True Crime: Streets of LA

Maxim Online

The shooting control takes some getting used to, but stick with it and you’ll advance through a solid plot laced with a meaty hip-hop soundtrack, celebrity voices, and…drumroll…a playable Snoop Dogg! You’ll never need MapQuest in L.A. again.

GameZone

Offers a little something for everyone, from sweet gun fights to insane driving to killer fist fights. If you grow tired of missions, you won’t get bored by just driving around looking for crimes to solve.

IGN

The consequences of your actions and nonactions are huge in True Crime and dramatically change your level of recklessness...It doesn't, nor should it, replace "Grand Theft Auto" by any means. True Crime has enough good to counter the bad and stand on its own.

Yahoo! Games

Striking a balance between cinematic, story-based gaming and free-roaming fun is harder than most people realize, and True Crime manages to pull it off in a way that brings excitement, challenge, and even a few laughs here and there (some of the voice work, particularly that of one Mr. Walken, is priceless).

Nintendophiles

Overall, the gameplay in True Crime is spectacular.

Armchair Empire

A fun, well-designed, innovative title, and if you've got a long, uninterrupted stretch of weekend in front of you, it's worth at least a rental.

Gamer's Pulse

It’s unfortunate that the game is bogged down by a lot of glitches and flaws, but it is still an extremely entertaining title that is deep in every aspect.

NintendoWorldReport

It's a game that does a few things extremely well and a lot of things competently, but the fact that everything is so well integrated is probably the most impressive...It's fun and brilliantly produced, with plenty to do and see.

GameSpy

Too bad it's so short, but there's plenty to do in the city of L.A. once the story is over. This is the first game that treats the "GTA" model as inspiration rather than a quick ticket to the bank.

Game Over Online

The Karma system, the skill training mode and the branching storylines offered promise for what could’ve established the new standard for action titles. Unfortunately, graphical glitches, fighting issues and a breakdown with the plotline feature tarnish the game from truly being stellar.

GameCube Europe

It’s great to have so much in one game, but in the end you’ll play "Burnout 2" if you want to race and "Soul Calibur 2" if you want to fight, not True Crime.

Cincinnati Enquirer

Savvy gamers can also unlock Snoop Dogg as a playable character.

Firing Squad

Despite gameplay bordering on being shallow, True Crime is still very worthwhile of your time because of the experience of brings. It’s a Hollywood cop movie where you’re in the driver’s seat, and it has the acting to back you up.

1UP

You won't spend as much time with True Crime, but that time will be spent enjoying nicer visuals and a very deep story experience, as opposed to flipping cars across parking garages.

Nintendorks

An extremely fun action game that manages to be a jack-of-all-trades without coming up short in any particular area. It lacks in depth and does have a number of technical issues, but it provides a few days of enjoyment that goes unmatched as far as cheap thrills go.

Nintendo Power

Play control is top-notch and the voice acting, particularly that of Christopher Walken, is excellent. [Jan 2004, p.158]

Game Informer

This replication of LA suffers from some of the worst pop-up I've seen in a game. [Jan 2004, p.138]

GamingWorld X

True Crime is, thankfully, not a total failure, although one does get the impression that with more development time and more polish to individual aspects (aside from the impressive driving sections), the game could’ve been a masterwork.

Playboy

What does this action game packed with guns, cars and crooks have that "Vice City" doesn't? The voice talent of Christopher Walken and Gary Oldman as characters, for one thing. [Oct 2003, p.37]

Game Revolution

The game tries to be everything for everyone by offering a great variety of gameplay styles, but doesn’t quite succeed at any of them. Each facet of the game has minor issues that hurt an otherwise enjoyable experience.

GameSpot

Lacks polish and, in some cases, feels unfinished. It makes decent attempts with its different styles of gameplay, but none of them are particularly well done, and the game's storyline doesn't tie them together in a satisfying way.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

It's so-so styleless graphics fail to impress, and the whole thing's too short and easy. [Jan 2003, p.107]

Computer and Video Games

The gaming equivalent of buying a massive bag of crisps only to find that half the packet is filled with fresh air. There's still plenty to enjoy, but not nearly as much as there should be and you end up feeling a bit cheated.

Edge Magazine

As a place, Los Angeles simply isn't as much fun as Liberty or Vice. Too much of this silicon LA exists simply because the designers wanted to show that it could be done rather than because it serves any gameplay purpose. [Christmas 2003, p.107]

GMR Magazine

The hand-to-hand combat is, despite a handful of unlockable combos, pure button-mashing chaos.

Nintendojo

Overall, the game play experience of True Crime is just ruined by the frustrating camera system.

WHAM! Gaming

Maybe the problem is True Crime tries too hard to be all things to all people, and in the process, neglects to do anything especially well.

Play Magazine

Not even the irreplaceable voice acting of Christopher Walken can rescue the mess of a script driving the action of True Crime, a misguided attempt to share the spotlight with the vastly superior "Grand Theft Auto." [Jan 2004, p.62]

games(TM)

Half the game it should have been. Whoever came up with the inventive level structuring or spent months mapping LA has every reason to be furious with the lacklustre implementation of their ideas. [Christmas 2003, p.106]