The evidence is pretty straightforward: a bloody shoe, a suspect with a temper, an eyewitness who can place him at the scene.
So why do I feel this sense of unease, as if I just locked up the wrong person?
L.A. Noire, the crime drama inspired by 1940s-era Los Angeles, is arguably one of the most fascinating titles from Grand Theft Auto developers Rockstar Games. It's mature and thought-provoking, featuring a wonderful balance of detective work and action on the street.
The star of L.A. Noire is Cole Phelps, a veteran of World War II who joins the Los Angeles Police Department. After demonstrating his skills as a police officer, his captain decides to move him up to the rank of detective.
Cole starts out on the Traffic desk, investigating crashes and other incidents before moving his way up to other beats such as Homicide, Vice (drugs, prostitution, gambling) and Arson.
Cole is far different from recent Rockstar characters such as Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto IV and John Marston fromRed Dead Redemption. The straight-laced Cole seems to do everything by the book. He's also quite intelligent, as demonstrated when quoting Shakespeare during one case.
Like its lead character, L.A. Noire is quite different from previous Rockstar titles. Judging on looks alone, players may assume the game is "Grand Theft Auto in the '40s."
However, there are several key differences. L.A. Noire has a feeling of openness, but there's a bit more structure to how the main story arc plays out. Instead of roaming the city seeking out activity tied to the primary plot, players are handed cases which they must go investigate and solve. Cole's time on Patrol serves as training of sorts, allowing players to learn the basic mechanics of the game.
L.A. Noire breaks down into three components: scene investigation, interrogation and action on the street.
At the start of each case, players will explore the crime scene searching for clues. As players discover a clue, the controller rumbles and music plays, indicating objects nearby. Some may be unrelated, but others serve as key clues to help solving the crime. Similar audio cues will pop up so players know they have found all the clues at a specific scene. Clues, as well as key people and locations, are stored in Cole's notebook, which players can reference at any point.
The second piece is interrogation. Scene witnesses and suspects are grilled based on the clues players discover. After each answer, players choose one of three responses: Truth, Doubt and Lie. When accusing someone of lying, the player must present appropriate evidence to back up that claim. Guess correctly and the witness or suspect will divulge more details. Otherwise, they may dodge your queries.
This is where the use of MotionScan technology is valuable. When suspects or witnesses answer questions, their eyes shift back and forth, or bite their lip or express other feelings of nervousness on their face.
As players move up the detective ranks, they earn Intuition points to uncover more clues at a crime scene or narrow down options during interrogations. Players boost their rank by solving cases, completing street crimes on the sides or find Los Angeles landmarks.
The third component, action on the street, is where the GTAcomparisons come into view. Players may chase a suspect on foot, in a vehicle, engage in a fistfight to take down a suspect or even in a firefight. Controls are similar to GTA and Red Dead, so players familiar with those titles should have little trouble adjusting.
Although L.A. Noire plays very differently from its Rockstar brethren, all these games share one similar trait: the ability to deeply immerse players into the world created by developers.
In the case of studio Team Bondi's effort, downtown Los Angeles drips with atmosphere, whether it stems from the 40s-era jazz music, the cars, the clothes, the black-and-white intros to each case, and other notable landmarks. The only thing I wish L.A. Noire offered was more incentive to explore the city, beyond just busting up street crimes and seeking out landmarks or other hidden gems.
The cases encompassing the main story arc are incredibly interesting, and open in terms of potential outcome. Players may not find every clue, or question every witness. During one case I played a second time, I discovered a key piece of evidence earlier in the investigation, revealing a different ending.
Also, players may make a misstep during an interrogation and miss out on key details. On a separate case, the captain chewed me out for bungling the investigation.
The overall story is also surprisingly mature, and not just for the violence and nudity. The plot is reminiscent of films such as Chinatown and L.A. Confidential, and, to some degree, even TV shows like Law & Order. The pace of the game is also slower, yet it remains engaging.
Here's what most amazing about L.A. Noire: Rockstar Games and Team Bondi could have easily cranked out a GTA-style game set in this era and had a pretty strong title. However, they stepped outside that box and delivered a truly unique detective drama with detailed crime scenes and intense interrogations. That's enough evidence to label L.A. Noire as a potential game of the year.
