True Crime: New York City
Encyclopedia
True Crime: New York City is an urban
sandbox-style action-adventure
videogame published by Activision
and developed by Luxoflux
for the Xbox
, PlayStation 2
, and GameCube
consoles and Windows
based computer
s. It is the second game of the True Crime
series, released after True Crime: Streets of LA
. As of February 2011, the Xbox 360
is not backwards compatible with the Xbox version of the game.
Five years later, Reed is an NYPD officer himself, working under the mentorship of Higgins. One of Higgins' contacts calls and asks for a meeting. At the contact point, an old warehouse, a bomb goes off with Higgins inside. Back at the precinct, Reed is contacted by FBI agent Gabriel Whitting, who informs Reed that one of the detectives in his precinct is a mole
, and likely is responsible for Higgins' death. Whitting does not know who the mole is; only that he is connected to four major crime families in the city. Whitting asks Reed to investigate these families and try to find the mole.
Near the game, another cop named Victor Navarro is arrested as the mole. At this point, the game has two possible endings. In the bad ending, Navarro escapes the grip of the officers leading him away, grabs a gun, and kills Whitting. He then boards a subway train, with Reed in pursuit. Ultimately, Reed throws Navarro off the train, killing him. Later, while Reed is sitting alone in the train station, Higgins sits next to him. Higgins had faked his own death and framed Navarro to escape being arrested by Whitting. Higgins hands Reed a bag of cash and asks him to join him in Mexico
. Reed, however, is angry at having been used, so he kills Higgins.
In the good ending, Navarro is taken away without incident. Later, Reed is approached by Higgins with the same offer of comfortable living in Mexico as in the bad ending, but Reed simply refuses. Higgins then threatens to expose Reed's past, but Reed responds that he would pay for his crimes with honor, and orders Higgins to come quietly. Higgins run onto a subway train, with Reed in pursuit. Ultimately, Higgins is killed when the train derails. Back at the train station, Whitting promises to talk to the DA about Reeds father as thanks for catching the mole.
True Crime: New York City features a GPS street-accurate recreation of the New York City
borough
of Manhattan
and its many landmarks.
A major difference from previous open world video games is many buildings are accessible to the player besides just the locations related to the game's story. These include restaurants, hotels, apartment buildings, pharmacies, clothing shops, car dealers, dojos, record stores, and more. Besides shopping opportunities at some locations, the random street crime
s found in the first game often occur within building interiors as well. Players can also purchase food (which increases health) from New York City's many hot dog stand
s.
Bridges such as the Brooklyn Bridge
that lead off the island are present but blocked off. However there is a glitch where Marcus can get past the otherwise unclimbable fence at the Willis Avenue Bridge
climbing over a barrier and cross the bridge but will respawn back in Manhattan when he gets to the other side. Parks such as Washington Square Park
and Central Park
are accessible; the Statue of Liberty
is not but can be seen from Battery Park
. Using the debug menu to access the debug camera reveals the statue's tablet bears the same inscription as in real life.
Times Square
features the familiar bright neon lights, and the Naked Cowboy
can be found playing his guitar. There is also a replica of the TKTS booth. Grand Central Terminal
is the only major landmark that can be entered any time by the player, but the actual subway stop there is inaccessible for most of the game. In the game's story, the other major landmark that is featured as a setting is the American Museum of Natural History
.
Other landmark buildings such as the Empire State Building
, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
, the United Nations headquarters
, St. Patrick's Cathedral
, Rockefeller Center
and the Chrysler Building
are present but can not be entered, and a few areas, particularly in northern Manhattan (such as the Columbia University
campus), are recreated exactly as in real life. The Guggenheim Museum
, the Manhattan Municipal Building
, the MetLife Building
, the MetLife Tower, the Flatiron Building
, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, the Citigroup Center
, and the Time Warner Center
at Columbus Circle feature accurately in the game, and Belvedere Castle
and the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park
are both present. The World Trade Center site
is depicted in its 2005 condition: cleaned up and closed off.
Through use of the debug camera, it has been discovered there are incomplete versions of Governors Island
, The Bronx
, Roosevelt Island
, Queens
, and Brooklyn
. These areas are mostly inaccessible, as most attempts to spawn the player will lead to the player being respawned in Manhattan, or the game crashing. However, certain sections of these unfinished boroughs allow the player to spawn normally, and even drive a vehicle in some instances.
. Though both the Brady Games strategy guide's subway map and the printed map that comes with the collector's edition show the various subway lines using different colors as in real life, the player does not need to transfer to different lines in the game to get to the various stations.
