True Crime: Streets of LA

About True Crime: Streets of LA

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.

"They call it the City of Angels. Funny. In my 30 years here, I haven't seen a single one. My old friend Henry Wilson used to say, people dare to dream here. He liked that about L.A. I'd say, bull, dreaming will get you killed. Maybe I was right. Nobody knows what happened to Henry all those years ago. But whatever it was, he didn't deserve it. Well, I ain't walking the beat no more. It's all new kids today, protecting the fools from the wiseguys, the crooks from the psychopaths. Henry's oldest son, Nick, of all people, is one of those kids. I hear he's a hell of a cop, but will he live to see the sunset? I don't know...and there are times I just want to tell Nick, "Give it up, kid. Go, be a lawyer or a doctor, or something." But it ain't my place. Besides, it would be a disservice to his old man. See, there are unanswered questions here, and I know that one day, someone will get to the truth. What happened to Henry was a true crime, and if there's one man who deserves to find out the truth, it's his son: Nicholas Kang Wilson. This is his story."

LAPD Detective Nick Kang Wilson (voiced by Russell Wong) 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), who believes he can help the E.O.D. break a case involving a series of bombings in Chinatown. Nick is partnered with Detective Rosie Velasco (Michelle Rodriguez), an ex-gangster turned cop. Rosie voices her concerns with Nick and his reputation, not wanting to work with him in the field. Nick reciprocates the feeling, preferring to work alone. Parks, however, believes E.O.D. needs all the help they can get to investigate the bombings, and suggests the two meet for food to discuss the matter and try to connect.

Suspecting the Triad is behind the bombings, Nick and Rosie meet at a Chinese food bistro to discuss the matter and the two of them working together in the field, but Nick soon stops a Triad member he sees attempting to extort the owner. The Triad member escapes after Nick beats him in a fight, but later ambushes the two outside and takes Rosie hostage at gunpoint. Rosie gets shot by the gunman trying to escape on her own, while the gunman tries to run to his waiting getaway driver. When Nick shoots the car before the gunman gets in, the driver panics and takes off, leading Nick to neutralize the other. Rosie recovers quickly and decides to let Nick work solo in the field while she provides intel from the precinct. Meanwhile, Parks puts an APB on the Triad's getaway car, which is soon spotted at a Chinese bar. Nick heads there and catches the driver, learning he works for Jimmy Fu (Keone Young), a small-time criminal. Nick confronts Fu inside his crooked imports warehouse, who explains the extortion orders are from higher up, and warns him "something big is about to go down", before they are nearly shot by a sniper. Nick manages to disable the sniper, but finds they are gone before he can arrest them. Back at the precinct, an incarcerated Fu later reveals he is working for "Big" Chong (also Keone Young), an enforcer for Triad boss "Ancient" Wu, a supposedly 300 year old crime lord who is thought by many to be a myth.