So you want to be a detective? Would that change if I told you that being a detective involved grisly murders? How about if I told you that it required hours of combing crime scenes and interrogating witnesses? If you are still feeling like being a detective then the Rockstar produced, Team Bondi developed L.A. Noire might be for you.
L.A. Noire is a large open world game set in a faithfully recreated Los Angeles of the 1940’s. Unlike other open world games most notably Rockstar’s own GTA series, L.A. Noire is a linear affair that takes the player from one mission to the next without any choice of progression. It is more akin to the structure of Mafia II than anything else. There are side missions that players can complete along the way but they are mere five minute diversions to the hour plus long chapters of L.A. Noire. And this is the structure the game follows. Being that the narrative is the most important part of L.A. Noire it only makes sense that this is the case.
The story itself follows detective Cole Phelps as he progresses through the ranks of the L.A.P.D. During the game Phelps will be assigned to the traffic, homicide, vice, and arson desks as he solves cases and swings the hammer of justice. The game itself is broken up into separate chapters and each chapter is its own self contained story. Sure there is a larger overarching thread connecting each chapter but each chapter can be played individually with the player getting an introduction and satisfactory conclusion to each one. It is broken up much like a good television series would be. Each episode as it were contains a story that can be watched individually but if a season is watched as a whole there is a larger story at work. The smaller stories are usually great with the larger overall story being only so, so. Things get a bit convoluted at the end of the game, but in general the story is much better than any video game I have played recently.
The game play is definitely distinct and it is what sets L.A. Noire apart from any other game on the market. Seeing the Rockstar name attached to this might make you think this is an open world action game, but do not be fooled as this could not be farther from the truth. In reality this game can be best described as an evolution of the point and click adventure game. Sure there is some driving and there is some shooting but the core mechanics at work involve looking for clues and interrogating witnesses. A normal game play sequence starts with the looking for clues. This involves navigating Phelps around the environment and looking for anything that might be useful. Music always plays when clues are waiting to be found and Phelps is pointing in the direction of a clue the controller will rumble slightly letting you know you are facing the correct direction. Once all the clues have been found the music stops. This means that it is time to interrogate the witness or suspect.
Interrogation of a suspect involves asking a suspect or witness questions and determining whether they are telling the truth or lying. This is done through a simple mechanic whereby the player must choose from one of three options. The options a player can choose are lie, doubt, and truth. If the player thinks the character is lying then they can select the lie option. If they do this they are then prompted to select a piece of evidence to prove the lie. If the player does not have evidence of a lie but suspects a character is lying then they can choose the doubt option. Obviously if the player thinks the character is telling the truth then the truth option would be selected. In order to tell if a character is lying Team Bondi has used a new technology that has actual actors act out each part in the game and their facial animations are transferred directly to the in game character model. The results are absolutely stunning and they genuinely add to the game. In all honesty this game might not have worked without the technology so kudos to Team Bondi for creating something so innovative.
The other parts of the game play, mainly the driving and shooting feel good as well. They are not the main focus of the game but what is here feels great. It should be noted that driving in most cases is optional. More often than not I used the fast travel system where I asked my partner drive to the next location. Driving in this game much like many other open world games can get monotonous at times. The shooting has the standard cover system and the actual shooting when it does take place, feels spot on.
From a presentation point of view this game is utterly amazing. The graphics look gorgeous. The 1940’s L.A. presented here is supposedly a faithful recreation of the sprawling suburban city from that time period and it is hard to argue otherwise. Buildings look great, there are specific landmarks throughout the city and not once did I feel disconnected from the Las Angeles that has been created. The character models and cars also look great. The character models themselves have excellent details, the motion captured bodies look great and the facial animations as said before are the most realistic seen to date. Definitely one of the best looking games ever created.
The sounds of the game are no slouch either. The city is brought to life with incredible voice acting and wonderful ambient sounds. The voice acting was done by the actors who did the facial animations and they are all professional actors that you might have seen on television or in movies. The music in the game is wonderfully noire. It fits the time period wonderfully and I cannot help be reminded of dragnet from time to time with what is here.
The controls for this game feel fairly decent. There were times when I felt they should be a little bit better. The shooting felt awkward at times but with not much shooting going on that is not a big deal. Character movement also can feel a bit wonky but with there never being that much action on screen it never becomes an issue. Overall the controls suffice for the detective work that is going on.
This is a fantastic game overall. L.A. Noire has brought something to video games that is unlike anything before it. It does not feel like any game I have ever played before, and having said that not everyone will like this game. This is not an action game and just because Rockstar’s name is attached to it don’t assume it is anything like GTA because it is not. If however an engrossing story and a much more thoughtful game is more to your liking than L.A. Noire will not disappoint. It is the most unique game to come out on this generation of consoles.
