The crime genre in video games, much like the rest of the entertainment industry, has managed to remain relevant throughout history. From early pixelated versions of cops and robbers to the original top-down Grand Theft Auto to modern-day series like Saints Row and Mafia, the crime genre has remained popular in gaming, and with new releases like Crime Boss: Rockay City on the horizon, it seems like it'll stay that way for some time.
Announced at the Game Awards, Crime Boss: Rockay City seems like a tongue-in-cheek homage to all things 90s, taking players on a journey through a neon-soaked Miami city as they build their crime business from the ground up, meeting plenty of well-known celebrity faces along the way that range from Chuck Norris to Danny Glover. With Grand Theft Auto 6 presumably still deep in development, fans might have a while to wait for the next entry, so they could give Crime Boss: Rockay City a go when it releases next year to help kill the time.
Crime Boss: Rockay City Offers GTA Fans Even More Heists
Though just one trailer has been released so far, 505 Games hasn't been too cagey on any Crime Boss: Rockay City details, showing prospective players exactly what type of gameplay and humor they'll be in for come the game's March 28 2023 release. In Crime Boss' single-player campaign, players will take on the role of Travis Baker, played by Reservoir Dogs' Michael Madsen, as he builds his crime empire from scratch in the heart of Rockay City. Here, players will bump into a vast array of colorful characters, like an old police officer played by Danny Glover and a rapper played by Vanilla Ice.
In Crime Boss: Rockay City's multiplayer, players will engage in co-op heists with up to three friends, where they'll presumably need to scope out a building or area, infiltrate it, steal the goods, and make their escape without getting killed. While Crime Boss' single-player might intrigue fans of GTA, it's this co-op multiplayer component that's sure to keep them watching the game up until its release next year.
Heists are one of the best features of Grand Theft Auto Online. Teased for the longest time, GTA Online finally added heists almost two years after the game was initially released, but the wait was more than worth it. In teams of four, players can engage in a series of different heists, each with their own set of unique setup missions and a climactic final heist mission. If players complete all of these successfully, they'll earn a pretty huge payout, which can then be used to purchase some of GTA Online's more expensive items. Over the years, GTA Online received more heists, each one more complex and engaging than the last.
While Crime Boss: Rockay City's heists probably won't be as complex or as lengthy as Grand Theft Auto's, they might scratch that same itch, and for long-time fans of GTA Online, they'll offer gameplay that's hopefully a refreshing take on the crime genre. It seems as though Crime Boss: Rockay City's gameplay is going for a strictly first-person shooter perspective, making its heists look a little more like Payday than GTA. Hopefully, this different perspective - and hopefully some unique mechanics - should be enough of a change of pace for GTA fans to stay intrigued in Crime Boss: Rockay City, so much so that they check out the game when it releases next March.
Crime Boss: Rockay City releases March 28, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
