The Precinct Review Summary

Highly praised game quality: The game is widely appreciated for its overall quality, with players describing it as excellent, very fun, well-made, and enjoyable. The graphics and gameplay are particularly highlighted as strong points.

Realistic police procedures: The game offers a detailed and realistic simulation of police work, including investigations, evidence gathering, patrols, arrests, and various policing techniques. Players appreciate the realism and variety in police activities.

Engaging and addictive gameplay: The gameplay is described as fun, engaging, and addictive. Players appreciate the high replayability and the variety of situations and missions, which keep the gameplay fresh and unpredictable.

80s setting and nostalgia: The game is set in the 80s and captures the retro vibe and atmosphere of that era. Players enjoy the nostalgic elements and the aesthetic reminiscent of 80s action films and police dramas.

Addition of K-9 units: The inclusion of K-9 units is a popular feature among players. The ability to use police dogs for various tasks, such as chasing criminals and sniffing out narcotics, adds enjoyment and variety to the gameplay.

Repetitive gameplay: Many players find the gameplay, including missions and tasks, to be repetitive and monotonous, leading to boredom after a few hours of play.

Story lacks depth and length: The story is frequently criticized for being short, uninspired, and lacking depth. Players feel it is underdeveloped and does not add much to the overall experience.

Poor driving controls: Driving controls are reported to be clunky and difficult to handle, with issues in car handling and unrealistic vehicle physics.

Presence of bugs and glitches: Players have encountered various bugs and glitches, ranging from minor issues to more noticeable problems that affect gameplay.

AI behavior issues: AI behavior is criticized for being unrealistic, illogical, and sometimes causing collisions. AI partners and opponents are noted to be particularly problematic.

Variety in police activities: The game offers a wide range of police activities, from minor offenses to major shootouts, including patrol duties, detective work, and undercover operations. Players can engage in different types of patrols such as foot patrol, cruiser patrol, and helicopter patrol.

Top-down perspective: The game features a top-down view reminiscent of early GTA games. This perspective is combined with a detailed urban atmosphere and an 80s setting.

Realistic police simulation: The game is a police simulator with a variety of missions, including investigative elements and K-9 unit operations. It aims to provide a realistic cop simulation with various callouts and duties.

Arcade-like gameplay: The game offers a fast-paced, arcade-like take on police work, mixing arcadey gameplay with real police situations. It includes various police vehicles and routine gameplay.

Patrolling and responding to calls: Players spend a significant amount of time patrolling the city and responding to emergency calls. This includes patrolling streets on foot, by car, or helicopter, and dealing with various crimes.

Positive performance feedback: Some reviews highlight that the game runs well with no bugs or crashes, and it performs decently even on lower-end systems.

Controls and mechanics issues: Reviews mention issues with controls and mechanics, including twitchy driving, slippery controls, and odd acceleration and field of view.

Steam Deck compatibility: The game has mixed reviews regarding its performance on Steam Deck. Some players report it runs perfectly, while others mention issues like a 30 FPS lock.

Graphics and settings: Players have commented on the graphics settings, noting that the game can run on high settings but also mentioning that the graphics aren't top-tier.

No DLSS support: Some players have noted the absence of DLSS support, which could enhance performance on compatible hardware.

General recommendations to buy: Many reviewers generally recommend buying this game, often strongly endorsing it without specific conditions.

Desire for additional features: Players have suggested various improvements and additional features, including better NPC behavior, more crimes, undercover play, and additional vehicles.

Recommended for police game fans: This game is highly recommended for those who enjoy police games, police sims, and sandbox police experiences. It is particularly appealing to fans of 80s police movies and classic GTA games.

Recommend with conditions: Some reviewers recommend the game with certain conditions, such as waiting for a sale or being able to tolerate some jank for a cool concept.

Positive overall experience: Many reviewers have a positive overall experience with the game, finding it fun and worth the price.

Community fair range: $15.00 - $25.00.

Game completion: 17.0h.

Story completion: 15.0h.

The game initially engages players with its tutorial and storyline but quickly becomes repetitive, relying on unlocks to maintain interest. The addictive nature and customization options are highlights, but the repetitiveness and lack of useful equipment hinder long-term engagement.

Reported time to anchor: 30m.

Friction: Repetitive gameplay loop; Lack of useful equipment and vehicles; Limited customization options.

Unlock drivers: Progression system with rewards and punishments; Engaging tutorial and storyline.

Casual Police Simulator Fan: Relaxed and casual, focusing on the core policing activities. Motivation: Enjoyment of casual police simulation gameplay. Stance: sale.

Critical Analyst: Analytical and critical, focusing on game design and technical performance. Motivation: Identifying and critiquing game mechanics and technical aspects. Stance: deep sale.

Social Multiplayer Advocate: Collaborative and social, focusing on multiplayer experiences. Motivation: Desire for multiplayer and co-op features. Stance: sale.

The game exhibits poor performance across both hardware cohorts, with significant reports of low frame rates and optimization issues, particularly on lower VRAM systems.

Windows <8GB VRAM: negative. Players report consistently low frame rates and poor optimization, even on low settings.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: negative. Despite higher VRAM, players experience unstable performance and poor optimization.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals a mix of positive and negative aspects. While users appreciate the game's visual appeal, controller support, and overall enjoyment, significant issues related to performance, particularly the 30 FPS cap, battery life, and load times, detract from the experience. These technical barriers need to be addressed to enhance user satisfaction.

Linux and Proton: The game is reported to work well on Linux, with users experiencing good launch reliability and performance. Specific mentions include successful operation on Linux Mint and Fedora with Proton, with some users reporting better performance on Linux than on Windows 11.

Monetization: The game has received mixed feedback regarding its pricing and content. While some users find it overpriced, others appreciate the free updates and are willing to purchase additional DLCs for more content. Overall, there is a demand for more content and improvements, but the game is seen as a good value by some players.

External guides: The primary issue identified from user feedback is the excessive handholding in the game. This includes overly detailed instructions during story events and tutorials, which detract from the overall gaming experience. Users feel that the game's constant guidance reduces the sense of exploration and immersion.

Add drinking coffee in patrol car: Players have suggested adding the ability to drink coffee while in the patrol car, likely to enhance immersion and realism.

Controller support on PC and Steam Deck: Players have reported using an Xbox controller to play the game on both PC and Steam Deck docking station, indicating good controller support.

Request for Turkish language patch: There is a request for adding a Turkish language patch, which would make the game more accessible to Turkish-speaking players.