This was written for www.aunonline.com
Check out the fully formatted review here
http://aunonline.com/?p=1843
It’s not every day that a game comes out so focused on not committing crimes, but solving them. It’s even fewer a day where a game comes out that does it so beautifully and in such a unique way. This is where Rockstar Games’ LA Noire steps in. LA Noire is a title with a trailer that I first saw in early 2007/2008. From then until about 8 months ago, the game itself was pretty under wraps. Now that the trailers have been seen and the game has been released, it’s clear Rockstar has come together with Sydney, Australia’s Team Bondi to create one of the most unique video game experiences ever created.
Unique. Yes, I’ll say it again. This is one of the most unique games to ever be released. Why? Because it does what almost no game does, and that is solving crime. This game could best be summed up as Law and Order in the late 1940s. A different gameplay engine has you running around 1940s Los Angeles trying to solve murders using clues and your interrogation techniques.
Story. Thanks to the always strong writers at Rockstar with the help of Team Bondi, the game has not just one long story throughout, but tons of individual mini stories that you need to solve in order to progress throughout the main one. The player takes control of Detective Cole Phelps as you solve cases, moving up the ranks of the LAPD with the help of both corrupt and well-meaning police officers. The cases can at times be light on the eyes, be it a car crash gone wrong or an arson, but as the game progresses, so does the intensity of the writing. The real life Elizabeth Short murder, better known as The Black Dahlia case, plays a huge part in the game as you find extremely mutilated bodies that are “copycats” (or are they?). This required much work on the developers behalf since they needed to write all of these individual characters for each case that not only have to be believable, but also deceiving at times. Every case successfully further engulfs you into both the extremely detailed reconstructed model of 1940s Los Angeles and the game as you go forth.
Gameplay. The gameplay is similar to a GTA title or Red Dead Redemption, but on a much more realistic level. You control Phelps as he drives around LA, searches around crime scenes, gets in intense shootouts, interrogates suspects, and chases them as they attempt to flee the law. The engine is very well done and gone are the days of the awkward Euphoria moonwalk trying to enter a car or climb a ladder. Everything is fluent now in your quest for justice, which also adds a very, very realistic feel to the game. The unique aspect comes in by means of searching crime scenes and interrogating. You must carefully search every crime scene for clues leading to your next lead. Whether it’s a matchbook with an address on it or a tire iron covered in blood, everything is of importance and will assist you during your investigation later on. You can then use these items you find to assist you when interviewing a suspect, all while you need to tell whether they are lying to you or not. This unique way of playing a video game is unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before. Top all of this off with exciting car chases, realistic shootouts and chases across rooftops and you’ve got yourself one incredible piece of a game.
Graphics. The graphics in LA Noire are unlike anything ever done before in a game. It combines a new lighting model with all new “motionscan” technology. That is technology that uses 32 individual cameras around an actor to capture every move they make on their face and body, no animating required. This not only gives the entire game the eerie effect of real life, but plays a major part of interrogation by allowing the player to tell if the suspect is telling the truth or lying based on their facial movements. As gaming goes forth, it’ll be interesting to see how this new technology is used. The game also features an awesome, yet optional, black and white filtering effect that not only makes the game feel even more authentic (if that’s possible) to the era, but shows how awesome the lighting of the game truly is.
Long. For those concerned with the game being short, do not fear. The game features 21 official cases spread out across five departments (Traffic, Homicide etc.) Each case can and will take you a good 45 minutes minimum, let alone the ones that require more clues and evidence later in the game which will take even longer. Top this incredible amount of gameplay off with 40 “unassigned street crimes” (which are essentially side missions like bank robberies etc.) and you have a very good, very long game.
A bit more straight forward. While the interrogating can be a lot of fun, you often will just be guessing. You have three options, “Truth,” “Doubt,” and “Lie.” But isn’t doubting their truth….lying? Not only this confuses you, but then when you think you’ve picked the right answer you’ll get slapped in the face with a big fat X next to the question, meaning you have lost some information because you guessed the wrong thing.
A second chance? While one can argue I could play through the game again (and will), I feel as though LA Noire should give you some kind of second chance. Call it the cool writing, but it does happen once in a while where you can’t help but feel like you locked up the wrong suspect because that X appeared over a different suspect’s question, meaning he/she held out on information, causing you to charge somebody else. Yes, like in real life, there’s nothing you can do about it, but I would have liked a shortcut to perhaps “re evaluate” my guess in order to get the correct answers out of some suspects.
Saint’s Row driving physics. Not that Saint’s Row has bad driving physics, but let’s save them for that game. I understand the game’s car physics are so sharp, sudden turn, Crazy Taxi-ish so you can have some badass car chases, but when you’re just driving to the next crime scene and are flying over sidewalks it takes almost ALL of the realism of the game and throws it right out the window. It usually made me make my partner drive instead (an awesome fast travel feature).
Need.
If you enjoy video games, purchase this game. If you enjoy shows like Law and Order: SVU, purchase this game. Rockstar and Team Bondi have made a game that nobody has even attempted to make before in an effort to be original, something Rockstar succeeds in time and time again. Combine this with several brutal stories, fun and unique gameplay, groundbreaking graphics, and a script that features many familiar faces on television and movies interacting with you and you have not only an almost perfect game, but easily a candidate for game of the year 2011.
AUN.
