True Crime: Streets of LA

by ACTIVISION

Product Features

• Ex-cop Nick Kang is going deep undercover to stop the Chinese and Russian gangs that are destroying the city. The mobsters have met their match -- you're a one-man army, using their own tactics against them, to shut them down!
• Bring down the crime syndicates of L.A. in driving missions, gunfights and martial arts showdowns across hundreds of square miles
• The unpredictable branching storyline leads to a wide variety of new choices, with mission you undertake
• Build skills as you travel across levels, as you explore the realistically designed city

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008G8IA
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 3, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,295 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: GameCube

Amazon.com Review

True Crime: Streets of L.A. is a Grand-Theft-Auto-esque action/driving/shooter that allows you to take control of Nick Kang, a cop out to solve a strange rash of crimes and solve his father's mysterious murder. The game treats itself like a movie, with frequent dialogue and cinematics, a soundtrack filled with some of rap's heavy hitters, and some surprising voiceover talent, like Christopher Walken and Snoop Dogg.

The missions given to you tend to involve shooting up or beating up (there is a big distinction between gun fighting and kung fu) a room full of bad guys, or simply have you racing against the clock in your car. In between, you can roam around and solve simple street crimes (mugging, car jackings, etc), or earn upgrades for your driving, shooting, and fighting abilities. The upgrade mechanism is important because while it's an entertaining way to add new gameplay elements several hours in, the early game leaves you with so few moves that the game is hard, or worse, boring. The game also features a Good-Cop/Bad-Cop karma system that rewards or punishes you for doing the right or wrong thing. Arrest criminals in non-lethal manner to get better endings, or terrorize the populace and have both citizens and police turn on you.

While it can be an entertaining take on the Grand Theft Auto genre, True Crime tends to suffer from hit and miss execution. For every compelling game element, there's another equally awful one. There are several mission types that are completely devoid of any fun, melee fighting favors button mashing even after the nearly-useless string of upgrades, and the controls and camera seem to work against you more often than for you. Ultimately, hardcore Grand Theft Auto fans and the infinitely patient may be in for a treat, but everyone else is advised to think twice about this game.--Jon "Safety Monkey" Grover

Pros:

• Variety of mission types keeps game from getting overly repetitive
• Karma system and plenty of alternate cinematics add to replay value
• Excellent voice work and above average graphics

Cons:

• Controls feel sloppy and the camera will make you want to punch out your TV
• Certain mission-types are just plain boring
• Melee fighting favors button mashing over thought-out, timed attacks

Product Description

True Crime: Streets of L.A. lets you use your brutal reputation and skill with a gun to good use -- putting a stop to the scum that's ruining L.A.!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I have played it and..., November 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: True Crime: Streets of LA (Video Game)

About four weeks ago I wrote a review of this game and said how it looks great and that I hadn't played it yet. Now I own it and able to tell you how it came out and rate it. First of all it yes is a Grand Theft Auto KILLER! they where right about saying that. You can absolutely do anything and have alot more fun. The graphics are not as colorful but it is 240 miles of roaming space and it is really that much. I mean to go through every street it would take forever. Here is my review and how I see what is better and worse than GTA 3,and VC.

Graphics 9/10 the game has 240 miles of roaming space and being able to make the graphics look just as good outside as good inside is great. Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City are more colorful but they have a trailing shade look behind them. I would give GTA 3 and VC a 8.7/10 for graphics.

Sound is a easy 10/10 The soundtrack is amazing and awsome how you can use it. There is no radio button but your able to play any song you want by a selection just like Tony Hawk series.
The guns are a loud load of fun to here and the car engines are diffrent for each car and same with weapons.

Control 9.4/10 There not bad and there not great there just like Splinter Cells controls. The way this game beats Grand Theft Auto series is in the aiming. You can select what you want to shoot at and not only one but two targets.

Gameplay 10/10 You can choose to arrest people or kill people.
Firing a warning shot or show your badge is how to put people down and arrest them. You get a huge selection of cars from
many of your known brand companys. Just to name a couple Dodge Dakota, Chevy Trailblazer, Ford Mustang, Ford 69 GT, Dodge Viper, Porshe, Dodge Neon, Bus, Ice cream Truck, Street Bike, Taxi, and Cop car.

Shooting 9/10 Just as good as GTA 3, VC but better aiming and more options to shoot.

Fighting 8/10 It can sometimes be hard and long and learning the tricks and finishers might take awhile. Adding wrestling moves is a smart move also. If you want me to put it straight the fighting is like Dead To Rights.

Driving 9.7/10 Oh yeah it is definetly a high point of the game.
You can easily take control of any car and how it drives with a control setup similar to the new Need For Speed Undergrounds.

