The Precinct is a GTA Throwback with a Badge and a Ton of 80s Cop Nostalgia

If you ever watched Hill Street Blues or Cagney & Lacey and thought, “I want a game like that,” The Precinct is for you. Released on March 13, 2025, this low-key indie project flips the old-school GTA formula on its head, putting you in the shoes of a rookie cop instead of a rising criminal.

Steve Boxer from GameCentral just gave it a full breakdown, and the takeaway is pretty clear: this is a compact, stylish, and surprisingly charming experience that’s more about vibe and routine than chaos and explosions.

The Precinct wears its influences proudly. The isometric camera angle screams GTA 1 & 2, but the mood is pure 80s cop drama. From neon-lit alleys to gruff station-house dialogue, the game is a clear love letter to an era of TV that was more grit than gloss. Boxer calls it “a police procedural in video game form”, which is rare enough to make it stand out.

You play as Nick Cordell Jr., fresh out of the Academy, dropped into the crime-ridden streets of Averno City (basically NYC without the skyscrapers). The city is split between two major gangs—the punk-rock Jawheads and the Chinatown-based Crimson Serpent—and it’s your job to clean up their mess. But this isn’t nonstop action. Your shifts often start with low-level tasks: parking tickets, drunks, noise complaints. Then it escalates.

“The most enjoyable tasks in The Precinct are the most mundane ones.” – Steve Boxer, GameCentral

It sounds counterintuitive, but that's what makes The Precinct work. Issuing fines, busting minor offenders, running license plates—it’s all grounded in routine. But that slow burn makes the big shootouts and busts hit harder. There’s a rhythm to the game that’s oddly satisfying.

Small Game, Big Charm

The game was developed by Fallen Tree Games, a five-person studio loaded with industry veterans. The main campaign runs about six hours, with another half-dozen hours available in open-world side content. That might not sound like much, but the structure works in its favour. You're not asked to grind. You're just shown a slice of cop life in a neon-soaked microcosm.

It includes an RPG-lite system where upgrade tokens improve your character’s stamina, weapons, and clearance to use higher-tier tools like commandeered cars or even a police chopper. The upgrade tree is lean and to the point—no bloat, no busywork.

Combat features third-person shooting with snap aim, line-of-sight indicators, and decent cover mechanics. Car physics are, as Boxer puts it, “wallow-y and tail-happy”—a clear nod to old-school GTA driving.

Visuals, Sound, and That 80s Vibe

For a game made by five people, The Precinct looks and sounds surprisingly good. It's fully 3D with proper textures, sharp lighting, and slick environmental effects. The soundtrack leans heavily into retro synth and hard-boiled noir tones, setting the mood better than some triple-A titles.

There’s an earnestness to it all that’s hard to resist. It’s not trying to be gritty in a True Detective way—it’s trying to channel the campy-yet-compelling tone of 80s shows like Miami Vice, minus the problematic bits. And it works.

The dialogue’s a little stiff, the AI occasionally acts like it’s taken a wrong turn out of a PlayStation 2 title, but for the most part, The Precinct stays on track.

Verdict: A Tight, Focused Love Letter to Retro Cop Media

Steve Boxer’s final score: 7/10

That might not scream “must-play,” but in this case, it kind of does. The Precinct isn’t trying to dominate your game time. It’s here to deliver a single, stylish experience, and it pulls it off with confidence.

You’re not meant to live in Averno City. You’re meant to visit, knock some skulls, issue a few fines, chase a few suspects through alleyways, and get out. That makes it rare—and kind of refreshing.

The Precinct probably won’t become a massive hit, but it doesn’t need to. It fills a niche that hasn’t had much love in recent years: the grounded, street-level cop story with mechanics that reward observation and patience.

And the fact that it was made by such a small team makes it even more impressive. If you like the idea of GTA from the other side of the law, or just want a taste of retro cop drama without all the bloat, give it a shot.

You’ll never look at a parking ticket the same way again.