The stations themselves are all presented in the same basic set-up, but the signage at each station does change to reflect whichever station it is supposed to represent. The station at Grand Central Terminal
is inaccessible during most of the game (although it can be seen past the gates that block the stairs), but it is featured as a prominent setting for the game's finale. Manhattan's high population density is not recreated in the game, and this extends to the subway stations and subway trains, which are completely empty except for the final train mission at Grand Central. However in debug mode you can access a test mission and in that mission all the subway stations have people in them.
Players can also get a ride from the iconic yellow NYC taxicabs that drive around the island (the taxis can still be commandeered like other vehicles if the player scares off or incapacitates the driver).
Both new modes of transportation require a minimal in-game fee.
), as others are not shown nearly as much.
. The city is in a riot against you (i.e. Redman)
You have 3 minutes to escape from Lower Manhattan
to Hell's Kitchen
but you can add more time by killing prostitutes and homeless people to add 5 seconds per civilian, and you have a surprise blocking your way: Zeke
from the game's Magdalena Cartel storyline. He wields a bazooka
. Also, killing civilians earns more health (some health boxes are available on the street as well) since the riot involves SMG's, assault rifles, rocket launchers, pistols, etc. Civilian AI has also improved, they pick up weapons instead of simply ignoring them.
You have help by having random guns scattered throughout Manhattan. Your only transportation is the enemy's cars and Redman's Hummer H1
, but you cannot repair the car if they shoot at it. Some problems include having poor shooting accuracy, meaning it takes several rounds of bullets to kill one civilian.
True Crime: New York City includes all of the features of the previous game, namely a "sandbox"-style of gameplay, option to fight crime, the choice to be a good cop (fight crime, etc.) or a bad cop (kill innocents and fellow officers, damaging property, accepting bribes, and causing chaos in general), and different endings (though simplified to either a good cop or bad cop ending instead of the previous game's branching storyline). Also, instead of allowing the player to proceed down a different mission path upon mission failure, they have the option of doing an informant mission to get back on track with the main storyline.
The game is also said to have upgraded old features and added new features, along with better graphics and sound including the use of motorcycles and new weapons. The player can no longer dual wield assault rifles and shotguns, but the game has a much improved aiming and auto targeting system. Additionally, players are now able to customize their own arsenal of melee weapons and firearms, instead of being limited to a single, upgradeable pair of pistols.
Also the main character is allowed to buy civilian cars that resemble real life cars (i.e. Lamborghini
, the Cadillac CTS
, etc.) and turn them into police cars. Also they are allowed into several buildings like eateries, hotels and clothing shops.
scored the game a 7.8 out of 10 and Team Xbox gave it 8.4 out of 10, while GameSpot
gave the game a 4.6 out of 10. Some reviewers admired its vast depiction of Manhattan and improvements in gameplay, including the innovative transportation options that set it apart from previous free roam games. Others derided its story, bad frame rates, and technical issues that seemed to have resulted from a rushed release for the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. Its sales fell short of Activision's expectations.
The game also does not depict all five of New York City's boroughs, opting instead for the 24 square miles (62 km²) of Manhattan. In comparison, True Crime: Streets of L.A. depicts 240 square miles (621.6 km²) of Los Angeles
. New York City has a total land area of 303.3 square miles (785.5 km²). However, New York City's skyscrapers and overall density would have taken high demands from the consoles available at the time of the game's release, evident by the choppy frame rates with the finished product's Manhattan. Entering debug mode and crossing the (otherwise closed) bridges reveals large undeveloped portions of the adjacent boroughs of New York City, with identified streets, traffic and pedestrians, but no buildings, trees or other streetside props. Strangely New Jersey
is not depicted and is instead replaced by a large body of water.
There were also many complaints of bugs and performance issues and of game-stopping glitches that prevented some players from continuing the game using the game's on-screen instructions, although workarounds were discovered. Also guns would stay in precision aim mode, weapons would be held, as well as an inability to enter cars. Sometimes doors wouldn't open or Marcus would fall into a glitch and get stuck there.
(executive producer and technical advisor of NYPD Blue
), NYPD commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
and the city's largest police union did not approve of the way the department was depicted in the game. Each copy of the game came with a paper insert that stated the NYPD had no involvement with the game.
At the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards (held December 12, 2009), a trailer was debuted showing the first seventh-generation entry in the True Crime series, titled True Crime: Hong Kong
, it took place in an Asian setting; with the lead character going undercover to infiltrate a Triad gang. The publisher Activision
announced the cancellation of the sequel in February, 2011, however it was picked up by Square Enix on August of the same year.
