Review: The Precinct – Serve, Protect, and Survive the Streets of 1983 Averno
I rolled out of HQ just after dawn, the kind of orange haze hanging over Averno that makes even the alley rats look half-respectable. Kelly, my trainer put me in the driver seat again, because he is "having some back problems" I saw right through this excuse, but he is my trainer and besides I like taking the wheel. My cruiser coughed to life like a two-pack-a-day smoker, and we hit the streets. First call? A parking violation on Springwood and Ramona . Tan sedan, expired meter, and halfway up the sidewalk like the owner was allergic to common sense. Wrote it up. Felt good. Law and order—simple stuff.
Stopped by Sal’s for a hotdog around 9. Same as always: extra mustard, no relish. Sal gave me the nod like he does every morning, the kind that says, “I respect the badge, but don’t bring your problems to my cart.” Fair enough.
By mid-morning, I was redirecting traffic around a fender-bender near the bridge. Minor injuries. One guy tried to bribe me with Knicks tickets—next time, pal, offer me a coffee. I was halfway through paperwork when dispatch came through with a 10-66: suspected gang activity near Sunny side.
From there, the shift nosedived.
First it was a street race gone bad—two muscle cars trading paint across three blocks of storefronts. I clipped a fire hydrant trying to box one in. Sorry, city services. Then came the calls in rapid fire: shots fired near the docks, armed robbery downtown, a hostage situation in a laundromat that turned into a full-blown standoff when the suspects turned out to be part of the Crimson Serpent One explosion later and I’m radioing for backup and trying not to think about how many windows I’d be writing reports for.
By sundown, I’d racked up three arrests, four totaled cruisers, a city bus with a bullet hole in the radiator, and a headache that could flatten a rhino. I limped back to the station under flashing red skies, trying to rub the gunpowder out of my shirt sleeve and figure out how to explain the debris trail stretching from Mercer heights to Portalo Hill.
Old man Kelly is not happy with the paperwork that's coming and grumbled under his breath he is getting too old for this sh-. Oh look, we are being called over, Captain’s gonna have words. Again.
Step aside, clean-cut superheroes and invincible action icons—The Precinct throws you into the scuffed shoes of Officer Nick Cordell Jr., a rookie beat cop trying to clean the gritty streets of Averno City in 1983. Inspired by the smoky neon glow and moral gray zones of '80s cop dramas, this top-down action sandbox blends the procedural detail of Police Quest with the chaotic energy of the early Grand Theft Auto and China Town Wars. The result? A nostalgic, high-stakes patrol through a city teetering on the edge of lawlessness.
That’s the beauty—and chaos—of The Precinct. One minute you're writing tickets, soaking in the neon haze of a city in a romanticized version of the early '80s, the next you're fishtailing through alleys in pursuit of gang enforcers with more firepower than sense. It’s a game that captures the full spectrum of a cop's life, at least through the lens of VHS-era action flicks: grounded enough to make you feel the doldrums of everyday policing, wild enough to make every patrol shift unpredictable.
Fallen Tree Games has delivered a fun blend of old-school action and police sim mechanics. If you’ve ever wanted to be a procedural purist and a one-man wrecking crew all in the same shift, The Precinct gives you the badge, the rules, and then lets you to color outside the lines.
From Badge to Sandbox – Gameplay
Whether you're methodically following department protocols or chasing suspects through back alleys with sirens blazing, The Precinct gives you the freedom to approach law enforcement your own way—but not every choice is without consequence.
This is a narrative-driven game with light open-world elements, functioning as a police simulator mixed with plenty of action—think car chases, foot pursuits, fistfights, and shootouts. You play as a rookie cop stepping into the shadow of his legendary father, who died under mysterious circumstances. Between shifts, dialogue scenes move the story forward, unlocking new areas of the city and introducing fresh mechanics and gameplay features. You’ll receive access to the police manual, which offers guidance on how to execute a perfect arrest. Whether you follow it to the letter or toss it aside and wing it is entirely up to you.
After a fairly lengthy tutorial, you can choose from a variety of pre-built shift scenarios or ignore your watch commander Kowalski altogether, crafting your own patrol route and nightly objectives. Will you focus on cracking down on serious crime, or simply patrol the streets handing out parking and speeding tickets? You decide your shift’s length, time of day, and which neighborhood to cover—there’s a solid range of options.
