The Precinct

This game makes me want to be one of the good cops and sweep out all the corruption in the city. In The Precinct, you can replicate all the special operations to take down gangs, such as chases, shootouts, being undercover, and even using a helicopter.

The Precinct effortlessly blends simulation, sandbox, and silliness. Imagine being a cop in one of the early top-down GTA games, but with modern game design and accoutrements. It's not perfect, but it nails the core gameplay loop that inspired it.

The Precinct is an indie game with ambition. Its fictional 1980s setting of Averno City is an enjoyably complex little sandbox, presenting players with an endless supply of procedurally generated crimes that need to be stopped from a top-down perspective, reminiscent of old Grand Theft Auto games.

As the astonishingly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed to next year, those who wanna roleplay as criminals in a US town may have to wait a while longer. In the meantime, however, we have the polar opposite – The Precinct, a top-down open world game evidently inspired by the old-school top down GTA games, but where the player controls a cop in a particularly tough district. We played through it all on Xbox Series X, so here’s our review for The Precinct!

At around 12-15 hours, The Precinct doesn't outstay its welcome. Much like the 80s cop movies of yesteryear, it's a little rough around the edges, but a lot of fun for those looking to hit the streets and deal with criminal scum. Although, honestly, just giving out parking tickets is surprisingly satisfying.

Where The Precinct succeeds is out in Averno, coaxing us into fine police work. Fallen Tree has found its niche.

If you fancy fighting crime in an open world instead of perpetrating it for a change, The Precinct might just be the game for you. Completing shifts and collecting evidence to progress the story forward can become a little repetitive, but ultimately you're free to take things at your own pace while unlocking new options and equipment to play with.

The Precinct blends action with police simulation and a solid '80s aesthetic, but underdeveloped storytelling, rough mechanics, and bugs tarnish what could have been a standout experience.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live out your cop movie fantasy with a city full of crooks to collar, then The Precinct might just have your number. A sandbox police game set in the streets of Averno City, it combines methodical police work with arcade-style action. But while there’s plenty of heart behind the badge, not every mechanic fires on all cylinders.

The Precinct's combination of action and simulation is engaging to begin with, but the tedium soon sets in, leaving you feeling like you're processing paperwork more than capturing criminals.

The Precinct looks the part and briefly plays it, too. Its early hours make you feel like a genuine cop, but it quickly becomes clear that the game lacks the structure and depth to sustain its premise.

The Precinct takes a welcomingly sober approach to videogame policing, focusing as much on the mundane as the action-filled aspects of the job. But this isn’t enough to make enduring hours of its repetitive mission design and poor writing worthwhile.