The Precinct from Kwalee and Fallen Tree Games brings us a top-down love letter to classic cop movies. Learn more in our The Precinct review!
The Precinct from Kwalee and Fallen Tree Games brings us a top-down love letter to classic cop movies. You’ll be placed in the role of Officer Nick Cordell Jr. You’re a rookie beat cop who has just graduated from the Academy and must now jump straight into the front line of Averno City. You’ll be one of the people working hard to make sure the citizens of this fine city are able to have a safe life in a world infused with 1980s noir. Oh, and you’ll also be working on solving your father’s murder. He fell in the line of duty, and it’s now up to you to follow his footsteps and bring the murderer to justice.
You’ll be taking on a game that mixes top-down sandbox action with a dash of police sim. Sometimes, you’ll need to put yourself between civilians and criminals. Other times, you’ll be racing against the clock in your squad car or calling for backup or for a roadblock – or maybe some spike strips! – that can hopefully allow you to catch the bad guys. Maybe you’ll have to take on some helicopter chases as you go after the culprits? There are definitely some options for you to do your job. Who knows what will happen once you run through the neon-lit alleys of Averno City.
Once you begin your new job, you’ll move around each area by using the left analog stick, as you use the right analog stick to control the camera as needed. You can also use the right analog stick to aim your flashlight as well. Interact with the Triangle button. Use the X button to toggle between walking and running. Sprint by pressing and holding down the R2 button. Shout at people by pressing the Square button. When you’re in an action segment, then you can aim by pressing and holding down the L2 button and shoot by pressing the R2 button. You can reload with the L1 button. Change weapons by using the D-Pad. You can tackle suspects or try to restrain them by pressing the X button.
If you’re driving a vehicle, then you’ll have to accelerate by pressing the R2 button. You can use the brake and go in reverse by using the L2 button. Steer the vehicle by using the left analog stick and activate the handbrake by pressing the Circle button. Once you need to get out of a vehicle, you can do this by pressing the Triangle button. Press the Touchpad on the DualSense to open up your map, which can help you see where you should be going next. Oh, and if you’re riding a squad car, be sure to turn on the siren by pressing the L1 button!
Things change if you’re on a helicopter, for obvious reasons. If you’re piloting the force’s chopper, then you’ll be ascending and descending the helicopter as needed by pressing the X and Circle buttons, respectively. Throttle the helicopter and strafe by using the left analog stick, and turn by using the right analog stick. You can turn on the helicopter’s spotlight by pressing the L2 button and then using the right analog stick to point it as needed. Request support with the R1 button in order to get the job done. You can exit the vehicle by pressing the Triangle button once you’ve landed on a helipad.
There are several types of crimes you will need to keep an eye out, so that you can do your job as one of Averno City’s finest. There’s, for example, the issue with littering. If someone discards trash on the ground, you’ll have to approach them – without using force! – to issue a fine to the offender. If the offender is acting suspiciously, you might want to take a closer look at their ID. Another option during the aforementioned scenario would be to perform a search, which could yield additional information or even incriminatory items.
Another example is part of what the game catalogs under possession crimes: possession of counterfeit money. This means that someone is in possession of fake or fraudulent currency and must, therefore, be punished for it. This one does allow you to use restraining force, but nothing more. Check the suspect’s ID and, if necessary, forcefully restrain the suspect before arresting them. You’ll then have to escort the suspect back to the station to book them or call an escort unit to take care of that while you continue to patrol the streets.
As you progress further and further in the game, you’ll be rewarded with Tokens for your efforts. You can spend Tokens at the upgrades tab of the menu to unlock some bonuses that will increase your odds of survival and your effectiveness in the force. Upgrades are split into four different sections for you to consider: Physical, Combat, Policing, and Vehicle. Some }upgrades under the Physical section include a 50% boost to your maximum health or a Timed Breath ability that allows you to regain some stamina while sprinting. Under the Policing tab, you can unlock upgrades such as boosting the maximum number of support tokens you can have for calling in backup, as well as unlocking support options sucha s the riot van or road blocks.
This release has a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy for you to try to add to your collection. The list is a long one, split into 21 Bronze trophies. 15 Silver trophies and 3 Gold trophies. What will you need to do for that shiny Platinum? Some of the objectives to complete include submitting 5 pieces of evidence against gangs, issuing 3 valid parking violation tickets, booking 30 suspects, having two suspects from different crimes in your police car at the same time, sprinting for 30 seconds without stopping, unlocking a player upgrade, achieving the rank of Police Officer 1, recovering an artifact, commandeering a garbage truck, booking 6 criminals in one shift, reading every plaque, completing a time trial, getting a gold medal in a time trial, finishing 1st in a street race, and flushing every toilet. You know, the usual.
The Precinct brings us a top-down love letter to classic cop movies. You’ll be placed in the role of Officer Nick Cordell Jr. You’re a rookie beat cop who has just graduated from the Academy and must now jump straight into the front line of Averno City. You’ll be one of the people working hard on making sure the citizen of this fine city are able to have a safe life in a world infused with 1980s noir. Oh, and you’ll also be working on solving your father’s murder. He fell in the line of duty, and it’s now up to you to follow his footsteps and bring the murderer to justice. The Precinct is out today on PlayStation 5.
Disclaimer
This The Precinct review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Kepler Interactive.
