True Crime: Streets of LA
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| True Crime: Streets of LA | |
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| Developer(s) | Luxoflux |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac, Xbox, PS2, GameCube, Mobile Phone |
| Release date | PlayStation 2 [1] & Xbox [2] USA November 3, 2003 PAL November 7, 2003 JPN October 28, 2004 GameCube [3] USA November 3, 2003 PAL November 21, 2003 Windows [4] USA May 11, 2004 PAL May 28, 2004 Mobile [5] USA February 3, 2004 Macintosh [6] USA March, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (M) PEGI: 16+ CERO: 18+ |
True Crime: Streets of LA is a video game developed by Luxoflux and published by Activision for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube in 2003. Activision later released versions for Windows and the Mac in 2004. The computer versions contained various extras, such as multiplayer games, unlockable characters, training videos, and songs.
The game went platinum for the PlayStation 2 in 2004, as well as becoming Xbox Classics for Xbox and the Player's Choice title for the Nintendo Gamecube. A sequel, True Crime: New York City, was released in Fall 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube.
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[edit] Overview
One of the first open world action games to be released after Grand Theft Auto III, True Crime: Streets of LA focuses on the other side of the law in the genre of the police procedural. Unlike GTA, the player is given a good cop/bad cop rating based on the morality of the player's actions. These actions affect the storyline, leading to one of three different endings.
[edit] Comparisons to Grand Theft Auto
True Crime's gameplay has often been called "GTA where you play the cop,"[citation needed] in that the general mechanics are basically the same: the player wreaks havoc across the city and progresses through the story at their own leisure. However, since the player is on the other side of the law in True Crime, there are several differences between Grand Theft Auto and True Crime. First, the repercussions for committing crimes are less severe in True Crime, but the kang's rank in the police force drops, sometimes to the point where they are exiled from the force itself, in which case the player will have to perform several "Good Cop" actions to rejoin. "Good Cop" actions are things such as making arrests, taking down one of L.A.'s major gangs, making drug busts, and participating in the assassinations of fugitives. The player may, just for kicks, arrest and interrogate an innocent civilian, which does not lower their standing in the force, but the player does not receive any reward.
[edit] Los Angeles
The game features an extensive 240-square-mile re-creation of a large part of Los Angeles, most of Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica with most street names, landmarks, and highways. However, some users discovered they were unmarked neighborhoods surronding the game. The player cannot enter these parts of town, as an attempt will respawn Nick back onto the nearest street in the game. However, there is a mod for the PC version which allows the player to enter the unmarked areas, which is also possible by doing a glitch which removes the white fadeout screen. There are also numerous vehicles that can be commandeered by the player.[7]
[edit] Plot
The player assumes the role of Nick (Kang) Wilson, a young Chinese-American detective and the living bane of every police chief, because of his highly unorthodox and destructive means of catching criminals — the maddening part being that he always gets his man. When the game begins, Kang returns to Los Angeles after being suspended for going after a suspect and disobeying a direct order from his superiors.
Kang is at a police shooting range practicing his two-fisted technique when the Chief of the E.O.D (Elite Operations Division), Wanda Parks, enters. Parks welcomes Nick back to the fold and asks his assistance in solving a rash of bombings of local businesses in the Chinatown district. Though seemingly unrelated, the pattern of the crimes indicate the work of one or more of the Chinese Triad groups. At first, Nick is uninterested in the case, wanting to focus on his personal matters; Parks subtly coerces him to help out, on one condition — he does things his way. Despite Kang's reputation, Parks quickly agrees to this.
Parks partners Nick with Rosie Velasquez; when Nick teasingly remarks how she's a "good girl", Rosie angrily responds, saying that before going straight and becoming a detective, she "ran with more than a few Latino gangs in her time." Like others in the department, Rosie is uneasy about Nick and his reputation, but for Rosie it's more personal — if Nick goes wild again, she doesn't want to get dragged down with him.
As Nick unravels the thread tying the smaller criminal dealings together throughout the game, he faces Triad thugs, as well as crime lords like Jimmy Fu, Big Chong, the mysterious and legendary Ancient Wu, Rocky (a member of the Russian Mafia) and Han Yu Kim (a general of the Korean People's Army).
[edit] Character relationships
Why Nick first refused, and then accepted this case is personal; his father, Henry Wilson, was an exceptional police officer who was involved in a major drug operation in the 1970s; one day, he disappeared, and was never found. Soon afterwards, Internal Affairs found a stash of cocaine in his locker, bringing his motives and role in the situation into sharp question. Though heartbroken by his father's disappearance, Nick refuses to believe this.
Although branded as every police officer's worst nightmare, Nick Kang is secretly highly respected by a number of his peers. His relationship with Rosie begins extremely shakily, but develops into a firm bond based on mutual respect. On two occasions, Nick directly places himself in harm's way to protect the life of his partner.
