True Crime: Streets of LA is a 2003 open world action-adventure video game developed by Luxoflux and published by Activision for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in November 2003, for Microsoft Windows in May 2004, and by Aspyr for Mac OS X in March 2005. A mobile phone adaptation was released in November 2004. The game tells the story of Nicholas Kang, an uncompromising LAPD detective who is recruited into the Elite Operations Division to investigate a series of bombings in Chinatown. As he delves further into the case, he discovers it may be connected to the disappearance of his police officer father 20 years prior. The game features a re-creation of a large part of L.A., including most of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, with the majority of street names, landmarks and highways reproduced accurately.
Streets of LA received generally positive reviews and was commercially successful, selling over 3,000,000 units worldwide across all platforms. The True Crime franchise continued in 2005 with the release of True Crime: New York City.
Gameplay
True Crime is an open world action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective, in which the player controls Detective Nicholas Kang of the "Elite Operations Division" (E.O.D.), a hand-picked autonomous unit of the regular LAPD.
The game was one of the first non-Grand Theft Auto open world action-adventure games released after Grand Theft Auto III (2001). It was labeled by many as a Grand Theft Auto clone, since the core game mechanics are identical to Grand Theft Auto III, and its successor, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002). Much like in Grand Theft Auto, players can travel across the city freely, commandeer vehicles, do whatever they want to attack or kill innocent civilians, and progress through the storyline at their leisure. However, the major difference from Grand Theft Auto games is that in True Crime, the player controls a law enforcement officer. As such, True Crime has been called "the GTA III clone where you play a cop."
The game involves four main types of mission, each with their own unique gameplay: shooting, fighting, stealth and driving. In many levels of the game, even if missions are failed, the storyline will continue, sometimes with a different opening cutscene for the next level, with an alternate version of the level, occasionally by branching into another storyline entirely.
thumb|left|240px|Precision targeting in the PlayStation 2 version of True Crime. The green reticle indicates the player can fire a non-lethal shot. On the top left of the [[Head-up display|HUD is Kang's current health and ammo. On the bottom right is his Good Cop/Bad Cop meter (he currently possesses 10 Bad Cop points). To the right of this is his badge information (he currently possesses 39 badges and 65 reward points).]]
During shooting missions, the game auto-targets the closest opponent. If the player wishes to switch target to another opponent, they must do so manually. When the player is in shooting mode, they can enter "Precision Targeting" at any time. At this point, the game switches to first-person, zooms in on the target, and goes into slow motion momentarily. While in Precision Targeting, if the reticle turns green, the player can hit the enemy with a neutralizing, non-lethal shot. If the player fires when the reticle is red, the enemy will be killed instantly. Players can also take cover during shootouts, firing from behind cover when the opportunity presents itself. During stealth missions, the player is automatically placed into stealth mode. The player can approach enemies from behind and either knock them out or kill them. Bumping into objects or walking over broken glass or plastic bags will cause nearby enemies to become aware of the player's presence.
left|thumb|240px|Driving in True Crime. The car's health gauge is on the top left of the screen. The "Crime Alert" indicates a random crime has just happened, with the player given the option of investigating it. In the [[mini-map on the bottom left, the green mark indicates the current primary objective. A red mark points to the random crime.]]
Driving missions can involve either trying to catch another car, escape from another car or tailing another car. At all times, when the player is in a car, their car's condition is shown on-screen. If the car's health meter empties, the car is close to destruction. When another car is involved, that car's health meter will also be shown on-screen. When the player is tailing another car, a "Tail meter" will appear on-screen, with three sections and a moving arrow. If the arrow is in the top section, it means the player is too close and must slow down. If the arrow is in the bottom section, it means the player is losing the target and must speed up. As such, the player must try to keep the arrow in the middle section as much as possible. During normal driving missions, the player can solve random crimes provided by the radio dispatcher. Entry into a 24/7 facility costs one badge, and the player must complete a challenge to earn the upgrade. If the player fails, they must spend another badge to try again. The player earns reward points for arresting or killing criminals, solving crimes and completing missions. Points are deducted for killing civilians and failing missions. returns from a suspension for excessive force and is selected for the autonomous Elite Operations Division at the behest of Chief Wanda Parks (CCH Pounder),
Activision stated the game combined the gameplay of beat 'em ups, third-person shooters, and vehicular combat games, and would include over twenty branching missions and multiple endings. They also revealed the game would recreate of Los Angeles, and the player would be able to visit multiple LA landmarks. Although only 40% complete, True Crime was first shown at the 2002 E3 event in May, where it was slated for an April 2003 release. Activision emphasized the geographical accuracy of the game's Los Angeles, as well as the different styles of gameplay.
