L.A. Noire
staxwax
1,474 Posts
Wasnt planning on buying it - but this review made me cop it.
Anyone else digging it?
Anyone else digging it?
Comments
it does look cool but something held me back from jumpin at it.
I've always wanted a game where Kenny Cosgrove is a playable character.
The evidence collection and examination thing is just a step above those CSI games, and...
The whole "lie, Doubt, truth" interrogation system is a joke. It's cute the first couple of times, but after a while I just get sick of the overacting gesture to let you know the object is either lying or telling partial truth.
I guess police procedural is better seen than played, or perhaps I should give it more time to sink in?
After playing for about two hours a day for the first few days I realized not only that had I seen pretty much everything there was to see, but that I was already tired of most of it. Too much hand-holding while looking for clues, everyone runs (guaranteeing at least 2-3 chases per case), and the interrogations are all fairly interchangeable. The only things that differ are the specific pieces of evidence used. And even then they're sometimes exactly the same (I know that last part somewhat relates to the plot, but I can't work up enough interest to find out where it leads).
Having said that though I do think the game is even more linear than I expected and that there are a fair few moments that feel like a real missed opportunity - why have such a vividly recreated city if you can't actually interact with it beyond 40 agreed "street crimes"? Loved the first part of it and was happy to accept that it was more procedural than action based so stuff like jumping, climbing, etc was all automated but now 10 cases in and feeling rather wearied by the repetitious nature of the last few homicides. It's got to the point where I basically know what's going to happen before I even get to the suspect's house and some of the interviewing isn't as clear as it possibly should be.
Still, going to stick with it and see if it picks up again in the second half and at the every least will get enjoyment from playing the spot-the-actor game.
Oh yeah, Max Payne 3 is still in development by the way, first screenshots are starting to get leaked.
At this point id rather try something experimental or a little different, like LA Noire, than another installment of GTA, which by the last one has become a little too predictable a format imo (albeit still very enjoyable) - next Id like to see a next level gta installment set in historically acurate late 19th century New York, Gangs of New York style.
It's just that [SPOILER FOR THOSE NOT UP TO CASE 10] I'm at the point of finding my third or fourth Black Dahlia style murder and I already know that I'm going to have to go interview the husband, my partner will think he's guilty, someone will do a runner and I'll chase them and then, regardless of how much i cock up the final interview, someone will get put away [/SPOILER FOR THOSE NOT UP TO CASE 10].
Don't get me wrong as I am enjoying the game and definitely feel like this genre needs a big kick up the arse but can't help feeling that with a bit more variety this could have been jaw dropping. Probably as much to do with the hype than anything though.
If you go into it expecting a kind of twist on an adventure game rather than a full on sandbox open world title I think you'll get some decent fun out of it.
I am probably going to take off some of the hint functions to make it more difficult to find the clues. Seems kind of easy if the controller vibrates every time you're close to something you need to see. As a kid, I played these old-school procedurals called Police Quest, where you had to type everything and play it strictly by the book. It was so serious that if you didn't walk around your car every time you drove it, you would get a flat tire. If you didn't put your gun in a locker at jail, your prisoner would grab it and shoot you. So L.A. Noire seems like it's going to be perfect for me.
The online posse option in Red Dead Redemption was one of my greatest exp in my video game history.
There's a PS3 exclusive Rockstar in-house developed game called Agent which has apparently been in development for a long while now which will probably be more along the lines of a proper sandbox game and have the required multiplayer component. There's been no official news on it in over a year but considering how Rockstar work (keep it under wraps until it's near completion) that's not necessarily a bad thing.
As for L.A. Noire, having finally made it through Homicide and past the half way mark I'll stick with my previous assessment of it though say that I am also enjoying it and will definitely be playing it to completion.