Never in my wildest dreams did I think a game that involves assessing parking violations and handing out the appropriate fines could be in any way interesting. And yet, I came away from my time with The Precinct curious to see more.
Developed by Fallen Tree Games, The Precinct is an upcoming indie that puts you in the shoes of a rookie cop and invites players to walk the streets of a fictional city in pursuit of justice. You may well have played the demo, which is still available to download on Steam.
It’s a curious blend of classic Grand Theft Auto - with lots of top-down action, car chases, and gun fights - and surprisingly mundane police work. You could be dishing out parking tickets and arresting vandals one day on the job, and taking part in a violent drug bust the next.
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This duality, the developer tells me, is absolutely intentional. The Precinct started life as a game focused purely on car chases and shootouts - the game’s first mission involves a high speed chase and firefight - but Fallen Tree ultimately decided to add more workaday beat cop activities to help punctuate those bigger set piece moments.
That’s not to say that walking the streets and looking for cars that have parked in front of fire hydrants feels like padding for the sake of padding which, even as I write these words, sounds like a complete lie. But having played it, I found there to be a genuinely satisfying loop to the more common work.
Take looking for speeding cars, for example. You head out in your own squad car and monitor the speed of various vehicles. If you spot someone going a little too fast, you can pursue. Turn the sirens on and signal for them to pull over, and they could obey immediately. It’s at this point you can see what their story is and decide what action to take. Maybe they were drink-driving, or maybe they’re just an asshole. Decide on the appropriate response by giving them a ticket or booking them on the spot, and move on.
NPCs don’t always listen to your commands, however, and asking a driver to pull over could lead to a full-on chase through the city full of explosions and bullets before you ultimately haul the perp back to the station. Not knowing exactly how any day is going to play out is a big part of the fun.
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There’s also an incredibly granular level of detail that might put off gamers expecting “GTA but with cops”, but which should delight players hungry for a proper simulation game. You can’t just give people parking tickets for no reason, for instance; you have to explain what the parking violation was. Similarly, you have to remember to read a perp their rights before you take them in, and you can only ever use appropriate force.
Now for the elephant in the cell: there’s no getting around the fact there are people who simply won’t want to play a game which involves you taking on the role of a police officer. I get it. Heaven knows we have enough reasons to feel uncomfortable about the prospect of a game that glorifies the police in 2025.
What I would say, based on what I’ve played, is that The Precinct doesn’t land squarely in the pure copaganda camp. This is very much an 80’s action movie blended with a noir thriller, set in a city inspired by New York but very wisely opting to stay away from any real-world locations or events. There are corrupt cops in the game, just as there are those trying to do a job.
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Ultimately, the aim of The Precinct is to offer the same kind of gritty action as the classic films that inspired the developers in the first place. I’m not suggesting for a second this will satisfy everyone, but Fallen Tree seems to be walking a tricky line with a good level of care and respect.
Certainly, I came away from my time with The Precinct keenly aware this isn’t a game that’s particularly out to glorify the police. There are rules in place, and you will be hit with a game over if you decide to clobber a suspect who has already surrendered, or try to run down the street shooting as many NPCs as you can. There are proper checks and balances here for your law enforcement squad, which is the biggest fantasy of all in many ways.
All I really know is this: I yearn for a sequel to L.A Noire and I believe GTA: Chinatown Wars is one of the best games in the series, and The Precinct is, so far, doing a remarkable job of scratching both of those itches for me. I’m definitely keen to see more.
The Precinct is set for release 13 May
Topics: Indie Games, Preview, GTA, GTA 6, Grand Theft Auto