1947. That was the year that changed everything. The world was still licking her wounds from a war that had scarred her lands and killed her people. In turn, new ideas paraded the themes of civil liberties and respect for the fellow man. America was not any different. Her battle-hardened boys were coming back to a land that was gripped by the darkness and despair of depression. Only now, industry was booming and money was flowing. Hands whose thirsts were parched for so many years now had the wherewithal to chase the mirage of the American dream. Pent-up consumer lust was given its freedom to engulf the richest of luxuries. Suburban communities sprawled across the landscape; each house filled with new cars and television sets. Among this cultural uprising was a land, just north of Mulholland Highway, which had dedicated itself to capturing the innermost facets of this new life: Hollywoodland.
Enter Cole Phelps, the protagonist leading the journey along the most involved and gripping video game tale published by Rockstar Games. The title is L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition and its story is filled with the dark and violent outcomes of an area left to fulfill its every cardinal desire. Phelps, who is played by Mad Men’s Aaron Staton, is a returning World War II veteran who had been awarded the Silver Star for bravery after the bloody Battle of Okinawa. Trying to find some kind of normalcy or redemptive work, Phelps joins up with the LAPD as a patrolman. As the tale unfolds, we realize there are demons haunting in Phelps’s past and plaguing his mind.
So engrossing, can it be called art?
L.A. Noire is not your typical teen-lust and violence filled video game, but rather is the closest thing that would debate Ebert’s arguments against video games being a true piece of art. Team Bondi has weaved together one of video games’ most provocative scripts, which has been given the breath of life with Rockstar’s signature era authenticity. At times it is difficult to distinguish playing a game versus watching a movie with 322 actors, which include Fringe’s John Noble, ER’s Gil McKinney, Southland’s Michale McGrady, and other such fully-accredited talent.
Make no mistake, L.A. Noire is a dark game, full of depravity, greed, and murder. You’ll be touching a dead woman’s breast and searching a bloody child’s corpse, looking for clues that will solve their murders. There is a grim reality that unfolds in both Los Angeles and in detective Phelps. Many complain of the need to brag clip this game, but there are things best left off your Facebook wall.
Make no mistake, this game is dark and brutal.
Immersing yourself within L.A. Noire’s story means taking on the role of Cole Phelps as he transforms from beat cop to intuitive sleuth. You are guided along each of the 21 cases (plus 5 additional cases from the Complete Edition) with a rinse-and-repeat pattern of finding clues, interviewing witnesses, and interrogating suspects. The cases are bite-sized for the time-taxed player, each one being about an hour to complete, and are broken up with the occasional distress call to save some dame or stop some robbery.
The cases of L.A. Noire start with a tutorial-like infrastructure and slowly lead into the award-winning MotionScan-enhanced interrogation. This could be the reason behind the lack of a demo. Granted, a 30-minute spin with the game won’t give away major plot spoilers, but Rockstar decided against the demo, probably because you’ll be cut short from the most gripping aspect: interrogation.
Most cases follow a pattern of rounding up evidence that leads to a climatically-charged interrogation. For the keen-eyed player who is used to scouring every crevice for the cog, feather, and figurine collectible, you’ll have no problem spotting crime scene clues. Gamers opting for their gamepad, versus the traditional keyboard and mouse, will be granted the aid of a clue-finding vibrating controller. Otherwise, sleuths will be left to their own gut intuition and a supposed chime music gauge (somehow the chimes help find the clue, but the concept was lost on me).
Realistic facial animations make interrogations captivating.
Unlike other Rockstar Games, L.A. Noire offers no real purpose to romp aimlessly. Here, you’ll actually get penalized for denting your car with a plethora of pedestrians. No five star ratings either—here, you ARE the police. This doesn’t stop L.A. Noire from being a worthy addition to Rockstar’s portfolio, because what L.A. Noire lacks in sandbox play, it makes up in crafty narrative.
Some cases and side-jobs sporadically transition into gun play and car chases. Those with fat thumbs and slow reflexes are granted a lucky pass and can continue the story. However, the completionist with nerves of steel is amply rewarded with attribute boosting outfits and intuition points. But don’t despair, because this Complete Edition comes pre-loaded with three extra crime-solving outfits. There also seems to be an additional help, called “Ask the Community”, but has been turned off. I would blame OnLive, but the incredible incorporation of Rockstar’s Social Club features leads me to believe the suspect is Rockstar, but that is a case I’m leaving unsolved.
L.A. Noire isn’t without its quirks. When the general consensus is applaudable, small flaws flare into large blots. Overall the game sports graphics that are on par with other industry successful games, but because so much effort went into making faces look realistic, the bodies become boxy. Things are then magnified by OnLive keeping the graphics toned down, despite Rockstar committing their efforts to turn the PC version up. Other small annoyances include questionable car physics and bizarre button mapping (going into cover, zooming in, and firing felt awkward).
Bottom Line: This is one genuinely authentic experience.
Here is the meat and potatoes of it all: L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition is a consuming title that will grab and pull you through the intrinsic tale of a city and its people coming to grips. Some men will rise and some will fall. In the end, it is the journey that matters most, and here, the journey is incredible.
Tell us what you think of this game and review, over in the OnLiveFans.com Forums.
The Official Trailer for L.A Noire The Complete Edition, provided by Rockstar Games: David Probyn Administrator of OLF Review Website, Writer / Editor on OLF News and a OLF Forum Moderator. Remember reviews published by me are my opinions... Read More »
Latest OnLive News
OnLiveFans.com is an unofficial OnLive information source. All reviews held here are the opinion of the writer and the writer alone.
No Comments