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
sandbox-style action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
videogame published by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
and developed by Luxoflux
Luxoflux
Luxoflux was an American video game developer. It was founded by Peter Morawiec and Adrian Stephens in January 1997, and was based in Santa Monica, California.-History:...
for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
consoles and Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
based computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s. It is the second game of the True Crime
True Crime (series)
True Crime is a series of action games set from the perspective of law enforcement and published by Activision.The first two games were developed by Luxoflux and are known for their GPS-accurate open world recreations of Los Angeles and New York City and "street crime" missions that randomly...
series, released after True Crime: Streets of LA
True Crime: Streets of LA
True Crime: Streets of LA is an action-adventure video game developed by Luxoflux and published by Activision for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube in November 2003 and the first game in the True Crime series...
. As of February 2011, the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
is not backwards compatible with the Xbox version of the game.
Synopsis
The game begins with Marcus Reed, the protagonist, assuming control of his father's criminal empire after he is arrested. A few years after Reed takes control, he is betrayed by a friend and almost killed. He survives the betrayal with the aid of NYPD detective Terry Higgins. Higgins is a close friend of Reed's father and offers to cover up Reed's criminal activity, calling it his “last chance” before he's given to the NYPD.Five years later, Reed is an NYPD officer himself, working under the mentorship of Higgins. One of Higgins' contacts calls and asks for a meeting. At the contact point, an old warehouse, a bomb goes off with Higgins inside. Back at the precinct, Reed is contacted by FBI agent Gabriel Whitting, who informs Reed that one of the detectives in his precinct is a mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
, and likely is responsible for Higgins' death. Whitting does not know who the mole is; only that he is connected to four major crime families in the city. Whitting asks Reed to investigate these families and try to find the mole.
Near the game, another cop named Victor Navarro is arrested as the mole. At this point, the game has two possible endings. In the bad ending, Navarro escapes the grip of the officers leading him away, grabs a gun, and kills Whitting. He then boards a subway train, with Reed in pursuit. Ultimately, Reed throws Navarro off the train, killing him. Later, while Reed is sitting alone in the train station, Higgins sits next to him. Higgins had faked his own death and framed Navarro to escape being arrested by Whitting. Higgins hands Reed a bag of cash and asks him to join him in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Reed, however, is angry at having been used, so he kills Higgins.
In the good ending, Navarro is taken away without incident. Later, Reed is approached by Higgins with the same offer of comfortable living in Mexico as in the bad ending, but Reed simply refuses. Higgins then threatens to expose Reed's past, but Reed responds that he would pay for his crimes with honor, and orders Higgins to come quietly. Higgins run onto a subway train, with Reed in pursuit. Ultimately, Higgins is killed when the train derails. Back at the train station, Whitting promises to talk to the DA about Reeds father as thanks for catching the mole.
New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and its many landmarks.
A major difference from previous open world video games is many buildings are accessible to the player besides just the locations related to the game's story. These include restaurants, hotels, apartment buildings, pharmacies, clothing shops, car dealers, dojos, record stores, and more. Besides shopping opportunities at some locations, the random street crime
Street crime
Street crime is a loose term for criminal offences taking place in public places. It has moved to occupy the place once held by mugging. According to London's Metropolitan Police Force, street crime is:...
s found in the first game often occur within building interiors as well. Players can also purchase food (which increases health) from New York City's many hot dog stand
Hot dog stand
A hot dog stand is a food business stand that sells hot dogs, usually from an external counter on a public thoroughfare such as a road, street, ballpark, mall, or food court....
s.
Bridges such as the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
that lead off the island are present but blocked off. However there is a glitch where Marcus can get past the otherwise unclimbable fence at the Willis Avenue Bridge
Willis Avenue Bridge
The Willis Avenue Bridge is a swing bridge that carries road traffic northbound over the Harlem River between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, United States. It connects First Avenue in Manhattan with Willis Avenue in the Bronx...
climbing over a barrier and cross the bridge but will respawn back in Manhattan when he gets to the other side. Parks such as Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park is one of the best-known of New York City's 1,900 public parks. At 9.75 acres , it is a landmark in the Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity...
and Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
are accessible; the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
is not but can be seen from Battery Park
Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them...
. Using the debug menu to access the debug camera reveals the statue's tablet bears the same inscription as in real life.
Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
features the familiar bright neon lights, and the Naked Cowboy
Naked Cowboy
Robert John Burck , better known as the Naked Cowboy, is an American street performer whose pitch is on New York City's Times Square...
can be found playing his guitar. There is also a replica of the TKTS booth. Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
is the only major landmark that can be entered any time by the player, but the actual subway stop there is inaccessible for most of the game. In the game's story, the other major landmark that is featured as a setting is the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
.
Other landmark buildings such as the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
, the United Nations headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
, St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
, Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
and the Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State...
are present but can not be entered, and a few areas, particularly in northern Manhattan (such as the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
campus), are recreated exactly as in real life. The Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
, the Manhattan Municipal Building
Manhattan Municipal Building
The Manhattan Municipal Building, at 1 Centre Street in New York City, is a 40-story building built to accommodate increased governmental space demands after the 1898 consolidation of the city's five boroughs. Construction began in 1907 and ended in 1914, marking the end of the City Beautiful...
, the MetLife Building
MetLife Building
The MetLife Building, originally called the Pan Am Building, is a skyscraper located at 200 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-History:...
, the MetLife Tower, the Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building, or Fuller Building, as it was originally called, is located at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City and is considered to be a groundbreaking skyscraper. Upon completion in 1902 it was one of the tallest buildings in the city and the only skyscraper...
, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, the Citigroup Center
Citigroup Center
The Citigroup Center is one of the ten tallest skyscrapers in New York City, United States, located at 53rd Street between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue in midtown Manhattan...
, and the Time Warner Center
Time Warner Center
The Time Warner Center is a mixed-use skyscraper developed by AREA Property Partners and The Related Companies in New York City. Its design, by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, consists of two 750 ft towers bridged by a multi-story atrium containing upscale retail shops...
at Columbus Circle feature accurately in the game, and Belvedere Castle
Belvedere Castle
Belvedere Castle is a building in Central Park in New York, New York, that contains exhibit rooms and an observation deck.-Early history:Built as a Victorian folly in 1869, the castle caps Vista Rock, the park's second-highest natural elevation Constructed of Manhattan schist quarried in the park...
and the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
are both present. The World Trade Center site
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
is depicted in its 2005 condition: cleaned up and closed off.
Through use of the debug camera, it has been discovered there are incomplete versions of Governors Island
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in Upper New York Bay, approximately one-half mile from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. It is legally part of the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
, The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. These areas are mostly inaccessible, as most attempts to spawn the player will lead to the player being respawned in Manhattan, or the game crashing. However, certain sections of these unfinished boroughs allow the player to spawn normally, and even drive a vehicle in some instances.
Transportation
Besides traveling on foot or taking vehicles as in the first True Crime game, the player now has the ability to use the extensive and accurately recreated New York City subway systemNew York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. Though both the Brady Games strategy guide's subway map and the printed map that comes with the collector's edition show the various subway lines using different colors as in real life, the player does not need to transfer to different lines in the game to get to the various stations.
The stations themselves are all presented in the same basic set-up, but the signage at each station does change to reflect whichever station it is supposed to represent. The station at Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
is inaccessible during most of the game (although it can be seen past the gates that block the stairs), but it is featured as a prominent setting for the game's finale. Manhattan's high population density is not recreated in the game, and this extends to the subway stations and subway trains, which are completely empty except for the final train mission at Grand Central. However in debug mode you can access a test mission and in that mission all the subway stations have people in them.
Players can also get a ride from the iconic yellow NYC taxicabs that drive around the island (the taxis can still be commandeered like other vehicles if the player scares off or incapacitates the driver).
Both new modes of transportation require a minimal in-game fee.
Vehicles
You can buy new vehicles at either the precinct or at the various car dealerships throughout the city. You can buy a rusty old beater for a few hundred dollars, or a shiny new sports car for thousands of dollars. However, the most prominent car seems to be the game's Ford Police Interceptor (modeled after the Ford Crown VictoriaFord Crown Victoria
-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
), as others are not shown nearly as much.
Bonus game
Like the previous game, this game features a bonus round after the game is completely finished. This time, instead of getting 1 hour (game time, not real life) to arrest perps, you must escape ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The city is in a riot against you (i.e. Redman)
You have 3 minutes to escape from Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
to Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
but you can add more time by killing prostitutes and homeless people to add 5 seconds per civilian, and you have a surprise blocking your way: Zeke
Beetlejuice (entertainer)
Lester Napoleon Green , known legally as Beetlejuice , is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and a member of Stern's Wack Pack. He has appeared in feature films as well as performed voice-over work...
from the game's Magdalena Cartel storyline. He wields a bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
. Also, killing civilians earns more health (some health boxes are available on the street as well) since the riot involves SMG's, assault rifles, rocket launchers, pistols, etc. Civilian AI has also improved, they pick up weapons instead of simply ignoring them.
