The Precinct

Everyone may be eagerly waiting for the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, which—assuming there are no further delays—is expected to arrive sometime in 2026. However, the story of the series began much further back, in 1997, when DMA Design released the very first Grand Theft Auto. It was a game that changed the industry forever and laid the foundations for what would become one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time.

I was one of those who played it back then on MS-DOS, and as strange as it may sound, The Precinct instantly brought those memories back. Not because it tries to imitate GTA, but because it uses the same top-down perspective and captures that familiar old-school feeling—only this time you're on the other side of the law.

Instead of causing chaos across the city, you wear a police badge—or, as we used to jokingly call them back in the day, you're one of the "smurfs"—trying to restore order. Naturally, the visuals have nothing in common with those from 1997. Nearly three decades have passed, and the difference is night and day, yet the overall feel of the game somehow manages to transport you back to that era.

Its biggest weakness, however, is repetition. After several hours, the same types of incidents begin to repeat themselves, and the sense of unpredictability slowly fades. The game never becomes boring, but it does lose some of the magic that makes the first few hours so enjoyable.

What I enjoyed the most were the vehicle pursuits. Every incident could unfold in a completely different way, creating spontaneous cinematic moments that never felt scripted. Those are the moments that make every patrol shift feel like its own unique story.

The main storyline is engaging enough to keep you invested until the end, while there's plenty of content to keep you busy for quite a while. The Precinct doesn't try to become the next GTA; instead, it offers a fresh perspective on an open-world formula we've almost always experienced from the criminal's point of view, and for the most part, it succeeds.

If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be this: play it with a gamepad. The game is perfectly playable with a keyboard and mouse, but using a controller simply feels far more natural. Driving, vehicle pursuits, and the overall gameplay experience become significantly more enjoyable.

Throughout the story, Nick sets out to uncover the truth behind his father's murder while dismantling the corruption that has spread deep throughout Averno City.

In the final act, it becomes clear that corruption isn't limited to the streets—it has reached the very institutions that are supposed to protect the city. The player is ultimately forced to make a crucial decision regarding the evidence gathered during the investigation.

Depending on your choice, the game reaches one of two different endings. In one, Nick exposes the truth, honoring his father's legacy and placing justice above personal sacrifice. In the other, he destroys the evidence, preserving the corrupt system and ultimately becoming part of the very thing he was fighting against.

Rather than relying on a shocking plot twist, the ending leaves players with a moral dilemma, asking whether justice is truly worth any personal cost.