Crime Cities

About

Crime Cities is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Techland and was released on October 1, 2019. It received neutral reviews from players.

Revisit Crime Cities, a revolutionary cross between a shooter and a futuristic vehicle simulator, originally published in 2000. Immerse yourself in the dense atmosphere of a grim future, as you follow a complex plot and complete a variety of deadly, unpredictable missions.

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52%

Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews

atmosphere2 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Unique concept and setting featuring flying cars in futuristic cities with a cyberpunk/Blade Runner vibe.
Fun and ambitious gameplay combining elements of open-world missions, combat, and exploration.
Atmospheric world-building with interesting characters, immersive details like in-game email, ads, and a gritty crime noir story.

Technical issues including frequent crashes, especially when accessing shops or menus, and lack of modern support for wide/ultrawide resolutions.
Dated graphics, user interface, and controls that are unintuitive and uncomfortable compared to modern games.
Missions can be frustrating or unwinnable, with a low mission radar range, repetitive gameplay loop, and occasional abrupt or confusing story elements.

story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The story is set in a futuristic crime noir universe involving a pandemic across planets, with players taking on various missions amid gangs and corrupt corporations. While the main plot offers engaging world-building and mission variety, it suffers from frustrating, sometimes unwinnable side missions, abrupt endings, and convoluted sci-fi backstory that can detract from the overall experience. Gameplay-related issues, such as costly and repetitive contracts, further complicate progression and story enjoyment.
- “The story is a neat crime noir thriller full of gangs and evil corporations.”
- “I love crime cities. I love the story behind being a supposed crime boss or mafia and it reminds me of the classic old video game Bounty Hunter, which also takes place in the future with flying cars, but you are a bounty hunter hunting criminals.”
- “The main story missions advance the story, while the secondary missions provide you with money to upgrade your car: get better guns, shields, etc.”
- “The backstory is convoluted and consists of very ropey science-fiction.”
- “The story is a bit non-existent though.”
- “I'm pretty certain some missions are even literally and intentionally unwinnable, as your contractor gets lost or disappears or maybe something worse - never to be seen again, and the player has no choice but to go back to the garage, scared and kinda ashamed for his inability to finish this mission, actually cancel the contract yourself and never speak of it again.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay is generally accessible with simple controls and mechanics, but it can be confusing and lacks depth, leading to a frustrating experience for some. While the concept and design are ambitious and visually appealing, the repetitive and generic gameplay fails to provide lasting entertainment or innovation.
- “It's not too hard to get used to the controls, the mechanics aren't too complex and it's easy to get into and learn.”
- “Put another way, this is a really awesome game with an impressively ambitious concept and solid gameplay, but you kinda have to intuit what you're doing sometimes and even on normal difficulty the challenges are tough and stressful.”
- “Good for a bit of fun but gameplay isn't so deep, buy weapons and shields, kill other flying cars, repeat.”
- “Crime Cities is more of a 3D meaningless space shooter than a 'futuristic vehicle simulator.' Much of its design is heavily inspired by Descent³, yet it lacks the entertainment value to rival that game and did not provide anything revolutionary due to its generic gameplay and sterile atmosphere.”
- “After half an hour of troubleshooting, I was greeted by confusing controls and just overall odd gameplay.”
- “You can't make it too high, or else it crops out the HUD in gameplay.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's music is praised for its fun, ambitious style and solid atmosphere, though volume controls are ineffective, making it necessary to download a quieter track version to properly enjoy the sound alongside in-game audio.
- “Great music.”
- “Very fun and ambitious for the time, with great atmosphere and some solid music.”
- “Volume controls don't work, so downloading the new quiet version of the track02 music (check the discussions forum) is absolutely essential for hearing anything else in this game.”
- “Ads for music and sex and weapons float high above or remain bolted to buildings.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is described as a mix of sterile and generic by some, lacking the innovation and engagement expected, while others praise it as a fun, high-quality, dystopian cyberpunk experience with strong ambiance and music, highlighting a divided reception.
- “Very fun and ambitious for the time, with great atmosphere and some solid music.”
- “It's a fun, atmospheric, dystopian cyberpunk game of very high quality.”
- “Crime Cities feels more like a 3D meaningless space shooter than a 'futuristic vehicle simulator.' Much of its design is heavily inspired by Descent³, yet it lacks the entertainment value to rival that game and did not provide anything revolutionary for its time due to its generic gameplay and sterile atmosphere.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, frequently freezing or crashing when accessing the weapon or equipment shop. This disrupts gameplay and, combined with confusing controls, leads to a frustrating overall experience.
- “You can spend maybe 15 minutes just flying around, getting used to the controls, doing your first few jobs but whenever you access the weapon or equipment shop the game freezes and either crashes or forces you to close it.”
- “After half an hour of troubleshooting, I was greeted by confusing controls and just overall odd gameplay.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is lacking, with an outdated user interface that doesn't support modern resolutions or widescreen monitors, making on-screen elements difficult to read. It has not been updated to run smoothly on contemporary gaming PCs.
- “In contemporary times, players have to tolerate a dated user interface that is not optimized for modern resolutions (1920 x 1080), resulting in the ship's interior on the screen being barely readable.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is seen as intrusive, featuring prominent ads for music, sex, and weapons that detract from the experience. Many users feel the game is a cash grab, exploiting nostalgia and abandonware for profit.
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try profit from abandonware.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is mixed, with some missions feeling like unfunny scams or jokes, though the sci-fi character portraits accompanying emails add a playful and enjoyable touch.
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are rated as slightly above average, with a score of 7 out of 10, indicating decent visual quality that meets expectations but may lack standout or cutting-edge features.