Rosie learns the story of Nick's father, and that when he died, Nick and his brother Cary had traveled to Hong Kong to grieve. Nick then returned for revenge while solving another case. His methods grew increasingly reckless in his pursuit of "justice". FBI agent Masterton distrusts Nick Kang. Masterton wants him off the case, yet is unable to do anything because the Bureau has a contract with Wanda Parks. He grows even more frustrated as Nick embarrasses him with his sarcastic sense of humor.
Both Nick and his brother Cary are accomplished martial artists, but Nick makes a personal vow to himself to protect his younger brother from harm, because of what happened to their father. He is unable to keep him from being attacked by Rocky's thugs, though, and pursues him relentlessly (in a possible side story, Nick fails to protect his brother, leading to his death. Enraged, Nick vows to avenge him and singlemindedly goes after Rocky, losing sight of the truth).
Nick went under the surname "Kang" when his father Henry Wilson died, because he couldn't live up to or match his father's expectation and reputation as a great cop. He shares this feeling with George, his father's best friend.
[edit] Storyline
In the game, the plot takes one of three different turns: Bad, Average, and Good. Nick's actions and his Good/Bad cop rating decide the course. Each ending path concludes with a one-on-one brawl.
Bad Ending: Nick faces off with Han Yu Kim at the top of a high-rise bank, after shooting his way through the General's mercenaries. If Nick loses the final fight, he is thrown off the building and only wakes up in time to realize his fate, as the General escapes. If Nick wins, it is the General that is thrown from the building. Agent Masterson is seen inquiring Nick about what had just happened while Nick is faced with the knowing that there "is more to this" ('this' being the overall case) than what is so far known. Nick is then seen walking off and away from a screaming Masterson.
Average Ending: Cary is dead, Rosie is kidnapped by Rocky, who forces Nick to drive an armored car full of counterfeit money to the Chinatown Plaza, in exchange for her life. After being ambushed and killing the General's mercenaries, Rocky and Nick have a final fight. If Nick loses, he dies and Rocky escapes. If Nick wins, Rocky surprises him and is about to stab him to death, when he is shot down by Rosie. Earlier, he had taunted Nick about knowing the truth about his father; however, the secret died with him.
Good Ending: After battling through Ancient Wu's trials, the truth is revealed: Rocky was formerly a plant by the KGB, who quickly turned criminal when given the opportunity, along with Rafferty, Henry's former partner. Kang tracks the two to the Santa Monica airport, but is surprised and knocked unconscious. Coming to, Rocky reveals the rest of the story: when Henry refused to be turned by Rocky or Rafferty, Rocky shot him in the head and dumped his body in the ocean. He is about to shoot Nick when Rafferty leaps in front of him and takes the bullet, moments before Nick is freed from his bonds and attacks Rocky, before having to fight off the General's mercenaries.
He manages to kill them and escape the hangar where he was being held, just in time to see Rocky escaping in a private plane. Nick follows in a nearby car, shooting the engines and tires, causing the plane to explode, killing Rocky. The only one left in the case is the General, who commissioned Rocky to launder superdollars made in North Korea for actual money, in order to rebuild their economy. The involvement of the Triads and the Russians were to mask their actions. However, Rocky decided to keep the money, leading to the General becoming directly involved. The two have a final battle next to the ruins of Rocky's jet.
If Nick loses, the general escapes and Nick either passes out or dies from his injuries just as the police arrive. If Nick wins the fight, the General is presumably killed just as the police arrive, accompanied by a furious Agent Masterson who demands answers about the damage done and where Rocky is. He is quickly knocked unconscious by an opening car door as Wanda and Rosie arrive, congratulating Nick on a job well done. He invites them to dinner, which they flatly walk away from, and Nick gets back in his car and drives off into the sunset, as George closes out the story with a final narration.
Branching storylines in True Crime involve performing many "Good Cop" tasks, to reach the higher paths.
[edit] Characters
- Nick (Kang) Wilson(born circa 1970):
Although he was recently suspended indefinitely from the police force due to repeated incidents of excessive brutality, property damage, and refusing to follow orders, Nicholas Kang (Wilson) was recruited into the E.O.D. as the group's first field agent. The same over-the-line methods that got him thrown off the force enable him to succeed at the E.O.D.; his arrest record speaks for itself. Kang's skills in martial arts are only matched by his ability to expertly dual-wield firearms and drive like a Hollywood stuntman.
- Rosie Velasco:
An ex-gangbanger turned straight, Rosie Velasco is determined to prove herself worthy of her badge; unfortunately, she's just been partnered with Nick Kang, and isn't too happy about hitting the streets with a loose cannon. Nick isn't too happy about it either, but when their first meeting together concludes with her being wounded in a shootout, she winds up behind a desk working intel for the rest of the case — which in the long run, is probably safer for the both of them.
- Chief Wanda Parks:
Wanda Parks is the Chief Detective in the LAPD, as well as head of the Elite Operations Division, with jurisdiction over the entire City of Angels. She has two decades of law enforcement experience and is one of the most well respected officers on the police force. Parks puts up with Nick's brash and over-the-top nature because she knows that when all hell breaks loose, Nick is the only man who consistently delivers.