Even with that level of control, the living city’s unpredictable AI may throw a wrench in your plans. Thankfully, a main objective helps anchor your focus. You might decide to ignore a minor traffic call to stay hot on the trail of a suspected gang member. Solve enough crimes and you’ll gather evidence to submit to the precinct’s evidence locker. Eventually, you’ll earn a warrant to go after one of the city’s three main crime bosses—each backed by their own hierarchy of lieutenants. Taking down major criminals and solving serious cases like murders will reward you with XP, unlocking new vehicles, weapons, and skills.
Each shift presents call-ins from dispatch that you can choose to accept or ignore. You can also initiate action based on incidents you personally witness. Responding within a limited time is key; miss your window, and the mission either evolves or vanishes. Crime waits for no one.
Scenarios vary and often escalate. A routine traffic stop might lead to a DUI, which could turn into a high-speed chase. Breaking up a fistfight could see one participant pulling a weapon. A robbery might spiral into a deadly shootout. The game uses intuitive mechanics to indicate the proper response in each situation. You can’t just shoot everything that moves—sometimes your fists, baton, or taser are more appropriate. Deviate too far from protocol, and you’ll lose XP. That said, sometimes it’s undeniably satisfying to run down a fleeing suspect—negative points be damned.
During pursuits, successfully keeping pace fills an energy meter, allowing you to command a suspect to surrender or boost your score for calling in backup. You can request support from dispatch, including helicopters, spike strips, and additional patrol units. You're part of a team—use their help wisely.
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All of this is managed through a slick and user-friendly radial menu, letting you easily call for assistance, charge a suspect, or begin escort procedures. Fallen Tree Games has taken what could be a complex and repetitive system and made it feel intuitive and enjoyable.
If you’re looking for an ultra-realistic policing simulator filled with administrative tasks and minute-by-minute realism, you might walk away a bit disappointed. The Precinct clearly emphasizes fun, fast-paced gameplay over deep procedural detail.
As a sandbox, the game is somewhat constrained. While you can explore the city, the game often nudges you back to your assigned patrol zone. And no, you can’t go full rogue and become a crime boss yourself. You’re meant to be a cop. Mistakes are part of the experience, but going completely off-script halts your progress. Still, there are plenty of side missions and challenges scattered around to keep things fresh. You’ll find time trial events that teach you valuable shortcuts—essential knowledge for high-speed pursuits. There’s even an illegal street racing circuit you can infiltrate (undercover, of course) to earn the trust of the racers, collect evidence, and bring them down.
As mentioned earlier, the city feels alive, filled with AI characters interacting with one another and responding to your presence. This gives each patrol a dynamic and unpredictable quality. In one instance, I left my cruiser to check on a contact. When I came back, a random car had somehow parked itself on my hood. It caught me completely off guard—but after a good laugh, I wrote that car a ticket. These unscripted moments make the world feel reactive and surprising. With so many random events unfolding each shift, no two patrols ever feel quite the same.
Atmosphere, Style & Setting – Welcome to Averno
Averno isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a character. The grimy streets, buzzing neon signs, and crackling radios all pull you into a world stuck somewhere between Miami Vice and a crime scene tape.
It is a dirty city but in the most gorgeous way presented though a top-down angled camera in the style of Grand Theft Auto : China Town wars. But do not let that throw you off. the atmosphere is spot on. Especially during night missions does the city feel like a trip back to the 80's, or at least what we think was the 80's. Wet streets reflect the neon signs, litter blows through the grimy streets and grimy hotdog stands are at every corner. You can even grab a bite to eat at the hotdog stands, or take the subway if you don't feel like grabbing a patrol car.
You cannot get into every building, but some are accessible depending on the mission. There are pubs where you can find informants, crime scenes and more. each area just breaths with atmosphere and has great lighting. with a full day night cycle and dynamic weather this might be as close as you want to be to a crime riddled urban setting.
There is a great amount of variety in people and vehicles to keep things fresh and to top it all of the games comes with a monster of a soundtrack filled with sweet synth-pop songs by Gavin Harrison and Sleepless Nights.
