The Precinct | PS5 Review

It is to my great shame that Fallen Tree Games released American Fugitive a few years ago, and it eluded my knowledge until now. The game looks like an excellent entry in the open-world crime subgenre, and I really dig the throwback top-down view. Thankfully for me, the developer has seen fit to release a game exploring the other side of the coin with The Precinct.

The World is a Fine Place

There aren’t many open-world games where you play as a police officer, and fewer still that take it seriously. As rookie officer Nick Cordell Jr., most of your playtime will consist of doing the day-to-day beat activities of a police officer. There won’t be a lot of big shootouts or serial killers to catch here, and it really helps set the game apart.

Instead, The Precinct finds itself somewhere in between being a simulation and a cop movie. At any given time, Averno City is rampant with criminal offenders. You can give people tickets for vandalism, parking on the sidewalk, or even littering. Of course there’s also motor vehicle theft, assault, and burglaries. Crimes both big and small are represented in equal measure, and it’s up to you to deal with them accordingly.

You have to pay close attention to each perp, as it’s up to you to process their crimes. Once you have a suspect in custody, you can run their ID, search their pockets, or ask them to open their trunk. Each of these tasks might reveal more vital information on who you’re dealing with, and thus you can more properly throw the book at them. You gain XP for each offense you get correct during an arrest, but you’ll also lose XP if you’re wrong. In fact, being penalized for being a bad officer is constant in The Precinct, so it really is in your best interest to play things by the book.

This XP allows Nick Cordell to get promoted through the police ranks, unlocking new vehicles, weapons, and patrol opportunities. Each level also grants you one skill token, which can be redeemed in the skill tree. Unlike a lot of contemporary skill trees, these make a noticeable difference and make narrative sense for an officer learning how to do the job.

And Worth Fighting For

What this means for the game is an immensely satisfying loop. Every day, you choose the kind of shift you want to take on. These help populate the kind of crimes you’re interested in, and the district you’ll be patrolling. The Precinct is much too smart to be restrictive, however, as crimes are constantly occurring. As you patrol, you might notice a suspicious drug deal and decide to investigate. As you cross the street, however, you might notice a driver swerving on the road. Now you have a choice to make on which crime is going to be prioritized. That’s not even weighing in the consideration of callouts you’ll receive over your police radio asking for assistance.

During these crimes anything can happen, and the dynamism has kept me hooked through the credits and beyond. Pull over that drunk driver and forget to ask them to step out of the vehicle? You got equal odds of them splitting off or obeying, but if they run you got a chase ahead of you.

The car chases in The Precinct will absolutely make you feel like you’re at the center of any given 80’s or 90’s cop movie. The cars skid and swerve like there’s a film camera watching, and much of the city is easily destructible. Even a 5mph love tap will crush a cement median, which means they really explode in gleeful debris during a high-speed pursuit. The enemy AI is no joke either, taking full advantage of the city, perhaps popping into alleyways to elude you or hitting the highway to gain some serious speed advantage.

Thankfully, you’re not alone. During a pursuit, as long as you stick close to the perps, you’ll gain support tokens. These can be cashed in for backup assistance, such as a spike strip or helicopter to keep tabs on the fleeing suspect. Again, this really lends itself well to the feeling of being in an action cop movie, and I love action cop movies.

I Agree with the Second Part

If you do find yourself in a shootout, it’s also no pushover. Our rookie officer goes down in only a few bullets, so you better find some cover and stick to it. Inside your trunk is a full arsenal that evolves as you rise through the police ranks. In true movie fashion, some of these weapons seem a little absurd for a standard officer, like an M4 machine gun, but it helps give the shootouts that cinematic feel. Cars will explode, cover gets blown apart, and everything feels a bit hectic. The firefights are a lot more intense than I was expecting them to be, so I was pretty thrilled in the rare instances they popped up.

As you’re navigating the seemingly endless cesspool of Averno City, Nick Cordell Jr. has some personal business to take care of. Years ago, his father was murdered on the job and the case was never solved. As you help the precinct detectives take down the gangs of the city, a little storyline plays out alongside it as we near the truth. It’s full of the cliche cop stuff you’d want: dirty officers, grizzled veterans, and dark conspiracies. While it’s unlikely to surprise you, it will absolutely delight you.

Scattered around the city are side activities, as well. You can channel your inner Brian O’ Connor and go undercover in some street races, or prove your driving acumen in time trials. Some mischief maker also stole from the city museum and stored the goods in lockboxes around town. Cordell will have to solve short, fun riddles to unlock the case and bring the items back where they belong. There’s hidden jumps to find, too, for those looking to prove their inner Bullitt.

People Don’t Want a Champion

Averno City may be small in size, but more than makes up for it in density. Something is always happening on the screen, with tons of vehicles and pedestrians. All of these NPCs can be interacted with or have their IDs checked, which helps make them feel like real citizens of the city. As previously discussed, a lot of things in the city are surprisingly destructible, and even each alleyway feels fully distinct. It’s the kind of city layout you’ll memorize, really making you feel like a protector of the people. The neo-noir jazz that plays as you’re wandering around town definitely helps with that feeling, as well.

There is very little negative I can think to say in regards to this title. Sure, there is some open-world jank, but I often found that more funny than frustrating. The line between simulation and arcade fun is walked deftly during the game’s entire 10 or so hour duration. So much so that the credits rolling meant very little to me as a deterrent, as all I wanted to do was hit the streets of Averno City once more. There’s such an audacious dynamism to the open-world activities that you’ll be hard-pressed to need another cop game like it in the future. If what you’re looking for is the feeling of living inside of a cop movie, The Precinct is the only police game you’ll ever need.

To hear me talk more about The Precinct, be sure to listen to the May 15, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast.

This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of The Precinct provided by Renaissance PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.