LA Noire Review

Posted Wed 20th Jul 2011 3:59pm by Gavin Lowe

LA Noire is a game struggling with its identity, pioneering a new model of game design and raising the bar of video game storytelling, but also rooting itself in a familiar Grand Theft Auto formula that is unmistakably Rockstar. Ambitious and polished, LA Noire is the latest title to try to bridge the gap between game and film – the effect is an experience that is equal parts astounding and deflating.

Mad Men’s Aaron Staton plays Cole Phelps, the game’s main protagonist. His unwavering sense of right and wrong, poor interpersonal skills and self-righteous pontificating make the character hard to warm to initially. The story reveals through flashbacks that Cole is deeply conflicted and explains, to an extent, that his attitude and behaviour stems from a desire to atone for the past. Unfortunately, this doesn’t translate well and can cause frustration and a divorced feeling toward Phelps.

Anchored in classic film noire and pulp fiction themes of crime, corruption, sleaze and flawed characters, LA Noire’s story could have been lifted straight from the pages of Raymond Chandler, Paul Auster or James Ellroy. The backdrop is a gritty post-war Los Angeles contrasted with a confident, victorious and jubilant American mood as it emerges from the ashes of World War 2. Team Bondi’s script is true to the genre, well-written, and one of the most compelling stories I have encountered in a video game. It is littered with believable characters, a compelling plot and the kind of twists, turns and surprises that adorn the great crime writing model it emulates. The writing is supported by some outstanding performances from the actors who, thanks to the revolutionary MotionScan technology, are able to lend their full performances. The result is stunning.

Faces filmed by 32 cameras from a range of angles provide a level of facial muscular detail never before seen in a video game. It allows the game’s central mechanic to focus on “reading” people from their facial reactions and body language during conversations. In the course of an investigation, Phelps must interview witnesses and suspects, and you are required to rely on your instincts to decide if what the person is telling you is true, if they’re hiding something or if they’re simply lying to you. You can back up your responses with evidence that you have gathered, but often, you have to follow your gut and decide if you believe them or not. In the early stages of the game, the interviewees’ reactions will make it obvious when they have something to hide. But as the game moves on, the tells and ticks become more difficult to read. Rockstar doesn’t allow you to return to a poorly conducted interview and you have to live with your mistakes as well as your successes.

The story, action and interaction with other characters are so gritty that I had a genuine feeling of accomplishment after outwitting a particularly tough suspect or chasing down a fleeing goon. After a prolonged period of gameplay, I actually felt tired and mentally beaten, like a grizzled TV cop returning home to an empty apartment to drink away the images of his morbid day.

The gameplay outside of interviews and cases is typical Rockstar. Like GTA and Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire places you in a vast, open world with a third-person camera view and simplified targeting system. Driving from one crime scene to another quickly becomes a chore as 1947 L.A. lacks the depth and vitality of Liberty City or the Old West. Pedestrians are much more bot-like than in other titles, and outside of traffic and the odd random comment from passers-by, Rockstar’s Los Angeles largely feels like a drawn out and lifeless facade. The requirement to revert to their signature gameplay style seems oddly out of place in the wider context of the game and the cinematic nature of the core experience.

During each case there are street crimes to tackle or ignore as you see fit, different types of cars to discover and some collectibles to gather, but these aspects again feel unnecessary and laboured. When trying to catch a serial murderer, the last thing on my mind would be scouring rooftops and alleyways looking for collectable film reels, or helping a patrolman chase down a peeping tom.

An aspect of the gameplay that lets the game’s ambition down most notably is the body count. Despite being rooted in film noire murder mystery, the game sees you battling and killing far too many people. In a game that so adroitly mimics film noire, the number of casualties erodes the believability of an otherwise excellent gumshoe story.

I was also frustrated on a couple of occasions during my progression through the various investigative departments of the LAPD, as I was sometimes forced down paths I wouldn’t necessarily have followed if I had ultimate control of the investigation. In a couple of cases, I charged characters for crimes that I, as a player, knew they hadn’t committed but was unable to set them free and continue the investigation. This is done to further the story but it’s obvious and distracting. During a more detailed investigation spanning several cases, I happened to notice a pattern that led me to suspect a particular character’s guilt, but there was no recourse to investigate my hunch, which turned out to be bang on the money.

While the cases are formulaic - walking around a crime scene, noticing a clue, finding leads and interviewing witnesses followed by a car chase, shootout or similar – the story redeems the game and keeps it interesting. The form is new and engaging, and the episodic nature of the cases causes the TV-series-box-set-devouring fiend inside me to want to play more and more.

For the most part, the visuals are akin to those other Rockstar titles but with the mood appropriate colours adding to the atmosphere of the game and MotionScan features drawing you into the performances the end effect is pleasing. Even outside of cut-scenes, the facial responses to stimuli are noticeable and pull you into the narrative. The noire atmosphere is given greater depth with a period appropriate jazz soundtrack and menacing brass band tones taunt you as you search for clues or hunt down a suspect in dark corners.

LA Noire has raised my expectations for what games can deliver and dashed my hopes for an immersive experience. Because the game tethered itself to Rockstar’s stalwart formula, this new ground, broken by a stunning combination of technology, writing, acting and dramatic gameplay, will mark LA Noire as an exciting game that could have been much, much more.

Tip on N4G