Map in The Precinct is small but is it a bad thing? Players have doubts
If you are looking for The Precinct map, you are in a good place. Moreover, let’s analyze players’ doubts about its size. Is it really too small?
the critiques are quite divided. One of the flaws of The Precinct, mentioned by reviewers, is a small map. Some players also seem to be concerned about that. So, let’s look at it.
Is the map in The Precinct really that small?
The Precinct takes us to fictional Averno City, which is a town on two islands connected with each other by bridges. We do not have access to the whole area right away. To unlock the second island, we have to finish the “tutorial”. However, even then the whole map will not be available for us to patrol. We need to earn the right to work in new districts by our exemplary service and achieving milestones.
Map of Averno City in The Precinct,Source: The Precinct, developer: Fallen Tree Games.
Sadly, the map is small. So, if you expect many hidden secrets or a city as big as the one in GTA 5, you will be disappointed. The small size of the map is the most noticeable when we fly a helicopter. It takes us a few seconds to travel from one end of a town to the other. The situation is better when we drive a car, especially if we try to follow traffic rules. So, stop at red lights, avoid car accidents, and you will have a long ride. The map feels the biggest when we walk – obviously. Our character is quite slow, so moving around takes some time. It is especially evident when we need to get to the faraway crime scene, and we are on a foot patrol with a car parked away from our current position.
Is it bad that the map in The Precinct is so small?
Developers did not promise the big map, it’s not AAA after all. However, they promised us the police simulator which takes place in the 80s and they delivered. The game is very atmospheric, and the detailed map is part of it. Various districts feel distinct enough for us to not feel that we are in the same place all the time. Those who play/played Oblivion Remastered know what I am talking about (all those cloned interiors…).
The streets are also not empty. We encounter many pedestrians and cars on the road. The crime can be hidden around the corner. Moreover, there is often so much to do that we don’t have even time to stop and holster our gun, not to mention sightsee.
On the other hand, if you expect many side activities, you may be disappointed. There are some secrets to find (museum exhibits) or races to win. However, if you hope to see a question mark every 5 meters, it’s not this type of game. You are a policeman and most of your time will be devoted to do some police work – patrol streets, catch criminals, or (as a last resort) kill those who want to kill you.
In the long term, it can become monotonous, and that’s one of the flaws pointed by our reviewer. When you reach this point, the size of the map becomes even more claustrophobic and boring… Moreover, you may be sometimes unlucky, and criminals will not appear as often as you would like them to. On the other hand, for a reviewer from our friends in Gry-Online, it was not a big problem. As he pointed out, each day we are on a different part of the map (or can be as we pick our patrol routes ourselves), which prolongs the “freshness” of the world. Moreover, the area itself is quite interesting to discover with distinct landmarks.
I believe that your attitude towards the map strongly depends on how you play The Precinct. If you spend long hours in the game in one go, it may become repetitive, and the small size of the map is more noticeable. On the other hand, if you dose gameplay, you will not be so easily bored and maintain the “freshness” longer. It is a shame that there is no multiplayer mode, as it would definitely mitigate the issue.
