It’s interesting to see Rockstar Games attempt to diversify and move away from their hard-earned image. After years of letting players be bad guys through organized crime, turf wars, and Scarface-like drama, the game developer changed gears in the past few years. First we got Red Dead Redemption which traded in fast cars and loose women for horses and a family man as a protagonist. Now, with L.A. Noire we move into the golden age of Hollywood following an up-and-coming detective as he solves crime after crime.
Set in 1947, the game follows Cole Phelps (voiced by Aaron Staton), a war hero turned police officer. Through the tutorial episodes, you guide Cole as he starts making a name for himself, leading to a promotion that moves him off of the beat and to the detective desk. From there, you are handed crime after crime – typically murders – as Cole rises through the ranks. As you might expect, the crimes get tougher, but they are so intriguing, the player can’t help but diving deeper and deeper through the seedy underworld of Los Angeles.
While the basic controls of the game are going to be familiar to anyone who has played any of Rockstar’s previous games (particularly Red Dead Redemption or Grand Theft Auto IV), there’s a few fun mechanics added in to help in the solving of crimes. This is particularly helpful since the game is rather open ended, giving players some guidance without fully removing their freedom.
The first of the two mechanics occurs at crime scenes or points of interest. The player is given free reign around the location and as they encounter something that might provide a clue a subtle chime sounds as the controller vibrates (I tend to notice the vibration a lot more than the chime). Pressing the appropriate button helps you find whatever item caught Cole’s interest, although not everything he finds will be important, particularly in ransacked houses or trash-laden streets. Important items found will be logged in Cole’s notebook as clues, to be used later. That’s where the second mechanic comes in.
Over the course of an investigation, Cole will also have to interrogate and interview witnesses, suspects, and other various persons of interest. Unfortunately for Cole (and you as the player), these people aren’t always honest. Rockstar Games has implemented an incredible element of the game where an observant player will be able to tell when someone is lying based on tone of voice and/or body language – you know, like in real life. The body language is sometimes quite subtle, requiring the player to pay close attention as expository information is delivered. Cole can choose to believe testimony, call it into doubt, or flat-out accuse the person of lying, although he can’t do the latter without some good, hard evidence (which is where the clues found earlier come into play).
Because of the nature of investigating locations and questioning people, this game requires a lot more attention than other titles. I’m used to being able to play some games with my little one running around, but it’s nearly impossible to pay attention to the game and a little one at the same time, leading to some bad cases for me. Add on the very adult nature of some of the cases, and this definitely isn’t going to be winning Microsoft’s “Family Title of the Month” award any time soon. Thankfully, once Cole finishes a case you can revisit it, which means it’s possible to improve how you did on a case.
As always, it’s not just the character you play that is of interest in a Rockstar Games title. Cole is surrounded by a slew of interesting characters, from fellow detectives on both ends of the scale of morality to desperately aspiring actresses; from lowlife bartenders to sleezy film producers. As usual, the city itself is also a rather important character, particularly with the title striving so hard for that noir atmosphere. Particularly in nighttime sequences, the hard shadows, gritty feel, and easy music bring that atmosphere alive in a fantastic way. Just as the developer managed to bring the old west alive in Red Dead Redemption, the feel of this title will appeal to fans of noir film.
Fans of Rockstar’s early games may find some disappointment in L.A. Noire, as the game puts you on only one side of the law. Although exploring the city is wide open as with the developer’s other games, you are a cop and that means no rampages through the city unleashing violent chaos and murderous mayhem. You can still kill unwitting pedestrians and smash into other cars and the like, but you’ll be penalized for it when you reach the end of the case. For those who like to log into Grand Theft Auto and release some stress by going on a killing spree, L.A. Noire will be decidedly less interesting. For those who can suppress that urge, or find it in another title, there’s a lot to like here.
Bottom Line: Score another success for Rockstar Games. This easily could have been a poor-man’s Grand Theft Auto, minus the theft. Instead this feels like a solid title that could easily turn into a full franchise, just like Red Dead and GTA before it.
Rating System: (0-10 ranking)
Graphics:
Traditional Rock Star graphics. The city, as usual, is amazing, and I swear they are getting better on people.
9
Storyline:
Each case is quite intriguing, making it hard to put the controller down mid-case, and (of course) finishing one just makes you want to start another.
10
Controls:
Not as perfect as I’d like, particularly when dialog is going on. Controlling those era vehicles can prove challenging.
7
Replayability:
I’ll admit I’ve already gone back into completed cases in hopes of getting a better rating.
8
Value:
The initial game is well worth the price, and will only be enhanced by future digital content.
10
Total:
44 out of 50
- Rafe Telsch
Article source: http://www.widescreenwarrior.com/gamereview/la-noire-xbox-360-ps3-3164
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