Publisher 505 Games unveiled Crime Boss: Rockay City, an upcoming first-person shooter with a cast that's so incredibly stacked it would likely even turn heads if attached to a Hollywood blockbuster, let alone an indie heist game. The announcement was part of The Game Awards 2022 showcase, which hosted the unveilings of over a dozen projects, ranging from highly anticipated sequels like Hades 2 to completely new IPs such as Judas and Crime Boss: Rockay City itself.
The development of Crime Boss: Rockay City is handled by Ingame Studios, a Czech Republic-based company founded in 2020. According to the studio's website, its current staff encompasses over 70 people, including game industry veterans who previously worked on some globally successful projects such as Kingdom Come Deliverance and the Mafia series. The company appears to be much better-funded than an average indie venture, as underlined by the fact that its offices are in what it describes as a downtown "palace" spanning more than 3,200 square feet.
Ingame Studios' robust backing is also reflected by Crime Boss: Rockay City's star-studded cast, which includes Hollywood veterans like Michael Madson, who's even involved in the game's marketing campaign, Kim Basinger, as well as Danny Glover, Danny Trejo, and Chuck Norris, among others. Most of the cast was involved in motion-capture work on Crime Boss: Rockay City, in addition to lending their voices and likenesses to the game's massive character cast.
The TGA announcement trailer reveals that Crime Boss takes place in the titular Rockay City, a fictional Florida metropolis that seems to be influenced by the aesthetic of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The main difference between the two Miami-inspired settings is that Rockstar's cult classic emulated the '80s, whereas Crime Boss: Rockay City will draw from the '90s. Gameplay-wise, the title will seemingly be closer to Overkill Software's Payday than the GTA series, as the developers say they are focused on delivering cinematic, action-packed heists.
Contrary to what its star-studded cast might suggest, Crime Boss: Rockay City is an AA game, as perhaps best evidenced by the fact it's set to launch at a modest price of $39.99. What's more, the title is currently available for pre-order at a 40% discount via the Epic Games Store as part of an announcement sale that's running until December 12. Epic obtained exclusive PC distribution rights to Crime Boss: Rockay City, which also happens to be powered by its very own Unreal Engine 5.
It remains to be seen what the upcoming arrival of Crime Boss: Rockay City means for its publisher's other first-person heist game, given how Payday 3 is still targeting a 2023 release. Even if Payday 3 hasn't been hit with any significant delays over the course of 2022, it's likely that 505 Games will want to avoid launching it too close to Ingame Studios' debut title, so it's plausible that Overkill's next project could be pushed to 2024 while Crime Boss is finding its audience.
Crime Boss: Rockay City is scheduled to hit PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 28, 2023.
