Crime Boss Rockay City Review: crime pays pretty well
, by Enzo
With its astonishing cast straight out of a ’90s action movie and its promise to blend fast-paced cooperative heists with criminal empire management, Crime Boss: Rockay City immediately grabs your attention. It also features a roguelite single-player campaign that offers a much more strategic approach to the game. But behind these enticing concepts, does the game truly manage to establish itself as a credible alternative to genre staples like Payday 2?
A city and cast that exude the ’90s
From the very first minutes, the game clearly shows its influences. Rockay City is a fictional metropolis that strongly evokes Miami: beaches, palm trees, neon lights, and pervasive crime. The atmosphere is deliberately campy and embraces an aesthetic inspired by gangster movies from the ’80s and ’90s. Another standout feature of the game is its cast of well-known action movie stars.
Notably, Michael Madsen stars as Travis Barker, an ambitious criminal seeking to take control of the city following the death of the local boss. Alongside him, several familiar faces appear in various roles, including Chuck Norris, Danny Trejo, and Kim Basinger.
An interesting strategic dimension
Where the game really sets itself apart is in its structure, which blends action and strategy. In the single-player campaign, the player accesses a map of the city and must manage their criminal empire, as well as their short- and long-term strategies. Players can attack territories, recruit members for their team, and take on rival gangs that are also seeking to control Rockay City.
This mechanic adds a roguelite element to the overall experience. Each campaign can play out differently depending on the decisions made and whether missions are successful or failed, and the bonuses earned at the end of a playthrough carry over to the next one. The permanent death of certain team members can also complicate progress. This system works quite well and encourages replayability, even if some mechanics remain fairly simple in their execution.
Heists and shootouts at the heart of the action
The gameplay revolves primarily around first-person heist missions that are separate from the single-player campaign. These operations typically involve infiltrating a location, stealing money or valuable items, and then escaping before law enforcement arrives in force. The shooting mechanics are very satisfying, the objectives are clear, and they can be accomplished in various ways. In fact, each mission features random elements that require you to adapt from one run to the next.
Co-op is available for up to four players, which is a nice addition. Players can perform actions simultaneously to unlock gameplay possibilities that are often unavailable in single-player mode, and they also have access to a much more varied arsenal among all players. This is useful when you want to complete your objectives discreetly, since direct confrontations with law enforcement can quickly become chaotic… but that’s also part of the fun.
Content, progression, and replayability
While some might think that Crime Boss: Rockay City consists of mini-missions designed simply to offer co-op play in addition to the single-player campaign, the reality is quite the opposite. There are numerous scenarios and types of story-driven missions in the co-op mode that will easily take 20 hours to discover and complete.
The single-player campaign, on the other hand, is shorter, lasting about 6 to 7 hours. It offers interesting replay value, allowing you to vary your strategy with each new playthrough, as well as unlocking content (characters, weapons, and skins) each time, which can be used immediately in co-op mode. The studio has also outlined substantial roadmaps for future updates to the game, delivering content on a very regular basis to provide an ever-more-enriching experience.
A solid but uneven execution
Technically, the game is generally good without being impressive. The environments are varied and successfully convey the city’s criminal atmosphere. However, the character models and some animations sometimes lack polish. The enemies’ artificial intelligence can be a bit crude at times, so the difficulty is rarely very high.
The soundtrack does its job well, with music that evokes the aesthetic of action movies from that era. The voice acting, meanwhile, varies depending on the character. As for the cast, it’s nice to see so many well-known faces, although they don’t really add anything to the game.
Tested on PC. See our rating policy here.
8/10
Ultimately, Crime Boss: Rockay City is a game with an appealing concept that blends first-person shooter heists with criminal empire management. Its retro vibe and unconventional cast give it a unique identity, but the experience can be a bit uneven at times. The game really shines in co-op mode, where missions become more unpredictable and entertaining. In single-player, however, certain technical limitations and room for improvement in the AI can dampen the fun.
While it doesn’t revolutionize the genre, the game nonetheless offers a fun formula that will appeal to fans of virtual heists looking for an accessible and replayable experience. Similar to Payday 2 in its gameplay, it presents itself as a fun and accessible alternative for those who want to explore heists and organized crime in a Florida-inspired setting.
- + Plenty of content across the various game modes
- + An unconventional and well-liked cast
- + A very reasonable price
- + Great gameplay
- - AI that isn't always top-notch
- - Weak storyline and dialogue