Running speed frame rates per second 7/10 It has wierd glitches sometimes and some wierd slowdowns but it rarely happens unless you get alot of action going and have a vehicle running. I have had no slow downs on fighting but have had to turn it of because of loading and it making a glitch out of it. Timesplitters 2 runs at a beautiful 60 frame rates per sencond and I would estimate True Crime Streets of LA at about 40 FRPS not bad for a 240 mile city and more live people than GTA 3 or VC.

I would give True Crime Streets Of LA a 9.7 out of 10 in all and would easily say its better than Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City. Rockstar im sorry someone has finally stole your fame and fortune and looks like they could do it again. Have fun and I would highly reccomend this game.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite games of all time!, November 16, 2003

By 

mdizzog (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Crime: Streets of LA (Video Game)

My gosh, in all my years... This game seems to take all the elements from GTA and improve upon them in some way.

The story is great. There are multiple stories and different outcomes will occur depending on what you do. The characters in the stories are great also. The voice acting is probably the best i've ever seen in any video-game. Every character has the perfect voice actor. Christopher Walken and that chick from The Fast and the Furious both do voices. The main character, Nick, has a great voice that fits him perfectly. His voice actor also knows how to make his lines actually funny.

As for fighting, some of the best! The camera is magnificent, and I only turn it when I need to(which is rarely). Plus, fighting is not just "Hit x over and over!". You can do combos, tackels, kicks, and punches. They are fun though. As you fight you can destroy things around the room. You can get knocked into some tables or even through a fence! Driving is the same way because you can drive into and through basically anything, which is fun.

Guns rule. I mean, basically the infinite ammo for your basic pistols works well. You will never have to die because you can't find ammo or you run out. There are plenty of upgrades for your guns and ways to improve your gun methods. Pretty soon you will be able to shoot 2 guns in different directions, and shoot precision shots. The coolest thing is shooting the gas tanks of cars. I once shot this car in the back and it flipped over and crushed 2 criminals!

There are quite a few extras also. You can solve crimes happening around the city, and you can check citizens for illegal things. I like just cruising.

The graphics are basically better than GTA slightly. As in, The buildings all look different and the areas are much more realisitic. There aren't real ramps, but your car can flip and stuff. Also, when your car gets shot it will get holes in windows and lose wheels. Another thing, they took 240 square miles of Los Angelos. For those of you that don't know, thats pretty much 15 times the size of GTA, and im going to estimate 5 times the size of the Getaway. The Getaway is kinda like this game, but this game takes place in the USA not in London or whatever.

Basically I would reccomend you buy this game. Its a huge area that lets you see huge skyscrapers, brilliantly done lens flare and far clipping effects, a great atmosphere in the day and night, and of course some of the best voice acting around. Who knows, mabye you will get to know Los Angelos better than someone who lives there.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars destruction and a lot of nonsense, January 10, 2005

By 

Arnout Koeneman (the netherlands) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: True Crime: Streets of LA (Video Game)

No it's not as good as GTA.
So, enough said about that.

This game is so much fun!!
I can drive around, doing nothing at all, for hours.
I can fight and shoot anyone I want and run everybody over with a car and it's so much fun!
It has a low moral standard for sure, but I'm not an idiot who thinks this would be cool in real life. In a game world it's fun though.
Ofcourse you can choose your own destiny in this game, being a good cop or bad cop, but the Nick character isn't very likeable to begin with, he's a real jerk. I cannot identify myself with him and therefore I didn't feel commited to be a good cop.

The story is so awfull that it's actually really fun. You listen to the most cheesy and cliché dialogues. I had to laugh really loud when the Chinese guy who Nick fights appears to be his brother. "I thought you had lost it bro" So cliché and crap, but therefore hilarious.

Ok I will summon up the good and bad points:

Good:

- The crap storyline. Good for a few good laughs.
- The driving, which is easy, straighforward and with some cars you can go really fast. Each car has its own way of driving and steering which is fun too.
- The fighting is easy, but it sometimes does require more than simple button mashing.
- The graphics are pretty good, yes Gamecube can do better, but LA looks pretty amazing to me.
- The freedom you have to go anywhere you like.

Bad:

- Nick, the main character, is a jerk. A typical B-movie superhero. But in the setting of the story it works fine.
- Many times "precision targetting" isn't that precise at all.
- "Precision targetting" while driving does slow you down, you'll fail to catch the bad guys.
- Long, very long loading times. There isn't much continuity due to this annoying aspect.
- Sometimes the Hip Hop got on my nerves.

Overall 4 stars, but 5 stars for fun.

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