L.A. Noire
LA Noire
Release Date: May 17, 2011
Adventure, TPP, noir, gangster, detective, Police, remaster/remake, action adventure, 40s and 50s, singleplayer
Steam
A noir detective action adventure game developed by the Australian studio Team Bondi in cooperation with the veterans from Rockstar Games. The game invites you into Los Angeles of the 1940’s, a city filled with corruption and drug dealing organizations. You assume the role of Cole Phelps, an ex-soldier who becomes a police officer after the war.
L.A. Noire for PC, PS4 and etc. is a third-person game created by a debuting studio Team Bondi in cooperation with Rockstar Games. The development was overseen by Brendan McNamara, the script writer to console game The Getaway. L.A. Noire is a combination of a classic detective game and a TPP action game.
Story
The work of the Sydney-based team takes us back in time to Los Angeles of 1974. The city is filled with corruption and drug dealing gangs. The game’s protagonist is a Second World War veteran named Cole Phelps, who, after returning to the United States, becomes a police officer. Interestingly, the game lets you witness the key moments of Cole’s career. He starts working in traffic police, where he solves relatively minor cases. In time, Phelps’s good work is noticed by his superiors, which gets him ranked up and assigned to other departments, like homicide, and vice. It is noteworthy that some of the main cases are interrelated, e.g. by a character of a serial killer whom you are trying to hunt down. At the same time the events from the wartime and Phelps’s former squad members sporadically appear in the background.
Gameplay
Gameplay proper is twofold. First, you get to examine the crime scenes – carefully explore an area in search of important objects and pieces of evidence. Besides, Cole has to skillfully interrogate witnesses and suspects. Interrogations are based on a separate mechanics letting you decide whether you choose to believe the person, express your doubts or even accuse them of lying, provided you can back that with evidence. It is noteworthy that each case may unfold differently, depending on how much material evidence you find, and conduct the interrogations properly.
There are also multiple action sequences. The protagonist often chases suspects (either on foot or by car), engages in fist fights, and spectacular shootouts (there are different models of pistols, shotguns, and machine rifles in the game). For thrill-seekers there are several dozen side missions, in which you have to e.g. take care of bandits that barricaded themselves in a bank.
Technical aspects
L.A. Noire’s most prominent feature, though, is the use of advanced motion capture technology for very realistic face animations. It is noteworthy that this can be used in actual gameplay – you can watch how the people you interrogate react to your questions, in order to determine whether they are lying or telling the truth. The game’s cast includes hundreds of professional actors, among them such stars as Greg Grunberg, or John Noble. Also a vast city of Los Angeles was recreated for the player to roam about freely. Here we should also mention numerous surprises waiting for the biggest explorers, such as hidden cars, film reels or the most famous landmarks of the City of Angels.
In order to saturate L.A. Noire for PC, PS4 and etc. with specific feel, the authors prepared a fitting soundtrack consisting of a variety of songs, especially jazz. This and other solutions made the Team Bondi’s game resemble crime noir movies from 1940’s and 50’s in terms of atmosphere.
Last updated on February 17, 2016
July 15, 2022
Games That Burried Their Dev Teams
Video games can be a real bonanza, or spectacular flops. Some of them fail so badly, though, that they bring doom to entire dev teams. Here are 13 such cases.
July 29, 2020
The Great and Forgotten Mechanics of Old Games
Changes, changes, changes... New fads for mechanics in video come and go. Some are forgotten, while others return to favor after years of absence. Let's take a look at some of the former, less fortunate ones, taking a nostalgic journey into bygone times.
Videos and Screens
[0:57] L.A. Noire Switch version trailer
[1:01] L.A. Noire 4K trailer
The main pros of the game
- Immersive Experience: Many users praised the game's ability to immerse players in a detailed and atmospheric 1940s noir setting.
- Engaging Storyline: The narrative is often described as intricate, emotional, and captivating, with memorable characters and plot twists.
- Facial Animation Technology: The facial capture technology received significant acclaim for its realism, enhancing the interrogation and dialogue experiences.
- Detailed Environment: The game features a richly detailed open world that reflects the historical context of Los Angeles, with unique vehicles and collectibles.
- Unique Gameplay Mechanics: Players appreciated the detective work involved in solving cases, including interrogations and evidence gathering.
The main cons of the game
- Limited Activities in the Open World: Despite the detailed environment, many users felt that there was a lack of activities to engage with outside of the main missions.
- Linear Gameplay: The gameplay is often described as linear, with a focus on specific cases that can feel restrictive.
- Combat and Gameplay Variety: Combat mechanics were criticized for being simplistic, and some users noted a lack of variety in gameplay elements.
- Technical Issues: Some players experienced issues related to the Rockstar Games Launcher requirement, multi-monitor support, and performance on modern PCs.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Offline Play: Users expressed frustration over the requirement for an internet connection and a Rockstar account, particularly for a single-player game.
- More Diverse Gameplay: Players wished for more variety in gameplay mechanics beyond the core detective work, including additional side activities or missions.
- Improved AI Behavior: Some reviews pointed out that AI behavior could be inconsistent, detracting from the overall experience.
- A More Robust Interrogation System: The interrogation mechanics were criticized for being sometimes unclear or inconsistent, leading to frustration during gameplay.
Summary
- Overall, while L.A. Noire is celebrated for its storytelling and immersive atmosphere, it faces criticism for its gameplay limitations and technical requirements.
Summary generated on:
GAMERS Score
Average score from 3537 votes. 1672 players anticipated the game.
L.A. Noire Summary
Game Series: L.A. Noire
Platforms:
PC / Windows November 8, 2011
Switch November 14, 2017
PlayStation 4 November 14, 2017
Xbox One November 14, 2017
PlayStation 3 May 17, 2011
Xbox 360 May 17, 2011
Developer: Team Bondi
Publisher: Rockstar Games
L.A. Noire System Requirements
PC / Windows
Recommended: Quad Core 3.2 GHz, 2 GB RAM (8 GB RAM - Vista/7), graphic card 1536 MB (GeForce GTX 580 or better), 16 GB HDD, Windows XP/Vista/7
Leak Reveals L.A. Noire 2
It looks like Rockstar Games is holding the announcement of the second part of L.A. Noire up its sleeve. The existence of the game was revealed by Warner Chapell Music, who accidentally uploaded one of the tracks from the game's soundtrack to YouTube.
video games
Bart Swiatek
March 18, 2020
L.A. Noire remaster rumored to feature FPP mode and VR support
L.A. Noire remaster is taking shape, as new rumors sprout up. These ones claim that the re-edition of Rockstar's detective game will feature FPP mode and VR support.
video games
June 21, 2017