Nick Kang is a cop with problems. His father, a longtime LAPD officer, was murdered—in cold blood. It’s impossible to say whether Kang’s pop was only one day from retirement, but it would stand to reason. Kang himself was then thrown out of the LAPD, after his father’s death sent him over the edge that he had walked for so long.
But, instead of a one-way ticket to the pen for his more egregious violations of the whole “protect and serve” concept, the ruthless—and ruthlessly efficient—crime buster landed in the Elite Operations Division. This secret Machiavellian unit works above, outside, and (only by accident) inside the law, but the ultimate goal is nothing less than the downfall of organized crime. It’s the perfect job for Nick Kang, who works best without rules, but always gets the job done, one way or the other. And, True Crime™: Streets of L.A.™, the cinematic action game from Activision andVigilante 8 developer Luxoflux, might just be the perfect game for Xbox action fans that have thus far been deprived of a truly open-ended, do-any-damn-thing-you-please-as-long-as-you-get-the-bad-guy adventure.
Nick Kang—cop vs. crime and corruption.
“This … is the City.” No Kidding. True Crime: Streets of L.A. has built up an impressive buzz since it was announced in early 2002. The idea of making aGTA-style game (there, I said it) set in an accurate-beyond-reason recreation of 240 square miles of Los Angeles and putting it all in the hands of the brilliant lunatics that made the insanely fun Vigilante 8 was intriguing to say the least. And, Luxoflux was promising much, much more than a mere imitator. True Crime would not only put you smack in the middle of a modern L.A. so authentic you could drive to your house—if you lived within those 240 square miles—but it would also include elements reminiscent of the Hong Kong action-inspired fighting and shooting systems in games like Dead to Rights andMax Payne.
If Kang’s car doesn’t suit you, take another.
Kudos, Kang, Kudos Kang, whose worn shoes you’ll step into, is the kind of cop that makes Homer Simpson shout something at his TV like, “Because he gets results, you stupid chief!” Nick Kang’s gone rogue—sort of—but he’s still got a job to do. A gang war’s breaking out, and conveniently enough, it probably ties into his father’s death. You’ll guide Kang as he drives all over the city, responding to the calls you want and building the story as you go, until Kang’s vengeance is sated. You can respond to calls coming in to your police radio, for example, or head straight to your primary objectives. When your ride gets too beaten up or you expect to be taking heavy automotive damage—or if you just plain feel larcenous—you can commandeer any other car on the street. In fact, one of the first side missions I played (one of around 100 in the game, in addition to the primary objectives) I was in the process of commandeering a car, looked away for a moment, and when I looked back a carjacker had stolen the car out from under me. Naturally, I gave chase and stole it right back after mercilessly gunning down the unarmed perpetrator. I’ll admit I hadn’t figured out the fight controls at that point, but the gun was easy.
Oh, did I mention you can shoot out the car window? Just watch the civilian casualties. Cops can only go so far over the edge before even the LAPD starts to take notice.
“No, I did not order the beef.”
Three Ways to Kill or Be Killed Luxoflux, already a proven player in driving games, has paid equal attention to the two other types of movement and combat you’ll encounter in True Crime. The martial arts system starts off basic, but becomes exponentially cooler and more combo-laden as you train in various dojos around the city. You can similarly enhance your gun skills by heading to the firing range. As in unarmed combat, you can attack multiple bad guys simultaneously if you work at it. After all, you’ve got two fists and two pistols—why use just one? And, of course, you can swing by the auto shop to upgrade your car, which Nick Kang can drive like the unholy love child of Steve McQueen and Daisy Duke.
True Crime: Streets of L.A., like the city that shares its name, is really too enormous to cover completely in one small article, but take my word for it: This is good. Stay-up-until-6:00-A.M.-and-call-in-sick-for-work good. Hits the streets in fall 2003.
