I’ve always had a soft spot for those over-the-top cop dramas. Late-night reruns of Lethal Weapon and Miami Vice were my thing growing up. So when I saw The Precinct trying to channel that same vibe, I was all in.
The Precinct is a top-down police sandbox that mixes routine patrol work with chaotic action. You play as Nick Cordell Jr., a rookie officer trying to clean up Averno City while living in the shadow of his late father. One minute you’re chasing down a stolen car, the next you’re writing a ticket or stopping a drug deal mid-interrogation.
The game runs about ten hours and shifts between slow patrols and bigger story missions. It’s not trying to compete with massive open-world games—and that’s probably for the best. Instead, The Precinct goes for a smaller, messier kind of experience that leans into its campy energy and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
It’s got some rough edges, but if you go in knowing what it is—a short, scrappy cop game with a love for ‘80s drama—there’s definitely some fun to be had.
Behind the Badge
The Precinct puts you in the boots of Nick Cordell Jr., a rookie cop with a lot to prove. His father, a respected officer, was recently killed on the job—and that shadow follows you everywhere. Every second person seems ready to remind you that you’re “the dead cop’s kid,” which gets old fast.
The story plays out through your daily patrols. You gather evidence as you work, and once you’ve built a case, you can go after gang bosses tied to the bigger mystery. There’s even a serial killer side plot that pops up now and then. It shakes up the routine a bit, with some different kinds of police work. But by the time it wraps up, it doesn’t leave much of an impact. It just kind of ends without doing anything unexpected.
The game doesn’t shy away from clichés. There’s your gruff partner, a looming network of gang crime, and plenty of dramatic mission setups. For some, that works—especially if you’re into that VHS-era cop drama feel. Others might find the writing clunky, with dialogue that drags and jokes that don’t quite land. And yeah, the game really hammers home that Nick’s dad is dead. In case you forget, someone will remind you again in five minutes.
Still, the structure mostly holds up. You make progress as you patrol, choose when to push the story forward, and eventually bring some closure to Nick’s investigation. It’s nothing new, but it does the job.
Patrols, Paperwork, and Pileups
At its core, The Precinct splits your time between patrol duties and action sequences. You’ll start out writing parking tickets and checking IDs, but before long, you’re chasing down armed suspects, breaking up gang fights, and calling in spike strips. The game throws a lot at you, and sometimes all at once.
I had one shift where I was mid-way through charging someone for carrying illegal substances when a full-on van chase rolled past behind me. Sirens blaring, cops swerving through traffic, criminals tossing stuff out the windows. I called for backup and jumped into my cruiser, only to accidentally sideswipe a fire hydrant and cause a five-car pileup. Chaos like that isn’t rare—it’s basically how the city runs.
Each shift gives you objectives, but you’re mostly free to roam. You can respond to crimes, search suspects, issue fines, or even arrest gang members if you’ve built up enough evidence. The violation and arrest system is actually one of the game’s better features. You can search pockets, run plates, radio for escorts, and assign specific charges. It adds a satisfying layer of process, at least until you’ve done it a few dozen times.
The downside? Tasks get repetitive. You can’t skip ID checks or speed up paperwork, even after doing them over and over. And shift choices don’t really matter—you’ll still run into the same stuff no matter what you select. Still, when things go off the rails, the game finds ways to stay entertaining.
Lights, Sirens, and Stiff Animations
Averno City makes a strong first impression. Neon signs bounce off puddles, fog rolls in at night, and the weather and time of day keep things from looking stale. There’s a gritty, worn-down look that fits the ‘80s cop drama vibe. I chased a suspect through Chinatown at night—rain falling, streetlights glowing, and a car chase tearing through the background. It looked great and really sold the cop show vibe.
But once you slow down, the cracks show. Buildings look like props with no real depth. NPCs mostly stand around in twos, and the world feels more like a movie set than a living city. It would’ve helped to see people entering stores or interacting with their surroundings. Right now, it feels like the world exists only for you.
Dialogue scenes cut to static character portraits with voice lines that sometimes crackle or cut out. The portraits look fine, but when ID photos don’t match the character models, it’s hard to ignore—especially when ID checks are such a big part of the game. Animations are stiff too. Watching suspects run or watching your officer jog around can be awkward, with transitions that don’t always land.
The soundtrack, though, absolutely fits. Retro synths, ambient sax, and a few well-placed effects give it style. It leans into the theme hard, and that part works. The rest just needed more time and polish to catch up.
Averno’s Got Issues, But It’s Still Worth Patrolling
The Precinct is a rough-around-the-edges cop game that knows exactly what kind of experience it wants to be. It mixes old-school law enforcement tasks with wild car chases and throwback action scenes, all wrapped in a VHS-era aesthetic. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
I had fun with the chaos. Watching backup officers crash through traffic while I tried to write a ticket never got old. There’s something entertaining about trying to stay professional in a city that’s constantly falling apart. The simulation side—searching suspects, assigning charges, calling for support—adds a nice routine to the madness, even if it gets repetitive by the halfway mark.
But the clunky combat, shallow upgrade system, and stiff animations weigh it down. The story has some decent ideas, but it leans too hard on familiar tropes without doing much new. And the voice work? Let’s just say it won’t be winning any awards.
Still, for a shorter, more focused open-world game, it delivers just enough to be worth a look. It’s not polished, and it’s not deep, but if you’re in the mood for something light, silly, and packed with flashing lights and one-liners, The Precinct hits that very specific itch.
The Precinct
Summary
The Precinct is a chaotic cop sandbox that blends simulation-style patrol work with over-the-top 80s action. While its core systems are fun in short bursts, the repetition, clunky shootouts, and lack of polish wear thin over time. The tone leans campy and self-aware, which works if you’re in the mood for it. It’s not the most refined open-world game, but there’s enough personality and mayhem to leave an impression—especially if you miss the days of top-down GTA.
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