The Precinct Reviews
Check out The Precinct Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 19 reviews on CriticDB, The Precinct has a score of:
Feel free to give this one a go and milk it for all its perks to reach the top of the ACPD, but you may want to send this one down with a DUI once it's all set and done.
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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.
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So as far as cop 'em ups go, it fits somewhere between the grey dispatch tales of This Is The Police and the boots-on-the-ground patrolling of Police Simulator: Patrol Officers. As much as the comparison isn't fair, I also find myself thinking of it alongside Shadows Of Doubt, the recent open world detective sim. One of these games leans into reality, and tries to disguise its inherent silliness with gritty crime writing and big messages that say "don't do that!" while the other approaches cr...
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Capturing the feel of old-school Grand Theft Auto, especially from a law enforcement perspective, isn't easy, but The Precinct's core gameplay only barely passes muster.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Precinct ultimately fails to make walking the beat feel immersive or rewarding. Routine patrols quickly become repetitive, with minor offences dragging down the game’s pacing. Even the main story missions, while more substantial, are formulaic and add little excitement. Coupled with a lack of cinematic presentation and a plot bogged down by tired tropes, the game squanders its retro cop-drama premise. What could have been a gritty, engaging throwback instead feels flat and uninspired.
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The Precinct’s focus on proper protocol eventually wears a little thin, but its gorgeous, top-down take on GTA-inspired action from the right side of the law is undeniably arresting.
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While The Precinct can be a little rough around the edges, Fallen Tree Games has done a solid job of making the job of a police officer a lot of fun.
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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.
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During my entire playthrough of The Precinct, the things that bothered me the most were rarely the base game, but the elements layered over it. This could have been a great, unassuming game about checking parking meters and occasionally trading shots, but the need to add more bombastic elements waters down the parts where The Precinct actually excels. In an ideal world, Fallen Tree Games drops some patches focusing on the quality of features rather than quantity. The Precinct is a lukewarm dish served after waiting for 2 hours. I don't hate it, and I'll still eat it because I'm...
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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.
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Where The Precinct succeeds is out in Averno, coaxing us into fine police work. Fallen Tree has found its niche.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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