
This limits the full potential of the game. However, due to the bad controls, sometimes good cops may slip up and accidentally break a neck or some other unapproved act. Good cops need to only arrest legitimate criminals bad cops can plant evidence to boost their reputation for getting an arrest. A good cop dealing with a sidewalk full of gang members has to flash his badge or fire some warning shots before they'll cooperate a bad cop can simply run them all over with his car. There are many ways to deal with these problems. There are many random crimes comitted across the city to deal with, ranging from a stolen car on the loose to a gang showdown to an assault and battery. The range of activities, and how the player deals with a given scenario, is extensive.

They're complicated, they don't handle well, and oftentimes they don't go where they're supposed to. The controls, to start, are absolutely terrible. The gameplay elements are fairly diverse.

This leads to two different endings, but not as many branches as in Streets of LA. Like "Streets of LA", the player can choose to be a good cop (arresting suspects, using non-lethal blows, turning in evidence) or a bad cop (killing suspects, pawning evidence, and generally being corrupt). The story progresses to involve corrupt police, gang members, and the mafia. The general story follows an ex-gang member who joins up with the NYPD to follow in the footsteps of a family friend, and simultaneously tries to escape the influence of his crime-lord father.

The sequel to True Crime: Streets of LA, "True Crime New York City" takes the main idea of Grand Theft Auto and changes some key element for example, the main character is a cop, rather than a criminal, and the game takes place in a map that is based on the actual NYC.
