True Crime: Streets of LA

True Crime: Streets of LA Description

As movies and video games continue to strengthen their ties, console owners typically emerge as winners in the ever-evolving games industry. Games such as The Getaway, Driver and Grand Theft Auto are not interactive incarnations of movie successes, but their style and presentation are comparable. Next in the line-up of action film wannabes is Activision's True Crime for GameCube. In this latest adult-orientated adventure, players assume control of Nick Kang, a former member of the police squad, as he strives to overthrow vicious Chinese and Russian underworlds for the good of his home city, Los Angeles. Like PS2's The Getaway, Nick's adventure takes place both on foot and in top-spec cars, as players partake in some 100 missions in a compelling storyline that changes and branches according to the player's actions. In-car chases and combat make the best use of True Crime's 400 square miles of city, as players are charged with hunting down fleeing enemies and taking them out in Hong Kong Film-style action sequences. Missions on foot are a little more strategic. Using the best of Nick's martial arts abilities, players must often engage in close range combat with several other enemies simultaneously. On the other hand, find yourself a weapon and you're free to shoot projectiles into the hearts of your enemies for single shot kills. Just bear in mind that you're subject to the same level of attack. The GameCube port follows just two weeks behind its PS2 and Xbox counterparts, and looks great. It outperforms the PS2 version in many ways, and although it struggles to compete with the fabulous Xbox incarnation, GameCube's ergonomic controller simply makes it easier to play. Everything about True Crime reeks of a Hollywood outing by the likes of - off the top of our heads - John Woo, and that's no bad thing. It's one of Activision's biggest releases for 2003 and rivals anything The Getaway had to offer.

Featuring a powerful 3D engine, True Crime: Streets Of L.A. allows players to move freely through a 400 square mile living, breathing re-creation of the City of Angels. Players will be able to visit popular L.A. landmarks, or buy services from local gun merchants, mechanics or doughnut shops and improve Kang's abilities by visiting auto simulators, dojo's and gun ranges around town.