The story plays out through scenes with the main characters presented by what looks like a cardboard cutout which moves closer to the screen as they speak. These scenes are fully voices as is the dialog between you and your partner Kelly as you move around the city. With real voice acting this is functional, but I would personally have preferred they would just use their in-game models as they move around the screen or have the drawings more atmospheric instead of all standing in a row facing the camera like a kindergarten recital. The voice acting is sufficient with some better than others, but I am a big fan of the use of real actors and not opting for AI voices.
Chaos in Control – The Good, the Bad, and the Collateral Damage
There’s nothing like T-boning a getaway car off a bridge and then calmly writing up a parking ticket two blocks down—but not everything in The Precinct feels like a clean win.
Early on, the game can feel overly hand-holdy, guiding you through some fairly mundane tasks in a way that limits your freedom. While it does open up more as the story progresses, it would’ve been nice if the game gave you more breathing room from the start. Nobody wants a constant “Hey, listen!” Zelda-style experience interrupting every few minutes.
Vehicle handling is another mixed bag. The controls feel a bit loose and floaty, which makes car chases more challenging—but also unintentionally hilarious. The unpredictable physics have a tendency to send you bouncing off traffic, medians, and buildings in ways that feel more comedic than cinematic. It also can reveal new things you did not think possible, such as driving of a bridge and being able to exit the vehicle and swim to safety. I had no idea this was a thing until I pushed a perp of the railing into the deep end. Why colour me blue and call me columbo.
That said, the game strikes a solid balance between narrative beats and emergent chaos. Even during quieter shifts—like writing parking tickets or watching intersections—something wild almost always pops off. These spontaneous moments give each patrol a sense of unpredictability and keep things from ever feeling dull.
Partner AI is one of the weaker spots. Officer Kelly, your assigned partner, often feels inconsistent. There were several frustrating moments where I found myself waiting for him to get into the car during a high-stakes pursuit. Even worse, when dealing with multiple suspects, it can take time to cuff and arrest each one—and if you leave a subdued suspect for later, Kelly sometimes auto-processes them on his own. This not only robs you of the XP, but also lets the actual threat—the guy who hijacked a car and peeled off—get away.
The radial menu works well in theory, offering quick access to actions like calling for backup or detaining suspects. However, in the heat of a high-speed chase, it can feel overwhelming despite the time-slowing mechanic. It takes some getting used to. I even accidentally released a criminal mid-arrest once or twice, much to Kelly’s disappointment. Sorry, officer Kelly . I’ll do better next time.
Final Thoughts – The Badge and the Blood Pressure
The Precinct is a smaller-scale game that still manages to pack in a surprising amount of content, solid graphics, and an excellent soundtrack. Its gameplay strikes a satisfying balance between storytelling, exploration, and action. With richly detailed visuals that help build an immersive atmosphere, the game is easy to pick up and play. Every session I’ve had has led to a funny or unexpected moment, while still giving me a sense of meaningful progress. It absolutely nails the aesthetics of 1980s cop and crime dramas, blending that style with a light police simulator vibe. While there are some inconsistencies in the voice acting and presentation, the game keeps you engaged, and the crime boss scenarios are a blast to tackle. A modest skill tree, unlockable abilities, and weaponry ensure there’s plenty to keep players occupied. The random AI events can be both hilarious and occasionally frustrating—but they’re always entertaining.
For parents wondering about age-appropriateness: be aware that the game deals with themes like crime, drug possession, and alcohol abuse. However, its top-down visual style means there's no graphic gore, making it more suggestive than explicit. That said, the themes do lean toward the mature side.
If you’ve ever wanted to play as a beat cop in a GTA-lite experience, The Precinct might be right up your alley. Just don’t go in expecting a deep policing simulator or a full-blown competitor to GTA 6—you might end up disappointed. Still, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed cruising the streets, hunting down random crimes, and getting lost in the game’s retro atmosphere. Check it out on its Steam page and decide for yourself.
Steam players can also snag The Precinct as part of several exclusive bundles, joining forces with games like Shadows of Doubt, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, and Deliver At All Costs. Each bundle includes a 10 per cent discount, offering great value for players eager to dive into these gripping, crime-filled worlds.
In addition, Kwalee and Fallen Tree Games have teamed up with Microids to bring The Precinct to retail as a physical edition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Alongside the standard release, a Limited Edition will also be available, packed with extras including:
Full Game
A Steelbook
Digital Original Soundtrack
Map of Averno City
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