Is this neon-noir sandbox worth exploring?

Averno City, 1983. Gangs rule the streets and your father lies restless in his grave. Clean up the city, uncover the truth, and embark on thrilling vehicle chases through destructible environments in this neon-noir action sandbox police game. You are Officer Nick Cordell Jr. As a rookie beat cop fresh out of the Academy, you’re on the front line of defence for Averno’s citizens. Dive into a world of thrilling car chases, procedurally generated crimes, and a healthy dose of 1980s noir as you protect the populace and solve the mystery of your father’s murder in the line of duty.

There are a lot of sandbox games out there, but only one that everyone thinks of first and that’s GTA. Sure, there are some other decent franchises like Saints Row out there, but GTA has the market and it’s very hard to break into. So, how about one where you work for the police in an 80s neon-noir setting?

Well, the setting is decent enough, while gameplay feels reminiscent of the original GTA games with its perspective and overall controls. It does feel more modern than that but definitely takes its inspiration from those games. It’s not quite as high-octane as that but still has its moments.

I think the problem with The Precinct is that it can end up feeling a bit routine after a while, much like a shift itself. You’ll get used to the core gameplay loop and it becomes a bit repetitive as a result. It’s not glitchy or broken, it just feels like it could have been a bit more exciting than it ends up being.

The visuals are decent enough, the voice-acting is good, and the framerate is consistent. I didn’t come across any glitches through my playthrough either.

The Verdict

The Precinct takes the old-school GTA formula, modernises it a little and comes up with a decent neon-noir thriller sandbox experience. The problem is that the core gameplay loop does become repetitive, and it can even be dull at times. But if you go in not expecting it to be the next GTA, then you might end up enjoying it in small doses.

Score: 6.5