- George:
An old friend of Henry's, and a father figure and mentor to Nick. He reveals the backstory of the Wilson family to Rosie, and serves as a narrator at the beginning and end of Nick's quest, whether Bad, Average, or Good.
- Rasputin "Rocky" Kuznetskov:
Not much is known about Rocky at the beginning of the game, except he is a member of the Russian Mafia and is involved with the Chinese Triads in some matter. As the game progresses, more about this character is revealed, including his peculiar habits...
- Agent Masterton:
He is called on the scene to oversee the case that the EOD is working on throughout the game. He doesn't like working with the EOD, especially because of Nick, but he will eventually learn that all is for the best within their precinct.
- Rafferty:
An old friend and partner of Henry's when they were working on the drug case, Rafferty knew the Kang brothers as they were growing up. It is eventually revealed that he was corrupted by Rocky, and went along with his drug smuggling and money laundering operations. Though Rafferty attempted to turn Henry, Henry refused and was subsequently murdered. In the best ending, Rafferty is accidentally killed by Rocky when he takes a bullet for Nick.
- Misha:
Rocky's bodyguard, visible a number of times throughout the game. Depending on the path Nick takes, he may have to fight him. In one ending, he is killed by a vengeful Nick, in response to Rocky's killing of his brother, Cary.
- Han Yu Kim:
A General from North Korea, seeking to strengthen his country's position in the world scene through illegal means. To this end, he is working with Rocky and his Mafia connections, as well as the Chinese Triads. He is seen in all three endings, and fought as the last boss in two; his ultimate goals are only revealed in the true ending, however.
- Ancient Wu:
This mysterious figure is said to be the creator of the Chinese Triad, though many view him only as a myth or a legend. Nevertheless, Nick will learn the truth of this legend as he pursues Rocky and the Triads... In later branches, he is viewed as Nick's mentor and often helps him escape sticky situations (he releases Nick's handcuffs when he was captured in the airport and appeared in one scene to get Nick out of a police car).
Ancient Wu is an obvious homage to David Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China, with both characters being undead, having their bases of operations underneath Chinatown, and played by James Hong.
- Jimmy Fu:
Jimmy Fu is a lesser Triad crime lord, working for Big Chong. Nick sneaks into his warehouse, but is trapped and forced to shoot his way through Jimmy's men. After killing his attackers, Nick is about to question Jimmy, but is forced to defend himself against a sniper determined to silence Fu. If Kang fails, his vest saves him, but Jimmy will be killed, and Nick is yelled at by a furious Rosie who reveals Jimmy's last words as the next link in the case. If Kang kills the sniper, Jimmy is arrested, and under heavy interrogation spills the name of his boss: Big Chong.
- Big Chong:
A crime lord from Ancient Wu's gang, Nick tails him from his house to the Cyrus Hotel where Nick loses him. Nick then finds out that he is at the Russian spa, having a meeting with Rocky. Nick then jumps from where he's spying Rocky and shoots through Chong's crew. Chong comes out to kill Nick himself but is killed in the ensuing firefight.
- Cary (Kang) Wilson:
Nick's little brother, owner of a vast chain of 24-hour dojos throughout the city, where Nick can improve his fighting ability for a price. Nick is very protective of his younger brother who, for his father's sake, he has vowed to defend with his life. In one ending, he is killed, and Rocky is subsequently chased and shot at by a vengeful Nick.
- Jill:
Rocky's girlfriend; she uses her charm to trap and lead Nick astray more than once.
Snoop Dogg is an unlockable playable character in the game, with his own minigame and quotes. He is unlocked by either collecting 30 Dogg Bones scattered throughout Los Angeles, or by entering a cheat code.
[edit] Voice cast
- Russell Wong: Nick (Kang) Wilson
- Christopher Walken: George
- Gary Oldman: Rasputin "Rocky" Kuznetskov, Agent Masterton
- Michael Madsen: Rafferty
- Michelle Rodriguez: Rosie
- CCH Pounder: Chief Wanda Parks
- Ron Perlman: Misha
- Mako: Han Yu Kim
- James Hong: Ancient Wu
- Keyone Young: Jimmy Fu, Big Chong
- Ryun Yu: Cary Wilson
- Grey Delisle: Jill, Lola
- Snoop Dogg: Himself
- Vernee Watson-Johnson:dispatcher
[edit] Quotes
Throughout the game, Nick often trash-talks as he performs various actions. Intended to be humorous, Nick's script has been criticized by some reviewers as more annoying than amusing[8].
[edit] Soundtrack
True Crime has around 50 songs. In addition to those 50, more songs were added to the PC version of the game. A CD soundtrack is available.
[edit] References
- ^ PS2 Release dates. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
- ^ Xbox Release dates. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
- ^ GCN Release dates. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
- ^ PC Release dates. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
- ^ Mobile Release dates. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
- ^ Mac Release dates. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
- ^ "Activision's Chris Archer." www.xbox.com
- ^ GameSpy: True Crime: Streets of L.A. Review
