Review: The Precinct

The Precinct is an open-world police action game, focused on car chases and dynamic mechanics, set in a 1980s city.

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Developed by Fallen Tree Games Ltd a studio that had already flirted with the crime genre in American Fugitive, The Precinct is undoubtedly the studio’s most ambitious and refined title to date.

GAMEPLAY / VISUAL

The Precinct presents us with a city marked by violence and corruption — central themes in its plot. Right from the start, we’re immersed in graphic novel-style dialogue, featuring somewhat cliché humor, but it works within the narrative’s tone.

The gameplay feels reminiscent of the classic GTA titles, but with updated mechanics and enhanced graphics. One key difference is the free camera system, which offers a broader, elevated view of the city setting it apart from similar games with more limited perspectives.

There are some very interesting narrative touches. The game purposefully breaks its pacing and plays with clichés in a humorous way. A good example is the first mission: you're sent out to grab a hot dog for lunch. Shortly after, your first real case begins a bank robbery in progress. You rush back to the car, turn on the siren, and speed toward the scene under a time limit.

When you arrive, the bank is surrounded by police. You must find cover and engage in a shootout with the fleeing robbers.

The chase system is a standout feature. Beyond the usual approach of simply following suspects and shooting wildly, the game offers tactical tools like deploying spike strips or calling for backup from other units. This adds depth to the pursuit mechanics, which also benefit from a destructible environment that enhances the sense of impact and non-stop action.

After suspects abandon their vehicles, you can issue an arrest command to try and apprehend them. The immersion continues through small details like the robbery being reported on an in-game TV channel which reinforces the feeling of living a cop’s daily routine.

As for graphics, the PC version runs smoothly and looks great. However, on Xbox Series X and PS5, the game is locked at 30 FPS a letdown given the power of those consoles. It’s possible that the leap in scale and ambition over the studio’s previous games made development more demanding.

Still, The Precinct is a visually appealing game, built in the Unity engine even if I have my reservations about it. The combination of immersive atmosphere, player freedom, and narrative details makes for a unique experience in the genre.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Here we hit a classic problem found in many games: a lack of balance between what players actually want and what developers implement. Instead of focusing on creative achievements that align with gameplay as the game successfully does in some instances, the developers opted for many collectible-based and timed-mission achievements.

Unfortunately, the collectible trophies are extremely tedious. You’re asked to destroy every artifact without missing a single one, or read all the signs scattered throughout the city. This becomes exhausting, especially for a smaller-scale (though highly competent) game.

Had the developers stuck with the style of the early achievements which were more in tune with specific mechanics and unique gameplay moments this issue could have been avoided. But there’s definitely an excessive number of collectibles, which hurts the experience of fully completing the game.

TRAILER OFFICIAL

RESUME

The Precinct features a wide range of engaging mechanics. It’s impressive what the studio accomplished, especially considering its small size. As a good game should, the gameplay shines far brighter than the narrative — which, while present, takes a backseat to thrilling systems like the car chases. It’s definitely a great choice for fans of police action with lots of intensity and a dash of classic clichés.

SCORE:8/10

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