Xbox

True Crime: Streets of LA

True Crime delivers its own brand of addictive free-roaming fun that’s just too clever and entertaining to put down. You’ll spend hours just going through the massive environments looking for crimes to solve and mayhem to cause yourself. There are also some pretty exciting missions that intertwine with a great story filled with interesting characters and plenty of action. Make this a holiday present for those gamers that just love a good action game with a lot going for it.

Even though True Crime isn't a totally original idea, it does take the genre to the next level. It takes everything you love about Grand Theft Auto, and adds gameplay to it. Now I gotta give the Xbox a couple extra points for it's use of 720p HDTV and custom soundtracks. HDTV is something that is a premium with Xbox games, and Activision has really run with it. True Crime is a must have, but it is NOT for kids. Parents that get this for their kids will have no one to blame but themselves. For for guys like me? Crime better take a break, cuz I'm coming to whup that ass!

True Crime is an enjoyable game if you can clear your mind of Grand Theft Auto expectations. The integration of story and gameplay is very nice, but there's a strong possibility that the majority of people won't get it at first because the tendency will be to play this game as if they already know what they're doing. The consequences of your actions and nonactions are huge in True Crime and dramatically change your level of recklessness. It's a storyline that unfolds like a criminal investigation in a good cop show but imagine that you can hop into any point in that show and interact with characters to change the outcome.

While I found the story to be horrible, I did have some fun simply driving around harassing people or stealing the tricked out “Fast & The Furious” like cars spread throughout the level. The unique criminal events also add a nice twist to the fun as I arrived on the scene of a star arguing with his many girlfriends and shot him dead for cheating and drove off. Perhaps that wasn’t how the game was meant to be played, but with the game play being so linear, you make your own fun, you choose the punishment for a particular criminal. The only question left is, Will you be a good cop, or a bad one?

Once I got a handle on the fact that this was not GTA I was able to enjoy True Crime much more. If I had to compare the gameplay to anything else, Dead to Rights comes to mind, but only in basic concept. True Crime is a much more fleshed out design that includes driving, shooting, fighting, and an ongoing RPG skill system to keep improving these skills throughout the game.

True Crime: Streets of L.A. kommt zwar nicht ganz an GTA Vice City (dt.) heran, bietet aber dennoch einiges fürs Geld. Los Angeles wurde toll umgesetzt und die schiere Größe der Metropole ist schon beinahe erschreckend. Klar, dass da eine Menge Verbrechen aufgeklärt werden wollen. Das Cruisen durch die Stadt ist witzig, zumal der Soundtrack wie die Faust aufs Auge zum L.A.-Flair passt. Besonders als Bad Cop kommt richtig Laune auf und Erinnerungen an diverse Hollywood-Streifen werden wach. Bevor der Titel aber sein ganzes Potenzial entfaltet, müssen schon ein paar virtuelle Tage in L.A. vergehen. Denn erst wenn die äußerst umfangreiche Controllerbelegung sitzt, macht das Spiel richtig Spaß.

There are many things that True Crime has over Grand Theft Auto. It adds a more complex, combo-oriented hand-to-hand combat engine plus a load of other cool extras like the KOTOR-esque Good Cop/Bad Cop meter. However, it must be pointed out that True Crime lacks the one element that really made GTA the phenomenon it is: It’s just not cool. Nick Kang, the lead character, is so painfully dorky and lacking in charisma that he might accurately be described as the "Pete Sampras of Video Games."

"True Crime: Streets of L.A." is a solid game that manages to be more than just a "GTA" clone. It was clearly rushed, however, and the numerous bugs and glitches drag it down to a great degree. With a few more months of polish, "True Crime" would have been a contender for a five. It's a ride worth taking, but not quite perfection.

The problems can't tear down the fact that True Crime really does create its own identity, with a tough, unforgiving combat model that creates as solid a police sim as GTA did for gangsters. Too bad it's so short, but there's plenty to do in the city of L.A. once the story is over. This is the first game that treats the GTA model as inspiration rather than a quick ticket to the bank, and it's enough to make you take a whole new perspective on the LAPD. Well, almost.

True Crime Streets Of L.A. n'est pas la révolution du genre. Le jeu est fun, admirablement bien construit, possède de bonnes idées et un design accrocheur mais de grosses lacunes au niveau du gameplay et une certaine répétitivité l'empêchent d'accéder au sommet. En somme, vous ne perdez rien à l'essayer mais quant à l'adopter définitivement c'est une autre histoire.

While it does not have the freedom of GTA, True Crime is an engaging and exciting city-based rampage. It lacks a little polish in places but overall the impression is of a very well crafted game. Nick Kang is annoying, but there's enough freedom and action on offer here to keep most gamers very happy. Some annoying dialogue, the varying difficulty level and an underused city mean the game is only good, rather than brilliant.

True Crime comes across as a title that could have been so much better had it stayed in the oven for a little bit longer. It's not a bad game by any means, but if its flaws were ironed out it really would be the GTA killer the hype machines have somewhat presented it to be. Bits such as the fighting engine can be fun even though it is probably the most flawed aspect of the entire game, though when fighting the tougher enemies in the game those flaws are quickly frustrating, to the point of some people returning the game. However, when you look past the game's flaws you will find a title that is worthy of a second look, though definitely not a blind purchase.

True Crime is a game that simply lacks polish and, in some cases, feels unfinished. It makes decent attempts with its different styles of gameplay, but none of them are particularly well done, and the game's storyline doesn't tie them together in a satisfying way. Add to that an annoying lead character and a general lack of difficulty (that makes the game's eight chapters seem even shorter than they already are), and you've got a game that's worth renting but not much else.

Quoi qu’on en pense, True Crime : Streets of L.A n’est pas si mauvais que ça. Très loin du maître, GTA (mais bien plus intéressant et meilleur que The Getaway ou même Enter the Matrix), le jeu est assez plaisant et nous offre de très bonnes idées et une ville de Los Angeles super bien modélisée. Dans l’ensemble, il y a pas mal de points à revoir comme les chargements, et espérons, que dans un éventuel True Crime 2, tout cela sera corrigé. En attendant, c’est « rigolo » de fouiller les gens au hasard dans la rue, hihihihi… -_-