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Team Bondi
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Price: $59.99
Rating: M for Mature
Release Date: May 17
Score: 4 stars (out 0f 4)
So why do I feel this sense of unease, as if I just locked up the wrong person?
L.A. Noire, the crime drama inspired by 1940s-era Los Angeles, is arguably one of the most fascinating titles from Grand Theft Auto developers Rockstar Games. It's mature and thought-provoking, featuring a wonderful balance of detective work and action on the street.
The star of L.A. Noire is Cole Phelps, a veteran of World War II who joins the Los Angeles Police Department. After demonstrating his skills as a police officer, his captain decides to move him up to the rank of detective.
Cole starts out on the Traffic desk, investigating crashes and other incidents before moving his way up to other beats such as Homicide, Vice (drugs, prostitution, gambling) and Arson.
Cole is far different from recent Rockstar characters such as Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto IV and John Marston fromRed Dead Redemption. The straight-laced Cole seems to do everything by the book. He's also quite intelligent, as demonstrated when quoting Shakespeare during one case.
Like its lead character, L.A. Noire is quite different from previous Rockstar titles. Judging on looks alone, players may assume the game is "Grand Theft Auto in the '40s."
However, there are several key differences. L.A. Noire has a feeling of openness, but there's a bit more structure to how the main story arc plays out. Instead of roaming the city seeking out activity tied to the primary plot, players are handed cases which they must go investigate and solve. Cole's time on Patrol serves as training of sorts, allowing players to learn the basic mechanics of the game.
L.A. Noire breaks down into three components: scene investigation, interrogation and action on the street.
At the start of each case, players will explore the crime scene searching for clues. As players discover a clue, the controller rumbles and music plays, indicating objects nearby. Some may be unrelated, but others serve as key clues to help solving the crime. Similar audio cues will pop up so players know they have found all the clues at a specific scene. Clues, as well as key people and locations, are stored in Cole's notebook, which players can reference at any point.
The second piece is interrogation. Scene witnesses and suspects are grilled based on the clues players discover. After each answer, players choose one of three responses: Truth, Doubt and Lie. When accusing someone of lying, the player must present appropriate evidence to back up that claim. Guess correctly and the witness or suspect will divulge more details. Otherwise, they may dodge your queries.
This is where the use of MotionScan technology is valuable. When suspects or witnesses answer questions, their eyes shift back and forth, or bite their lip or express other feelings of nervousness on their face.
As players move up the detective ranks, they earn Intuition points to uncover more clues at a crime scene or narrow down options during interrogations. Players boost their rank by solving cases, completing street crimes on the sides or find Los Angeles landmarks.
Although L.A. Noire plays very differently from its Rockstar brethren, all these games share one similar trait: the ability to deeply immerse players into the world created by developers.
In the case of studio Team Bondi's effort, downtown Los Angeles drips with atmosphere, whether it stems from the 40s-era jazz music, the cars, the clothes, the black-and-white intros to each case, and other notable landmarks. The only thing I wish L.A. Noire offered was more incentive to explore the city, beyond just busting up street crimes and seeking out landmarks or other hidden gems.
The cases encompassing the main story arc are incredibly interesting, and open in terms of potential outcome. Players may not find every clue, or question every witness. During one case I played a second time, I discovered a key piece of evidence earlier in the investigation, revealing a different ending.
Also, players may make a misstep during an interrogation and miss out on key details. On a separate case, the captain chewed me out for bungling the investigation.
The overall story is also surprisingly mature, and not just for the violence and nudity. The plot is reminiscent of films such as Chinatown and L.A. Confidential, and, to some degree, even TV shows like Law & Order. The pace of the game is also slower, yet it remains engaging.
Here's what most amazing about L.A. Noire: Rockstar Games and Team Bondi could have easily cranked out a GTA-style game set in this era and had a pretty strong title. However, they stepped outside that box and delivered a truly unique detective drama with detailed crime scenes and intense interrogations. That's enough evidence to label L.A. Noire as a potential game of the year.
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Team Bondi
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Price: $59.99
Rating: M for Mature
Release Date: May 17
Score: 4 stars (out 0f 4)
