True Crime: Hong Kong

What’s the story?

Having conquered the blocks of New York City and given the inhabitants of LA a state of police brutality, True Crime’s switching its North American backdrop for a distinctly Oriental flavor for its PS3 debut, with this third game in the series attempting to recreate the thrill of a Chinese action flick, as players are thrust onto the crime-ridden streets of Hong Kong. As per the PlayStation 2 games, True Crime: Hong Kong remains an open-world affair, as players take control of Wei Shen, an undercover cop trained in martial arts and outfitted with advanced driving skills who lets his fists, feet and bullet do the talking. Imagine Jackie Chan fused with El Mariachi and Evel Knievel and you’ve got the right idea.

Jackie Chan and Evel Knievel? How does that work?

There are three core elements to True Crime: third-person shooting, hand-to-hand combat, and driving. Each component is seamlessly integrated into the game with the player able to decide which method to use in any given situation. If you want to slap someone around before putting a bullet in their head, so be it. The combat mechanics are relatively deep too, with a lengthy move list and plenty of options for environmental kills dotted around the city. Fancy putting someone’s head through a TV? Now’s your chance.

But aren’t you the good guy?

Technically yes, but whether it stays that way is up to you. Along the way you can choose to side with the Triads and make morally ambiguous decisions that directly affect the plotline and your reputation on the streets.

Anything else?

True Crime’s strictly a single-player experience, but besides the core story-arc (which Activision reckon will last most players as good 12-15 hours), there are plenty of side-quests and mini-games to engage in too. We’ve been told that you’ll be able to gamble at local casinos, have a good sing-a-song at a karaoke bar and, most intriguingly, take girls out on dates.