Crime Cities, developed and published by Techland, is an early 3D-era experiment that blends vehicular combat, mission-based progression, and a loose open-world structure into a cyberpunk setting that feels both ambitious and uneven. As Techland’s debut title from 2000, it carries the marks of a studio exploring ideas that would later become more refined in the broader industry. It doesn’t always succeed in execution, but its willingness to combine genres gives it a distinct identity even decades later.
The game is set in a dystopian future where criminals have been exiled to a remote planetary system and left to govern themselves. You play as an undercover operative infiltrating this chaotic society, navigating a network of factions and power struggles. While the premise suggests a rich narrative, the storytelling remains fairly minimal, delivered primarily through mission briefings and interactions rather than fully developed sequences. It provides enough context to justify the player’s actions, but it rarely becomes a driving force behind the experience.
What sets Crime Cities apart is its complete reliance on vehicular gameplay. Every activity—from exploration to combat—takes place inside a flying craft, moving through densely packed vertical cityscapes. This design gives the game a unique sense of space, allowing players to move freely in three dimensions through towering structures and layered environments. For its time, this freedom was notable, creating a feeling of openness that contrasts with the more constrained design of many contemporaries.
The mission structure offers a variety of tasks, including combat engagements, transport jobs, and faction-related objectives. Players earn currency by completing these missions, which can then be used to upgrade their vehicle with new weapons, defenses, and performance enhancements. This progression system adds a layer of customization, encouraging players to refine their approach and experiment with different loadouts. On paper, this variety helps maintain engagement, but in practice, many missions follow similar patterns, and the sense of repetition becomes more noticeable over time.
Controls are one of the game’s more challenging aspects. While the ability to move freely in all directions is conceptually appealing, it can also feel unwieldy, especially in tighter spaces or during combat. Precision is difficult to maintain, and this can lead to frustration when navigating complex environments or engaging fast-moving targets. The learning curve is not insurmountable, but it does create a barrier that can make the experience feel less accessible than it might otherwise be.
Despite these issues, the game’s atmosphere remains one of its strongest qualities. The cyberpunk setting is brought to life through towering architecture, moody lighting, and a constant sense of urban density. There’s a clear influence from classic science fiction, and while the visuals are dated by modern standards, they still convey a distinctive tone. The soundtrack and ambient audio further enhance this mood, creating an environment that feels cohesive even when the gameplay falters.
From a technical standpoint, Crime Cities shows its age in several ways. The interface is functional but clunky, and the overall presentation lacks the polish expected from more modern titles. Performance and visual fidelity reflect the limitations of early 3D development, which may be difficult for some players to overlook. However, for those approaching it with an understanding of its context, these aspects can also be seen as part of its historical character.
Ultimately, Crime Cities is a game defined by its ambition rather than its refinement. It introduces ideas that were ahead of their time, particularly in its use of vertical space and genre blending, but it doesn’t fully realize them. The combination of repetitive missions, awkward controls, and limited narrative depth prevents it from achieving lasting impact as a complete experience.
Even so, it remains an interesting piece of gaming history. For players willing to engage with its quirks and limitations, it offers a glimpse into a formative period of 3D game design, where experimentation often took precedence over polish. It may not hold up as a consistently enjoyable modern experience, but it retains value as a unique and ambitious project that helped lay the groundwork for more refined titles that followed.
Rating: 6/10