In December, Activision showed a 60% complete version of the game. They revealed the size of the game's Los Angeles had been reduced to roughly . To recreate the city, the developers used commercial satellite imaging, GPS technology and traditional photographs, with the in-game city stretching from the Hollywood Hills to Downtown to Santa Monica to Marina del Rey. They also revealed details of the branching plot, with many levels having two or three opening cutscenes, depending on what the player has done in previous levels. They stressed it would be rare for the player to find a "Game Over" screen; usually a failed mission will simply lead to a later level by way of a different path than had the player completed the mission successfully. They also revealed the game would have three alternate endings, and that the player could play through the game multiple times, experiencing a different narrative and different levels each time. They also announced the game would feature roughly one-hundred randomly occurring crimes that the player has the option of solving while driving around the city. The "Good Cop/Bad Cop" system was also shown for the first time, although it was still in a rudimentary state of development. The casting of Russell Wong as protagonist Nick Kang and Gary Oldman as the game's main villain was also announced.
In April 2003, Activision announced the main cast of voice actors; as well as Russell Wong and Gary Oldman, the game would also feature Christopher Walken, CCH Pounder, James Hong, Mako, Ron Perlman and Keone Young. Several days later, Michelle Rodriguez and Michael Madsen were also added to the cast. The cast was formed and directed by Margaret Tang with Rik Schaffer working on VO engineering, recording, editing and designing voice effects.
thumb|left|240px|The game recreates of [[Los Angeles.]]
The game was next shown at the 2003 E3 event in May. Although not a final build, both IGN and GameSpot were impressed. IGN Sam Bishop wrote "it's clear that Luxoflux isn't trying to bust out a quick and dirty Grand Theft Auto clone." GameSpot Jeff Gertsmann praised the integration of gameplay types, writing "The interesting part is how well all these game mechanics mesh together to form a mission-driven yet open-ended game." During the show, Activision again announced the size of the game's city had been decreased, this time to . However, they also announced that over one-hundred landmarks in LA were featured in the game, in their exact geographical locations, such as the Los Angeles Convention Center and the Staples Center. On October 22, they sent the final build of the game to gaming websites. Several days later, they confirmed rumors that Snoop Dogg was an unlockable character, with his own mission and car. They also announced they had signed an exclusive licensing deal with Puma; Kang would be wearing several pieces from Puma's Fall 2003 catalogue. Barney Waters, marketing director for Puma North America stated "Video gaming is a phenomenon with a diverse appeal. From the skate kids, to the hipsters and fashionistas, gaming is the common denominator to a widespread audience, and a distinctive medium for Puma to utilize to interact with consumers."
Lawsuit
In late October 2003, two weeks prior to the game's scheduled release of November 4, novelist Robert Crais claimed that the game's protagonist, Nicholas Kang, was a direct copy of the protagonist of many of Crais' novels, Elvis Cole. Crais filed a lawsuit which claimed "True Crime is substantially similar to the Elvis Cole novels," and accused Activision of copying "protectable expressions". The suit sought for an injunction to prevent Activision from shipping the game, for undisclosed monetary damages, and for the "destruction of all infringing works".
The lawsuit failed to prevent the scheduled release of the game, and on November 6, Crais dropped the complaint entirely. After reviewing Luxoflux's development materials for the game, Crais was satisfied lead designer Peter Morawiec had not copied the character of Kang from that of Cole, but was in fact a fan of Crais and was paying homage to his work. Shortly thereafter, Crais released a statement on his official website in which he wrote,
PC port
The PC port was first announced by Activision on January 29, 2004, although no details were given on who would be porting it, or when it was slated for release. The only solid information was that it would feature an online multiplayer component. More details were revealed on February 18. The game was being ported by LTI Gray Matter, and would feature five different online gaming modes: "Street Racing" (racing customizable cars), "Dojo Master" (fighting in teams or individually), "Battle Master" (same as Dojo Master but with weaponry), "The Beat" (four players compete to make the most arrests in a set time) and "Chase Mode" (one player plays as a criminal and tries to avoid being caught by the other players, who play as police). The port would also feature several new weapons, enhanced graphics, thirty additional songs not in the console versions, and PC-optimized controls.