You have help by having random guns scattered throughout Manhattan. Your only transportation is the enemy's cars and Redman's Hummer H1
Hummer H1
The Hummer H1 is a civilian off-road vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which was created by AM General. The vehicle was produced from 1992 through 2006, and was the first of what became the Hummer line...
, but you cannot repair the car if they shoot at it. Some problems include having poor shooting accuracy, meaning it takes several rounds of bullets to kill one civilian.
Differences from True Crime: Streets of LA
The game is also said to have upgraded old features and added new features, along with better graphics and sound including the use of motorcycles and new weapons. The player can no longer dual wield assault rifles and shotguns, but the game has a much improved aiming and auto targeting system. Additionally, players are now able to customize their own arsenal of melee weapons and firearms, instead of being limited to a single, upgradeable pair of pistols.
Also the main character is allowed to buy civilian cars that resemble real life cars (i.e. Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
, the Cadillac CTS
Cadillac CTS
The Cadillac CTS is a mid-size car manufactured by the Cadillac marque of General Motors currently available in three body styles: Sedan, Coupe, and Sport Wagon. It was introduced in 2002 as a sports sedan, replacing the Cadillac Catera. The CTS and the supercharged CTS-V variant have been named...
, etc.) and turn them into police cars. Also they are allowed into several buildings like eateries, hotels and clothing shops.
Reception
True Crime: New York City received lukewarm reviews from critics. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
scored the game a 7.8 out of 10 and Team Xbox gave it 8.4 out of 10, while GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game a 4.6 out of 10. Some reviewers admired its vast depiction of Manhattan and improvements in gameplay, including the innovative transportation options that set it apart from previous free roam games. Others derided its story, bad frame rates, and technical issues that seemed to have resulted from a rushed release for the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. Its sales fell short of Activision's expectations.
The game also does not depict all five of New York City's boroughs, opting instead for the 24 square miles (62 km²) of Manhattan. In comparison, True Crime: Streets of L.A. depicts 240 square miles (621.6 km²) of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. New York City has a total land area of 303.3 square miles (785.5 km²). However, New York City's skyscrapers and overall density would have taken high demands from the consoles available at the time of the game's release, evident by the choppy frame rates with the finished product's Manhattan. Entering debug mode and crossing the (otherwise closed) bridges reveals large undeveloped portions of the adjacent boroughs of New York City, with identified streets, traffic and pedestrians, but no buildings, trees or other streetside props. Strangely New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
is not depicted and is instead replaced by a large body of water.
There were also many complaints of bugs and performance issues and of game-stopping glitches that prevented some players from continuing the game using the game's on-screen instructions, although workarounds were discovered. Also guns would stay in precision aim mode, weapons would be held, as well as an inability to enter cars. Sometimes doors wouldn't open or Marcus would fall into a glitch and get stuck there.
NYPD response
Although the game was developed with the input of former NYPD detective Bill ClarkBill Clark
Clark joined the New York City Police Department in 1969. He worked a special undercover assignment for two years before entering the Police Academy. In 1972 he earned his gold detective shield. On December 31, 1994, Clark retired from the Queens Homicide Detective Squad as a First Grade...
(executive producer and technical advisor of NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
), NYPD commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
Raymond W. Kelly
Raymond Walter Kelly is the current Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and the first person to hold the post for two non-consecutive tenures. A lifelong New Yorker, Kelly has spent 31 years in the NYPD, serving in 25 different commands and as Police Commissioner from 1992 to 1994...
and the city's largest police union did not approve of the way the department was depicted in the game. Each copy of the game came with a paper insert that stated the NYPD had no involvement with the game.
Sequel
Though pre-release interviews with game developers revealed True Crime: New York City was to have been the first part of a two-part series, the second part was eventually canceled. Luxoflux itself was shut down on February 11, 2010.At the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards (held December 12, 2009), a trailer was debuted showing the first seventh-generation entry in the True Crime series, titled True Crime: Hong Kong
True Crime: Hong Kong
True Crime: Hong Kong is a video game in development by United Front Games and is to be published by Square Enix. It was going to be the third installment and a reboot of the True Crime series, and would not be developed by Luxoflux, largely due to the studio being closed in February 2010.The game...
, it took place in an Asian setting; with the lead character going undercover to infiltrate a Triad gang. The publisher Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
announced the cancellation of the sequel in February, 2011, however it was picked up by Square Enix on August of the same year.