Jumping into The Precinct on PS5 feels like stepping into a neon-soaked 80s crime drama. It’s part police procedural, part sandbox shoot-’em-up, all viewed through a slick isometric lens that gives it an identity straight away. You’re Nick Cordell Jr, a rookie officer starting his career in the shadow of his father’s unsolved murder. Rather than diving straight into heroics from minute 1, you’re issuing parking tickets, responding to domestic disputes, and learning the job one call at a time. The slow build is deliberate, and it’s clear the developers want you to feel the weight of the badge before you start drawing your gun (even if the opening tutorial missions get a little shooty).
The game’s Crime Generation System keeps things ticking over really nicely. Incidents occur randomly around the map, meaning you’re never quite sure what the next shift will bring. One minute you’re writing someone up for a dodgy parking job, the next you’re in a full-on chase after an armed suspect. The system make everything feel unpredictable, which suits the game’s structure really nicely. You’ll just settle into the rhythm of gently working the streets for minor issues, only to be interrupted by bursts of tension that give the world a real sense of life.
Visually, it works hard to sell the setting. The streets glisten with rain, shop fronts glow in the dark, and weather effects give the whole city a gritty, lived-in feel. It looks sharp on PS5, with responsive lighting and plenty of visual flourishes that help build atmosphere. The DualSense support adds to the immersion too, especially during high-speed chases or when you’re laying down spike strips to stop a getaway driver. There are a bits that stick out and give a nod to the lower budget nature of the game, like the static character portraits in dialogue scenes that move forward or backward into view like a dating simulator, but they don’t drag the experience down too much once you’re in the flow.
Mechanically the game takes its role as a police sim seriously. You’ll need to read suspects their rights, search them properly, and avoid cutting corners if you want to earn decent XP and avoid unnecessary fights breaking out. The radial arrest system works well, although it can start to feel repetitive after a while. That said, there’s satisfaction in doing things by the book and seeing your character improve over time. The AI support system is solid too; you can call for backup, set up roadblocks, and even get a helicopter involved if a suspect escapes on foot. It all comes together nicely when it works, especially during multi-car pursuits through destructible parts of the city – it can all get a bit Blues Brothers at times.
The story gives everything a bit more weight. You’ll uncover clues about your father’s death while working regular cases, and it all builds towards something more meaningful. The voice acting is solid, and even though some of the writing is a little up and down, it helps keep the world feeling grounded. Voice work is really decent too, and give the characters a far more real and recognisable feel.
There are a few bumps along the road. Once you’ve done a dozen or so callouts, the repetition starts to creep in. The mission types don’t change much, and the structure can start to feel formulaic, especially if you’re unlucky with the random crimes that crop up. The investigative threads and gang cases help, but at its core, you’re still just running loops around the map and reacting to whatever pops up. For some, that’s going to be perfect, especially if you like to just take in your surroundings and enjoy the lovely visuals as you go. For others, it might wear thin a little too quickly.
Still, it’s clear this was a passion project. Fallen Tree Games aren’t a massive studio, and The Precinct carries the hallmarks of something made with real care. If you’ve ever wanted to roleplay as a street cop with the structure of a proper sim and a hint of GTA in its DNA, The Precinct is a strong shout. It’s not flawless, but it has a clear vision and sticks to it. On PS5, it’s atmospheric, stylish and just different enough to be worth your time.
Reviewed on PS5
