First Looks// True Crime

Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a Jet Li or Jacky Chan? Then you might be in luck, because the latest True Crime game is set right in the bustling Asian cityscape of Hong Kong.

I know what you're thinking – the last couple of games (Streets of LA and New York) were kind of misfires. But Activision seems eager to give the series something of a boost by enlisting the talents of ModNation Racers developer United Front Games.

Playing as kung-fu savvy undercover cop Wei Shen, it's your mission to infiltrate the notorious Triad gangs, become one of them and gain their trust. After your rise through the ranks of the organisation, the aim is to topple the crime ring from the inside out. As you progress, you'll be asked to perform questionable duties as part of the Triads – all the while reporting sensitive information back to your handler at Police HQ.

I was told that United Front Games is big on its Asian action flicks, which would explain the choice of location here. The unique and recognisable look of Hong Kong makes it quite a striking place to set as a primary location. And the game represents the country quite well - big colourful neon banners poke through a warm haze during the day, while the streets fill with citizens hitting markets and clubs in the evening.

The high level of representation isn't an accident. George Ngo, Activision's product co-ordinator, explained that the developer went to great lengths to capture the feel of Hong Kong – to the point of actually visiting the country and taking tens of thousands of reference photos.

Despite this, there's plenty of exaggeration in terms of city design to make the game more fun to play. In an attempt to “do the genre justice,” United Front also spoke with police in Hong Kong about their experience in dealing with the Triads.

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see much of the open world mechanics for myself, but I imagine they would be of your standard, Grand Theft Auto-esque fare. What I did see was an example of an undercover mission, and the multiple ways you can try to take out opponents. Shen's gang has learned that a rival Triad group has been muscling in on their turf – specifically, a manufacturing plant on the waterfront that's used to transport heroin.

The boss sends Shen in to teach them a lesson, and it is when the cop approaches the building that I begin to see various different styles of combat being used. To take out a lone guard outside the front door, Shen used his kung fu moves to kick the unwitting foe about a bit, before picking him up and throwing him into a nearby dumpster. I'll have to play the game to see how fluid the close combat mechanics really are, but from watching someone else do it the presentation seems very Takeshi Miike-influenced, at least.

After breaking in, the expect wave of goons appear to try and karate chop you into oblivion. To counter this, Shen got wise and took out his handgun. Rock beats Scissors, bitch. Running around and firing willy nilly looks as cumbersome as any other open-world game, but when you lock-on to a particular target things get a bit more refined. Holding the relevant trigger will allow you to use the stick to snap-focus onto different body parts for tactical assault. Shooting a dude in the kneecaps will make him collapse, for example. Alternatively, slightly squeezing the trigger lets the player aim freely with the stick to make even more precise shots.

If an enemy gets close to you though, having a gun in your hand is a bit pointless. In a situation where you're being challenged like this, quick-time events appear on screen in order for you to deal with the struggle. Follow up with some punches and kicks and you'll be able to grab your opponent and drag them to environmental hazards. When such opportunities arise, they will be highlighted in yellow so you can take advantage of them.

In this one room Shen was fighting in, he was able to slam an enemy's head in a fridge door, ram someone into a wall and push another into a live electrical circuit. It made for quite the visceral scene – as do multiple ways of engaging that old action flick favourite, bullet time. Some slow-motion elements are automatic, such as when Shen hacks an enemy to pieces with a meat cleaver. At other times, the player can launch into slow-motion at will, which is perfect for those who might want a few seconds to pick an enemy off. Or to simply look fly.

After a ten-minute journey beating up rival gang grunts and exploring various stairs and other rooms, Shen reached the model factory area which was being used for impromptu drugs trafficking. The chap he was after was called Siu Wah, and after a brief chase was dragged out by his ear out of the front door. At this point the police – who I assume are none the wiser to Shen's undercover identity – had patrolled several cars at the entrance and did the whole “Come out with your hands up” routine. During this, Wah got away by hijacking a nearby vehicle.

Shen ends up chasing the fugitive on a bike, with police cars following close behind, to end the mission. But it's interesting to note that, like many other open world games before it, in True Crime you can be hunted down by police just as easily as enemy gangs. The usual 'Wanted' system that we all know and love is in full effect – kill civilians or veer on the wrong side of the law, and you'll have a bounty that increases with each bad activity.

More unique to this particular game is the 'Face System', which is represented by a beaded meter in the corner of the HUD. This is essentially your reputation, which grows and diminishes according to your actions, dress sense and even your chosen vehicle. Some missions will require varying levels of face to progress – a club might not let you in if you're wearing something a hobo would turn his nose at. Your options then are to either raise your rep, or find alternative ways around the situation – like bribing the doorman.

After watching the mission being played out, I left feeling somewhat underwhelmed. A lot of the content in this game has been seen in countless other games before, and without playing the game for myself I can't really say if it will offer a certain 'je ne sais quoi' or if it will end up feeling a little bit soulless.

Maybe there's something that the open-world gameplay – and the unravelling storyline – will have that will turn this from 'another sandbox game' to something truly unique. I'm told there will be plenty of side quests and submissions, such as karaoke bars, dates, character customisation and dojos to learn new moves, so put me down as a curious optimist for now.