In March, Activision announced the PC version would also feature character skins not found in the console versions, mainly characters from other Activision games; Pitfall: The Lost Expedition, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (both 2004), Call of Duty (2003), and the Tony Hawk's and Tenchu series. Later in March, more details were announced about the game's new soundtrack. Thirty-two additional licensed tracks were being added, mainly rock tracks from artists such as Alice in Chains, Queensrÿche, Spineshank and Stone Sour. On April 14, Activision showcased an almost finalized build of the game at a gaming event in San Francisco. IGNs Dan Adams praised the superior graphics and PC-specific controls. The port went gold on May 3.
Soundtrack
True Crime: Streets of LA: The Soundtrack was released on November 11, 2003, for Vybe Squad Ent. and Koch Records. The album was produced by Bigg Swoop, Battlecat, Damizza, DJ Quik, Warren G and King Tech.
Activision first revealed details about the game's soundtrack on September 2, 2003, when they announced the game would feature over fifty original tracks from artists such as Snoop Dogg, Westside Connection, E-40, Kam, Lil Eazy, Lil' ½ Dead, Bad Azz, Damizza, Jayo Felony, Bigg Swoop, as well as licensed tracks from artists such as Ice-T, the D.O.C. and N.E.R.D. Chris Archer, executive producer at Activision Worldwide Studios stated, "True Crime: Streets of LA represents the largest collection of original West Coast hip hop music ever assembled. The collision of the game's intense action with the pulse pounding sounds from the powerhouses of urban music will elevate video game soundtracks to a whole new standard."
AllMusic's Heather Phares scored the soundtrack 3 out of 5, writing "True Crime is something of an achievement when it comes to gathering popular music in support of a video game." She concluded "It's not a perfect soundtrack, but True Crime is entertaining enough to please gaming and non-gaming rap fans alike." The soundtrack was nominated for "Best Soundtrack From a Video Game" at MTV's 2004 Video Music Awards, losing to Tony Hawk's Underground.
Reception
True Crime: Streets of LA received "generally favorable reviews". The PlayStation 2 version holds an aggregate score of 77 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on thirty-nine reviews; Boulding wrote "the greatest strength of this Luxoflux game is the integration of story and layers of game design into one cohesive package." He praised the gameplay, especially the Good Cop/Bad Cop system and the upgrades system. He also praised the absence of loading screens. However, he wrote of the graphics, "there are far too many clipping issues that come up far too often to be ignored. Similarly, the camera ties into the clipping problems so that there will be times when the camera will float through and behind a wall or tree during a fight so that you can't see the action at all." He concluded "True Crime is an enjoyable game if you can clear your mind of Grand Theft Auto expectations [...] It's a lot of fun despite the burden of the camera system and other technical glitches. It doesn't, nor should it, replace Grand Theft Auto by any means. True Crime has enough good to counter the bad and stand on its own." By July 2006, the PlayStation 2 version of True Crime had sold 1.5 million units and earned $65 million in the United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 27th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Combined sales of True Crime console games reached 2.8 million units in the United States by July 2006. In the United Kingdom, the PlayStation 2 version received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 300,000 units. Ultimately, the game went on to sell over 3 million units worldwide across all platforms.
At the 2003 Spike Video Game Awards, True Crime was nominated for five awards; "Best Action Game", "Best Animation", "Best Music", and two "Best Performance by a Human" nominations (Christopher Walken as George and Snoop Dogg as himself). It won Best Action Game, but lost in the other categories; Best Animation was given to Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, Best Music to Def Jam Vendetta and Best Performance by a Human to Ray Liotta in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. During the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, True Crime received nominations for "Outstanding Achievement in Licensed Soundtrack" and "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance – Male" for Snoop Dogg's vocal portrayal of himself.