there were too many elements in the scene, like too many cops shooting criminals or chases, but nothing that broke the immersion in the story.

Pedal to the Metal

Continuing with pursuits, another essential part of your job is to give fines to those who violate the traffic rules, but the best part is when you start driving. Driving is not very difficult, and you will have the help of the map. On top of that, you will have another vital tool, the Speed Scanner. While driving, the scanner will check the vehicle in front of your patrol and, in real-time, will show its speed. If it exceeds the limit, you can signal the driver to stop. Unfortunately, not all drivers will stop, so buckle up and turn on your siren.

In each case, the level of force you can use will depend on the situation. For example, if the suspect who’s on foot or driving only tries to escape, you can try to defuse the situation by ordering them to stop; a specific button gives warnings. However, if the suspect starts shooting or runs over pedestrians, you can ram their car or tackle the criminal before something worse happens. Be careful in every case, though. I had an erratic driver who was about to run over people, so I crashed him to stop him, and in the end, that lowered my EXP.

Yet, your patrol is not the only way to follow a chase in The Precinct, as you will have the opportunity to pilot a helicopter. I can’t say that this excited me the most; although you are not “active participants” in the chase, you are a key piece. When there is a chase, the helicopter indicates to the patrol driver the last location of the fugitive. While in the helicopter, you must always keep your spotlights on the fugitive, giving updates at every moment.

The Major Leagues

While chasing small-time criminals, you might uncover clues that will take you to the most dangerous gangs. If so, you will be collecting evidence to find one of the gang leaders in The Precinct, and as soon as you have enough, you can be part of the operation to arrest them. However, you must be very careful with the rats. There are many in the city, and some may even be in the police station.

In these operations, you will have to practice carefully staying in cover during gunfights. Try to use your bullets at the most opportune moment; you don’t want to waste them, but if it happens, you can find more ammo in the area. Shooting is semi-automatic; it may be easier to shoot with the mouse, but with a controller, it wasn’t that hard. If you get wounded, you can seek shelter for a few moments and recover some HP. Gladly, these shootouts are not so static because the bosses will try to escape through the roof and stairs or even find other allies. It will be our responsibility to arrest the leader.

This part, in general, made me feel like I was living in a cop movie: the inexperienced rookie who becomes the hero by stopping a whole criminal gang. Or like in The Departed, because yes, there is undercover work, but for the safety of our officers, I can’t reveal more.

In the Name of the Law

Fallen Tree Games Ltd did an excellent job of making us live the action with a shot of adrenaline straight to the veins as an expert cop of the most popular action movies. It was great to see how a cop seeks justice while resisting the constant temptations and depravity of a corrupt morality in Averno City. That is, of course, when the protagonist of The Precinct wants answers about his father’s death. The gameplay is incredible, as it does not focus on you just as a John Wick-like protagonist, but we learn and can see the various operations inside a police station.

I experienced almost no glitches, and my police adventure was full of mystery and action like no other. If you are looking for a game that truly makes you feel like a cop with excellent art style, music, and a gripping narrative, The Precinct will make you feel right at home. After so many years of games encouraging us to break the law, having one that lets us enforce it is fantastic.

The Precinct (PC Reviewed)

9 Superb!

This game makes me want to be one of the good cops and sweep out all the corruption in the city. In The Precinct, you can replicate all the special operations to take down gangs, such as chases, shootouts, being undercover, and even using a helicopter.