The Precinct Review: For Fans of Classic Police Management Games

Before the 1997 original Grand Theft Auto (GTA) became famous, the developers at DMA Design first thought about making players control the police. But they quickly decided playing as criminals was more exciting. This decision gave birth to GTA as we know it, which went on to sell millions of copies.

Now, nearly 30 years later, The Precinct offers a fresh take by letting players experience the life of a police officer in a gritty, old-school sandbox city inspired by classic GTA. Although the game is relatively small and its crime-fighting missions can feel repetitive after about 12 hours, it shines with its detailed isometric view and authentic 1980s style. Patrolling the rainy streets of Averno City, players face endless criminals, gangsters, and troublemakers.

Setting the game in the 1980s is a smart move by developer Fallen Tree Games. There are no smartphones, social media, or modern technology to distract you. It’s just you, your partner, and a police radio. The Precinct feels like a classic cops-and-robbers TV show, focused on the simple thrill of protecting the city. It doesn’t explore police controversies or the darker side of ’80s law enforcement. Instead, it offers an idealized view of police work—patrolling the streets and keeping the peace.

If you enjoy GTA-style gameplay but want to play on the good side of the law, The Precinct is worth checking out.

The Precinct Is an Exciting 1980s Police Action Game That Feels Like a Classic Cop Movie

At its heart, The Precinct is a fast-paced tribute to those famous 1980s police shows and movies. Every day on the job feels like the most intense and dangerous day in a real cop’s career. Criminals get caught and booked quickly, and no matter how many squad cars crash or get destroyed, the city always has more ready to hit the streets.

Living in Averno City wouldn’t be for anyone looking for peace — it’s pure chaos here. Imagine the nonstop action of The Blues Brothers finale, happening every hour with police cars smashing through walls in high-speed chases after bold criminals.

The game includes all the classic cop story clichés, like the rookie cop full of hope paired with a tired veteran counting down to retirement, a boss with a thick mustache, and even a cop named Kowalski. I do wish the dialogue was more natural and less scripted because some of the voice acting felt a little cheesy and over the top. If The Precinct was a TV show, it probably wouldn’t win any awards like Hill Street Blues did.

But the cheesy lines don’t take away from the core gameplay, which quickly pulled me in. You spend your shifts patrolling the city on foot, looking out for trouble like vandals or fights. Sometimes you’re driving the streets hunting for carjackers or drunk drivers, and other times you’re in a helicopter, spotlighting suspects and calling for backup.

There’s a good mix of crimes to handle, which is bad news for the people of Averno City but great for the game since the missions keep coming. After about 12 hours and finishing the main story, the cases start to feel a bit repetitive, but the street crimes continue even after the credits, so there’s still plenty to do if new updates add fresh challenges.

Gameplay switches between walking after suspects and exciting car chases. The car handling is impressive — even though the cars look small and toy-like from the top-down view, they feel heavy and realistic as you drift around corners.

When multiple squad cars chase a suspect with sirens blazing, it reminded me of the classic Driver game, just from a bird’s eye view. The variety of cars fits the 80s theme perfectly, with models that look like off-brand Mustangs, muscle cars, and the classic boxy police cruisers often seen in movies. The visual style is great, with detailed outlines and glowing sirens lighting up wet streets at night.

Even small details like broken phone booths and strip club signs add to the atmosphere. You might miss these when racing around in your patrol car, but if you slow down, you’ll appreciate the care put into the world. The game ran smoothly for me without crashes during testing.

Following proper police procedure is important in The Precinct. If you break the rules — like attacking civilians or using too much force — you earn fewer experience points, which slows your progress and upgrades.

You won’t lose points you already earned, but bad behavior wipes out what you gain each day. Upgrades include things like more ammo or better resistance to attacks, which help during shootouts. You can also call in special riot vans or set up roadblocks to stop criminals.

You can get really detailed with arrests by choosing specific charges and personally escorting suspects to the station for extra experience points, but you can automate this if you want to stay on the streets instead of doing paperwork. I mostly automated it because I wanted to focus on the action outside.

Most arrests follow the same steps: identify the suspect, search for weapons or illegal items, then arrest, fine, or release them. This routine can get repetitive near the end of the story because there aren’t enough surprises or different outcomes. Sometimes the game even makes weird choices, like scolding you for defending yourself when a suspect tries to run you over. It’s frustrating because you want to feel like a tough cop who can fight back.

The game has a few technical glitches, like weird physics or invisible walls, but nothing that breaks the game completely. The Precinct offers a fun and stylish take on police work, especially if you like 80s action and classic cop games.

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The Precinct pros and cons

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
🎬 Cool 1980s cop movie feel	🔁 Gets repetitive after some time
👮 Fun police version of GTA	🕵️ Following rules can feel slow
🚓 Car chases are exciting	🗣️ Voice lines sound a bit fake
🌃 City looks nice with neon lights	🗺️ Small map, less variety
🖥️ Runs smooth, no big bugs	⚠️ Punishes you even when self-defending

Conclusion

I have to say, The Precinct really makes you follow the proper arrest rules and punishes you if you use too much force. It takes some patience, and honestly, the system can get a bit repetitive after a while. But I genuinely enjoyed roaming the city, handling crimes while the story was going on. The rainy, neon-lit ’80s vibe really sets the mood. Fallen Tree Games did something similar with American Fugitive back in 2019, but playing on the right side of the law in The Precinct just feels way more gripping and fun.