Check out the fully formatted review here
http://aunonline.com/?p=1843
It’s not every day that a game comes out so focused on not committing crimes, but solving them. It’s even fewer a day where a game comes out that does it so beautifully and in such a unique way. This is where Rockstar Games’ LA Noire steps in. LA Noire is a title with a trailer that I first saw in early 2007/2008. From then until about 8 months ago, the game itself was pretty under wraps. Now that the trailers have been seen and the game has been released, it’s clear Rockstar has come together with Sydney, Australia’s Team Bondi to create one of the most unique video game experiences ever created.
All We Need
Unique. Yes, I’ll say it again. This is one of the most unique games to ever be released. Why? Because it does what almost no game does, and that is solving crime. This game could best be summed up as Law and Order in the late 1940s. A different gameplay engine has you running around 1940s Los Angeles trying to solve murders using clues and your interrogation techniques.
Story. Thanks to the always strong writers at Rockstar with the help of Team Bondi, the game has not just one long story throughout, but tons of individual mini stories that you need to solve in order to progress throughout the main one. The player takes control of Detective Cole Phelps as you solve cases, moving up the ranks of the LAPD with the help of both corrupt and well-meaning police officers. The cases can at times be light on the eyes, be it a car crash gone wrong or an arson, but as the game progresses, so does the intensity of the writing. The real life Elizabeth Short murder, better known as The Black Dahlia case, plays a huge part in the game as you find extremely mutilated bodies that are “copycats” (or are they?). This required much work on the developers behalf since they needed to write all of these individual characters for each case that not only have to be believable, but also deceiving at times. Every case successfully further engulfs you into both the extremely detailed reconstructed model of 1940s Los Angeles and the game as you go forth.
Gameplay. The gameplay is similar to a GTA title or Red Dead Redemption, but on a much more realistic level. You control Phelps as he drives around LA, searches around crime scenes, gets in intense shootouts, interrogates suspects, and chases them as they attempt to flee the law. The engine is very well done and gone are the days of the awkward Euphoria moonwalk trying to enter a car or climb a ladder. Everything is fluent now in your quest for justice, which also adds a very, very realistic feel to the game. The unique aspect comes in by means of searching crime scenes and interrogating. You must carefully search every crime scene for clues leading to your next lead. Whether it’s a matchbook with an address on it or a tire iron covered in blood, everything is of importance and will assist you during your investigation later on. You can then use these items you find to assist you when interviewing a suspect, all while you need to tell whether they are lying to you or not. This unique way of playing a video game is unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before. Top all of this off with exciting car chases, realistic shootouts and chases across rooftops and you’ve got yourself one incredible piece of a game.
Graphics. The graphics in LA Noire are unlike anything ever done before in a game. It combines a new lighting model with all new “motionscan” technology. That is technology that uses 32 individual cameras around an actor to capture every move they make on their face and body, no animating required. This not only gives the entire game the eerie effect of real life, but plays a major part of interrogation by allowing the player to tell if the suspect is telling the truth or lying based on their facial movements. As gaming goes forth, it’ll be interesting to see how this new technology is used. The game also features an awesome, yet optional, black and white filtering effect that not only makes the game feel even more authentic (if that’s possible) to the era, but shows how awesome the lighting of the game truly is.
Long. For those concerned with the game being short, do not fear. The game features 21 official cases spread out across five departments (Traffic, Homicide etc.) Each case can and will take you a good 45 minutes minimum, let alone the ones that require more clues and evidence later in the game which will take even longer. Top this incredible amount of gameplay off with 40 “unassigned street crimes” (which are essentially side missions like bank robberies etc.) and you have a very good, very long game.
Things We Need
A bit more straight forward. While the interrogating can be a lot of fun, you often will just be guessing. You have three options, “Truth,” “Doubt,” and “Lie.” But isn’t doubting their truth….lying? Not only this confuses you, but then when you think you’ve picked the right answer you’ll get slapped in the face with a big fat X next to the question, meaning you have lost some information because you guessed the wrong thing.
A second chance? While one can argue I could play through the game again (and will), I feel as though LA Noire should give you some kind of second chance. Call it the cool writing, but it does happen once in a while where you can’t help but feel like you locked up the wrong suspect because that X appeared over a different suspect’s question, meaning he/she held out on information, causing you to charge somebody else. Yes, like in real life, there’s nothing you can do about it, but I would have liked a shortcut to perhaps “re evaluate” my guess in order to get the correct answers out of some suspects.
We Dont Need
Saint’s Row driving physics. Not that Saint’s Row has bad driving physics, but let’s save them for that game. I understand the game’s car physics are so sharp, sudden turn, Crazy Taxi-ish so you can have some badass car chases, but when you’re just driving to the next crime scene and are flying over sidewalks it takes almost ALL of the realism of the game and throws it right out the window. It usually made me make my partner drive instead (an awesome fast travel feature).
Need Or Not ?
Need.
If you enjoy video games, purchase this game. If you enjoy shows like Law and Order: SVU, purchase this game. Rockstar and Team Bondi have made a game that nobody has even attempted to make before in an effort to be original, something Rockstar succeeds in time and time again. Combine this with several brutal stories, fun and unique gameplay, groundbreaking graphics, and a script that features many familiar faces on television and movies interacting with you and you have not only an almost perfect game, but easily a candidate for game of the year 2011.
AUN.