True Crime – Streets of LA is a free-roaming action-adventure game for the PlayStation 2 that features driving and hand-to-hand combat elements. Players follow a mission-based structure where narrative-driven objectives are revealed through cutscenes. The game allows players to progress through chapters even after failing missions, with optional and branching paths enhancing replayability. Completion of all main missions is necessary to finish each chapter.
True Crime: Streets of LA is a free-roaming driving and action game similar in concept to Grand Theft Auto III. The game's structure is mission-based; most of the missions are dictated by the story and initiate following a cutscene that advances it. Failing a mission still allows the player to continue playing through the chapter and undertake subsequent missions; in some cases this will lead to branching paths and optional missions. However, in order to complete the whole chapter the player must eventually succeed in all the main missions.