L.A. Noire has been misrepresented that is something everyone needs to know right off the bat. Between the action heavy trailers and an emphasis on "from the Makers of Grand Theft Auto" on pretty much every piece of promotion for the game, I have a strong feeling people are going in unprepared for what L.A. Noire really is. Anyone opting into this game because of the Rockstar connection are going to be surprised, but not necessarily in a bad way. For one L.A. Noire isn't a traditional open world game in the vain of GTA neither is it a by the numbers third-person shooter. Instead Team Bondi (Not Rockstar Games) take a huge risk in making what is ostensibly a $90 million adventure game, and its Astounding.
L.A. Noire is quite simply the story of young police officer Cole Phelps as he raises through the ranks of the LAPD and comes face to face with the vile, corrupt and, increasingly violent underbelly of 1940's Los Angeles. As the story progresses you will spend time in each of the major crime divisions of the police force from beat cop to Homicide detective. First thing most people will realize is that Cole is unlike any Rockstar protagonist, he is war hero and is dedicated to clean up the streets of L.A. He is a sharp contrast to the world around him and it makes for a very interesting lead, and though Cole may act high and mighty even he has dark secrets that unravel over the course of the story. A decidedly Rockstar trait does rear its head in L.A. Noire and that is a constant revolving door of strong stand out side characters, from the classic Irish police captain to the drunk on the job detective. These characters are always fleshed out and never feel one note, each of these individual people play a large role in your time with the game and by the end of the game you will have strong opinions on all of them. Its a testament to the writing that the characters are never on opposite ends of a good/bad spectrum, most characters have very good traits and crippling bad traits. It all culminates in a cast and story that is gritty and believable which rival some of the best crime movies.
Actually playing L.A. Noire is where the the game really differentiates itself. The majority of the game is spent investigating the scene of a crime, you and your partner arrive and are given a quick recap of what might have transpired and you quickly get to work looking for clues in the area that might help solve the case. Interacting with the crime scene is handled well whenever you approach an item of interest the controller vibrates and some music cues up (both of these features can be turned of for added difficulty). Once you have your hands on said object its just a quick turn of the right-stick and you begin to turn and flip the object to see if just maybe there is a case solving clue on the bottom of that coffee cup. Once you feel like you have collected enough evidence you will move unto the next stage of the game where you will need to interrogate suspects to get information. You will enter these interrogation scenes with anyone who may be able to provide more information on the case or on a possible suspect in order to coaxes a confession out of them. These interrogation moments have you asking questions and judging whether the person is telling the truth or is a bald faced liar either with incriminating evidence or by reading their facial expressions, yea you read that right.
This is where L.A. Noire becomes truly ground breaking. Through voodoo and black magic Team Bondi is able to capture the souls of some of Hollywood's greatest characters actors and trap them in this game and force them to act with the false promise that they will be released. In all seriousness Team Bondi was able to create from scratch a process which takes 32 high definition cameras, positions them 360 degrees around a central point, have an actor get into full hair and make-up and then have that actor sit in a chair and perform their lines as if they where in that scenario. The result is nothing short of jaw-dropping, the actors are giving these characters life and its their performance that is being shown and its their skill as actors that makes it better not an animator carefully raising one side of the mouth to create something that sort of resembles a smirk. It is a huge step forward in having videogames crossover from the "toys" or "for kids" mentality and stand tall next to the likes of big Hollywood summer blockbusters. Interestingly and completely fitting L.A. Noire is the first game ever to be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.
With its outstanding technology that gives the already wonderfully written and realized characters life and a gripping story with twists and revelations that span the gamete of classic noir and refreshing new gameplay that stands out amongst all the rehashed games that fill the market, L.A. Noire is an innovative and engrossing game that no one should miss out on.
(5 out of 5)
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