This GTA Clone Was A Huge Flop. Here's Why

Grand Theft Auto is an incredibly successful series that has gone on to influence many other video game franchises, particularly due to its large open-world maps and sandbox-style gameplay. With any influential video game property, there are bound to be plenty of clones that attempt to ride those coattails. More often than not, the imitators fail to make a mark, which only causes fans to appreciate the originals even more. With that said, the Grand Theft Auto series has had its share of failed clones and rip-offs.

True Crime: Streets of LA copied GTA's homework, but it managed to be mostly well-liked by critics. Sleeping Dogs, a game that started as a sequel to the True Crime series, was released to solid reviews, as well. However, there was an official sequel that did not do the series justice. If the first game managed to successfully mimic the Grand Theft Auto series, what went wrong with the sequel, True Crime: New York City? Here is why this GTA clone was a huge flop.

True Crime: New York City was a major disappointment for Activision, reportedly earning a fraction of what its older sibling, Streets of L.A, made. 

When the title was released, Game Revolution's JP Hurh wrote a scathing review that offered insight into what went wrong. In the review, Hurh noted that the game suffered from terrible frame rates, tons of bugs, an insignificant rewards/demerits system, monotonous gameplay, and overall poor execution. Even the voice work of Christopher Walken wasn't enough to save this game. GameSpot's Greg Mueller shared Hurh's disappointment, faulting it for its "flimsy story and derivative gameplay." Mueller also cited the numerous bugs and glitches in his review. 

On Reddit, some gamers defended True Crime: New York City, though it's hard to overlook its technical problems. One user said that they mostly liked the game, adding, "it was messy but I usually just activated cheats." Another post explained, "The games [sic] pretty busted. Some platforms you physically can't beat certain parts of the game without cheats." While there are some who genuinely cherished this game, there's no denying that it was a failure, both from a technical and sales standpoint.