Rarely we see good cop games today… Does The Precinct offer an experience worth your time? Let us see!
GTA VI got delayed to 2026, but hey, don’t worry—The Precinct is here to scratch that itch if you are looking for GTA-styled games! Released on May 13, 2025, by Fallen Tree Games and Kwalee, The Precinct takes you to 1983 Averno City. You play as Nick Cordell Jr., a rookie cop cleaning up crime. This action game has a top-down view like the old GTA games, but here you’re a cop, not a crook. So instead of causing chaos, your job is to maintain law and order. It’s a small, fun game with awesome ‘80s vibes. The graphics in The Precinct aren’t that super fancy, but the city looks alive with glowing signs and rainy streets.
Gameplay in The Precinct- Fun and Fast yet Flawed?
The Precinct puts you on patrol, and it’s a blast. You can even pick small jobs like writing tickets, stopping drug deals, or chasing robbers. It feels like a mix of cop games and GTA-styled games. Remember that you can’t just do anything you like- you got to follow rules—search suspects, read their rights, and don’t shoot unless you have to. Doing it right earns points to unlock better guns or faster cars. The car chases can be cool, and you can even call for roadblocks or use a helicopter to track the bad guys. Shooting can be tricky because aiming feels off sometimes, but the action stays exciting, especially when you’re dodging traffic in wild pursuits.
Averno City Feels Real despite Being Small
Averno City isn’t very huge like the maps in today’s big open world games, but it’s packed with stuff to do. Crimes pop up everywhere—muggings, car thefts, you name it. The city has parks, alleys, and subways, and people walk around saying funny ‘80s movie lines like “Go ahead, make my day.” It’s way smaller than GTA’s Los Santos, but that’s okay—the small team made every corner detailed. You can smash signs or boxes during chases, which is super fun. Sometimes the game slows down a bit on consoles, and you can’t go inside buildings, but for a small fun game, The Precinct makes you feel like you’re in a real ‘80s city.
A Decent Story for an Indie Game
In The Precinct, Nick wants to find out who killed his dad while taking down dangerous criminals. The story isn’t amazing, but it’s fun enough. Told with cartoon-style character pictures, the voice acting is decent. It’s like an ‘80s cop movie with cheesy lines about donuts or tough-guy talk. The game keeps things light, avoiding heavy real-world cop stuff. You also get a handbook explaining police rules, which is kinda neat if you like details. The story moves slowly, but the ‘80s charm keeps you hooked. So, if you haven’t played any detective or cop games for a while, you might want to try it out.
Some Small Issues That Can Be Overlooked?
The Precinct isn’t perfect. And it may not provide the experience given by today’s big open world games. After a while, like 10 hours, patrols can feel repetitive. Shooting isn’t as smooth as driving. Plus, the game has a small map which might leave players with wanting more places to explore. There’s no way to change your character’s look or add mods, so you might not replay it much. Also, the game can lag a bit when lots of cars are on screen. But it’s only $25 making it a great deal for fans of action games or GTA-styled games. The Precinct doesn’t try to be a huge AAA game, and that’s fine—it’s a small, fun game that does what it wants really well. In India, it is priced at just Rs 890, (available at 756 INR till 20th May), making it one of the cheapest games to have come out in recent times. If you compare it to prices of games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it is seven times lesser!
Should You Play The Precinct?
The Precinct is a super fun surprise for 2025. The game is not for everyone. But it is one of the best open world games for fans of cop games who want something slightly different from GTA. The ‘80s style, with its music and neon lights, pulls you in, and the mix of police work and crazy chases keeps you playing. It’s not as big or shiny as AAA action games, but that’s what makes it special. It wouldn’t hurt to take a break once in a while from big flashy games, and try out a newer indie game that feels like a love letter to ‘80s cop shows. If you want a GTA-styled adventure with a badge, The Precinct is totally worth checking out. Grab your nightstick and hit Averno’s streets!
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