The Precinct was developed by Fallen Tree Games, the same team that created American Fugitive in 2019, and published by KWALEE. When I originally played The Precinct during STEAM Next Fest, I had no idea that they worked on that game. That’s where the inspiration for The Precinct was first conceived. After wrapping up American Fugitive, the team concluded that their next title would flip the script on the concept, shifting from the fugitive’s perspective to that of law enforcement naturally. We all know what happened the following year. Between navigating a global pandemic, working from home, and the plethora of other life-changing events, The Precinct took six years to develop. The murder of George Floyd had a significant impact on how the US society viewed law enforcement and brought a spotlight to the issue of police brutality and how it predominantly affects communities of color. I’m not going to delve into my personal views, but the developers at Fallen Tree Games decided to incentivize procedures done correctly and penalize poor conduct. Unfortunately, like in real life, the penalties did not match the misconduct and did not deter me from engaging in some wrongdoing. I understand their decision not to make the game more of a choose-your-own-morality, but the option and impact of that mechanic would have elevated the game more.
I enjoyed my playthrough of The Precinct. However, once I rolled credits, I was left with the feeling that there was so much more that could’ve been done with the game. The Precinct is a 3D neon-noir action RPG sandbox game that has you patrolling the streets, solving crimes, and keeping the city safe from bad guys. You play as Nick Cordell, the police chief’s son, on his first day on the force. With the death of his father, Nick Cordell looks to step into his shoes and solve the mystery of his death.
The Precinct takes us on an aerial view of a gorgeous, sprawling city that feels alive with pedestrians, traffic, and, of course, bad guys and girls! The start of the game follows new police officer Nick Cordell as he’s shown the ropes. It’s a fairly seamless way of getting players familiar with all the game’s mechanics. The Precinct starts players off on foot, writing tickets for parking, littering, and other crimes. The second day focuses on Nick operating out of his patrol car, writing speeding tickets, and getting impaired drivers off the streets. Nick’s third day of training involves flying in a helicopter to support ground efforts. Once Nick’s training is finished, that’s when the story begins to unfold. The rest of the game focuses on arresting gang members, building evidence against them, and ultimately taking down the Kingpin of each organization. Without spoiling the story, there are some nice twists and turns in the plot, but by the end, it became a little predictable. Overall, nothing groundbreaking, but a nice little story to play through.
Digging into the technical side of the game, I’ve got to start with the music. Out of the gate, the composers, Gavin Harrison and Sleepless Nights, encapsulate the vibes of a late 80s, early 90s cop movie. The use of the synth wave genre was masterfully crafted and thoughtfully used to enhance the environment and mood. Sleepless Nights’ feature track kicks the game off with a bang. The city is gorgeous! The 3-D top-down view gives players the sense of a sprawling, moody city that is alive. The day and night cycle is a cool mechanic, and just like in IRL, the nights get a bit spicier than the days. However, plenty of shenanigans go on while the sun’s out! The colors pop off the screen, making The Precinct a gorgeous game! The sandbox gameplay is a lot of fun. The shootouts and car chases become quite intense, although the aiming is somewhat cumbersome. I found myself shooting into walls at times, as getting the right angle in a shootout can be a bit challenging. The car mechanics are a little loose; using your brakes is essential when driving, otherwise you could find yourself on the other side of the law. The mini-map shows players where their next objective is located, making it pretty seamless to get around the city to your mission destination. After each shift, the number of arrests, good conduct, immoral conduct, and activities are calculated into experience points for leveling up. As Nick’s police status level increases, more weapons, support options, and shifts open up. A couple of hours into the game, the missions became a little monotonous. There are a variety of crimes that take place, but the game loop becomes stale, and I found myself sticking mainly to the main missions to complete the story. I didn’t even attempt to do any of the races. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of racing in games like this.
I encountered several glaring issues during my playthrough. There were several instances where I encountered stuttering frames while moving and running. I was unable to complete a couple of quests. A suspect got stuck in a building and I couldn’t trigger the action trigger to complete the quest so,I had to walk away from the mission. There was another time that I was on a mission during a helicopter patrol. I tracked the suspect, but when I called in support to arrest them, they just didn’t show up. Speaking of the helicopter, I loved the mechanic, but there were no real consequences while being in the chopper. It doesn’t take damage, and you can’t engage in any actions that would result in harmful conduct during the missions. They felt pointless and I ended up staying away from them. There wasn’t anything game-breaking, just some bugs and personal gripes. A day-one patch was issued that addressed many bugs, and a second patch was released as recently as June 4th, so the developers are aggressively squashing the remaining bugs.
I wanted to love The Precinct; I was pumped after playing it during the STEAM Next Fest. My expectation of the game was off from what The Precinct is: a moody, synth-wave-filled cop drama that encapsulates the vibes of the ’80s with a ton of action and good schtick. Taking 26 hours to run through the story and leaving a lot left to do, the $40 price tag is a resounding yes from me! The Precinct still has work to be done, but the folks over at Fallen Tree Games seem dedicated to fixing the bugs, and with DLC planned for the future, I’m looking forward to digging deeper into The Precinct and keeping the city safe from bad guys.
