True Crime 2 actors announced

Activision has announced the voiceover line-up for forthcoming PS2, Xbox and Gamecube sequel True Crime: New York City.

Topping the bill is the legendary Christopher Walken of King of New York and The Deer Hunter fame, not to mention all the other films which are improved 1000 per cent by the presence of his mad hair and scary eyes.

Walken will star as FBI field agent Gabriel Whitting. He's joined by Laurence Fishburne (who, incidentally, co-starred in King of New York under the name Larry Fishburne, before he got all fancy), who's taking on the role of drugs baron Isaiah "The King" Reed.

Lovable old mentaller Mickey Rourke, who's no stranger to game acting having played Jericho in Driv3r, will do the voice for detective Terrence Higgins, while Mariska Hargitay - a familiar face for fans of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - is playing lieutenant Deena Dixon. Former underage porn starlet turned serious actress Traci Lords will play local madam Cassandra Hartz.

Then there's some bloke called Esai Morales who's been in a lot of things with names like Livers Ain't Cheap and Dog Watch, but nothing we've heard of - he plays police organised crime unit chief Victor Navarro.

And finally, "up and coming" actor Avery Waddell takes on the role of as Marcus Reed. A former gangster turned cop, he's the son of Isaiah Reed and the game's main character.

We're also told that actual New York po-po have been brought in to advise the development team on real life scenarios - including former copper Bill Clark, who was an executive producer on NYPD Blue.

As previously stated, True Crime: NYC is set in an "expertly recreated Manhattan" designed with the help of GPS data. You'll be able to explore famous locations such as Times Square and Hell's Kitchen as you embark on a quest to avenge your mentor, and the decisions you make will affect the development of the local neighbourhoods.

Full environmental interaction is promised - so you can use practically anything as a weapon - and you can expect plenty of super-fast drive-bys and high-powered gun battles.

True Crime: New York City is out in November.