The Game Awards is always one of the most impressive events in gaming, and this year's ceremony certainly did not disappoint. Despite stating that this year's Game Awards would be a bit smaller, Geoff Keighley pulled some pretty incredible announcements out of the bag, with Death Stranding 2, Hades 2, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor being just some of the highlights. But hidden among the sea of announcements was one bizarre-looking title, Crime Boss: Rockay City.
Being developed by Ingame Studios and 505 Games, in conjunction with Epic Games, Cime Boss: Rockay City is the latest in a long line of GTA and Saints Row competitors, but this one might actually have a chance of breaking ground. A first-person shooter that tasks players with setting up their own crime organization in a seemingly Miami-themed locale, Crime Boss: Rockay City seems a little generic on the surface, but its star-studded cast is sure to turn heads.
Every Celebrity in the Crime Boss: Rockay City Trailer
During its announcement, 505 Games claimed that Crime Boss: Rockay City will feature a cast of "90s heroes," and its debut trailer certainly cemented that. In Crime Boss: Rockay City, players will assume the role of Travis Baker, a new up-and-comer in the crime world, played by beloved crime movie star Michael Madsen. Gamers will best know Madsen from his role in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. As Baker, players will be able to build their own crime empire from the ground up, hand-picking enforcers and other gang members. And players have quite the roster of characters to choose from.
After showing Michael Madsen, Crime Boss: Rockay City's debut trailer then proceeds to speed through the rest of the game's prestigious cast list, beginning with Kim Basinger. A model-turned-actress, Basinger is best known for her role as Never Say Never Again's Bond girl, Domino Petachi. DC fans will also recognize her as 1989 Batman's Vicki Vale. Here, she's playing Casey, who seems to be in a position of power herself, potentially being a nightclub owner by the look of things.
Next up is Damion Poitier, a name that fans might not immediately recognize. While Poitier isn't one of the game's "90s heroes," he has worked in the gaming industry for a long time, providing motion capture voice work in both the Payday and Halo series. Poitier is playing Nasara, who seems to be a pilot of some sort. Danny Trejo is playing The Dragon, who'll likely be an archetypal character that Trejo's played many times before. Lethal Weapon's Danny Glover is playing Gloves, who seems to be a seasoned police officer, likely one that's "getting too old for this shit." Guardians of the Galaxy's Michael Rooker is playing Touchdown, who seems to be a pretty gnarly enforcer-type character. Vanilla Ice has somehow reared his head once again, playing a rapper by the name of Hielo. And rounding out the cast is none other than Chuck Norris himself, who seems to be playing a tough-man Sherriff.
Based purely on this trailer, and 505 Games' description that these are all meant to be "90s heroes," it seems pretty likely that Crime Boss: Rockay City is going to have a strong tongue-in-cheek tone. It seems like a safe bet to assume that the vast majority of characters in Crime Boss will be stereotypical archetypes, likely resembling the characters that the actors are most famous for playing. Glover, for instance, is playing an old cop, Madsen is playing a hardened criminal, and Vanilla Ice seems to be a cocky pop artist. Hopefully Crime Boss: Rockay City can nail such a difficult tone and keep it consistent and entertaining throughout the whole game.
Crime Boss: Rockay City releases March 28 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.