L.A. Noire: Video Review | Geeks of Gaming

Anticipation is something that Rockstar Games promotes well. The developer?s presence is synonymous with perfection. That?s just the thing that will confuse people when they look at L.A. Noire. It?s not exactly created by Rockstar Games, but by a small developer named Team Bondi. This crew is helmed by Brendon McNamara, who wrote and directed the PS2 exclusive ?The Getaway?. Under the watchful eye of Rockstar Games, Team Bondi has been tirelessly working on making the perfect detective game. Does L.A. Noire lead the investigation, or should it be busted back to traffic?

Loved

? I?m going to try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible.

The story in L.A. Noire is a perfect example of an interactive movie. You?ll lead Cole Phelps through his life as a cop, and how he deals with the seedy city of Los Angeles. The city is brimming with killers, thieves, and corrupt city officials. Everyone is out for themselves except for Cole Phelps. He seeks justice and follows the evidence to the letter. In a police department that is short on hard workers, he?s a diamond in the rough.

Since Cole is such an upstanding young man, he is placed with partners who lack any work ethic at all. The city of Los Angeles has forced each of them to be slackers, stuck in their ways, or outright over-confident in their duties. Through each division Cole and his partner will bond during the most hard-nose cases. They may never see eye to eye, but they?ll understand each other better by the end of their run. Combine this with a large case that unfolds around the smaller ones, and you have an outstanding Noir experience.

? Being a detective has never been more rewarding.

When L.A. Noire is mentioned, many people will compare it to, Heavy Rain. When in truth, it?s a lot more interactive and involved than that game. I love what Heavy Rain is, but everything is handled through Quick time events. In L.A. Noire, you take control of Cole in every aspect. When handling evidence, you can utilize the analog sticks and properly examine for clues. During interrogations, you?re sitting in front of someone and studying their features for the truth.

Detective work expands itself over the course of the game. Players will start off with a perfect 5 star score for diligent work. However, when the game stops holding the users hand? there will be plenty of times when meticulous work isn?t good enough. It?s usually not in the investigations that you?re stumped. It?s the interrogations and questioning of witnesses, that can sink your case. Pressing a suspect with the wrong question can upset them, and leave players without a pivotal piece of information.

The player is in charge of the scene, searching for any and all evidence that they can find. After that, they?ll hit the grindstone and locate the person responsible. This could end up with them tailing the suspect, or involved in a daring chase across the rooftops of the city. Either way, L.A. Noire makes sure that you?re settled in the driver?s seat.

? Motion Scan has created some of the best faces in the video game industry.

It combines well with the voice work of each actor portrayed on screen. To watch a human face emote during conversations, and break down from the pressure is astounding. You?ll catch subtle eye movements, and see every wrinkle of the skin. It?s so in-depth at points that it can be a little eerie to the eye. It only looks out of place in certain areas, but for the most part it?s spectacular.

Let?s not say that this is the only thing of beauty in L.A. Noire. The replication of a 1940?s Los Angeles as close as one could get. To be honest, this may be the most atmospheric of open world games. The streets are usually well populated with cars, and civilians who are minding their own business. It?s rare to look down a street and not see a wide range of hustle and bustle in the area.

The true essence of the world is captured in the sound. If I didn?t already say that the voice-acting is phenomenal, I wouldn?t be giving this game its due respect. Motion Scan technology aside, this is possibly the closest that a game can get to a movie. Each actor portrays their role in a highly believable manner, the passion for the craft comes out in their voices. You can tell that this wasn?t just thought of as some side gig.

The sound of the city also contributes to the success of things. You?ll become familiar with Cole being recognized by many civilians, or talking about current events. The sound of gunshots is clear and crisp, and so are the weight of footsteps tapping on the pavement. The detail even carries over to the handpicked jazz music, and the orchestrated beats that play during action sequences. L.A. Noire is the cream of the crop when it comes to tickling the ear drums.

Hated

? Random crimes seem to go against the nature of the game.

Players will stumble on these crimes constantly through the course of their playtime. They all boil down to shooting enemies dead or chasing after someone. The outcome ends with Cole killing most of these people and calling it in. It goes against the investigative nature of the game itself. The crimes seem to cater to shooter fans that picked up the wrong disc. I would rather crimes lead to real cases, where the player has to investigate sequences that can lead to bigger situations. Too bad they are all just short snippets of unnecessary violence.

? L.A. Noire is definitely not a game for everybody.

It depicts graphic violence and nudity with real life faces. Women and different races are constantly mistreated throughout the game. It?s clear that unless you have the stomach for it, L.A. Noire probably won?t be your cup of tea. That?s not mentioning that at least 80% of the game is conversation. So if you?re looking for an action packed shooter, you won?t fare well looking in this direction.

? There are some bugs that can intrude on the experience.

Players will be faced the usual pop-in objects and lowered frame rates. Since these are all things we?ve become accustomed to in open world games. The real issues are a little more daunting. During certain conversations, the audio will go completely out of sync. At other times, players will catch an odd jittering of an actor?s head. When these bugs occur, you will most definitely not appreciate it.

Conclusion

L.A. Noire is a revolutionary in bringing that big screen feeling to your console. The Motion Scan technology takes the big leap forward. Team Bondi has done an admirable job creating a interactive movie experience. At 20 hours of game play, there isn?t much to complain about here. If you?re a fan of the investigation, and film Noir? you should look no further. L.A. Noire receives an A from Half-Ass Gaming, today? the modern day adventure game is born.

Game Info

GAME NAME: LA. Noire

DEVELOPER(S): Team Bondi

PUBLISHER(S): Rockstar Games

PLATFORM(S): Xbox 360, PS3

GENRE(S): Adventure

RELEASE DATE(S): May 17th, 2011

Source: http://www.geeksofgaming.com/2011/05/20/l-a-noire-video-review/

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