CVG's LA Noire review is of the Xbox 360 version of the game.
L.A Noire isn't anything like Grand Theft Auto. That's the first thing you need to understand before you even contemplate buying into what's sure to be another blockbuster title under the Rockstar roof.
There are elements of the crim-sim floating about - the circular radar, the white dot reticule, the driving and shooting button layout and that leaning sprint technique - but it's all superficial. To get the most from L.A Noire; nay, to play it effectively, you're going to need to forget all about Bellic and co.
For starters, there's your protagonist, Cole Phelps. Working on the right side of the law, he's a 1940s war hero turned LAPD cop, characterised by a humble duty that's a world away from gaming's usual assault rifle-wielding boys in blue. Phelps is tough and courageous, but he plays by the book, and in L.A Noire, you're reaching for your notepad far more often than your gun.
In fact, reaching for your gun isn't even on the menu for most of your time in 1940s Los Angeles. As you rise through the ranks of the LAPD - from uniform-sporting Patrol cop to the Traffic, Homicide, Vice and finally the Arson department - you'll spend a lot of your time wading through investigative procedure, ticking boxes and crossing off names.
These are intrinsically linked to a number of gameplay sections, almost like mini-games, that are repeated throughout each case.
You'll start off in the briefing room of your particular department with your senior barking details at you before shouting something like "Well, waddaya waitin' for?" or "Now get out there and catch me a criminal!"
Off you trot, partner in tow, to a given crime scene that'll be familiar to anyone who's ever seen an episode of CSI or other popular US whodunnit dramas. There's usually a body (if you're dealing with a death), a number of scattered clues and maybe a couple of other officers, witnesses and the coroner.
CSI: LOS ANGELES... 1947
This initial section is all about finding leads and filling your notebook full of evidence. You'll probably have a few words with the coroner before having a snoop around yourself, fully backed by some slow, tense, snooping, trumpet music.
Here the left analogue stick is used for wrist action, enabling you to tilt and rotate the object, scanning all its surfaces for detail. If it's a receptacle, like an envelope or a box, pressing A will open it up. When you find the sweet spot with the stick (representing the useful bit on the object) your pad will vibrate, prompting you to hold the position for Cole to finish his analysis.
Bodies can be knelt over with a touch of 'A'. Cole lets his hand hover, waiting for you to move it over the body part you wish to examine (hands, torso, or head) before pressing 'A' again to focus on the area as if it were any other clue.
Comments
51 comments so far...
humanhand on 16 May '11 said:
I'm still buying this game the moment it's available, however, lack of player choice sounds kind of like a let down in the overall picture. This game will do many things great. But will obviously not be the greatest game ever.
mogel94 on 16 May '11 said:
Seems like its gonna be an interesting game, I've seen people on other sites (ign) get really upset over the 8 scores its been getting but I don't understand why. An 8-9 score is great.
Midjet on 16 May '11 said:
I fail to understand how a game that suffers similar problems to GTA can receive such a lower score, especially with so many positive points. That being said, cheers for the review.
Moribundman on 16 May '11 said:
I'm "still buying" this game, even after such a grossly disappointing and distressing score as 8.9
I suspect there are going to be a bunch of 90 pluses and from what I'm seeing popping up, this looks to be on a par with Red Dead at the very least, which is high praise indeed.
united5876 on 16 May '11 said:
Glad I preordered now as it appears as good as its been looking, really look forward to playing it.
jimsmells67 on 16 May '11 said:
I had a feeling this game would be good but not great, not that it matters because I will be getting the game, just when it's come down in price.
Moorpheus on 16 May '11 said:
So it's not perfect - find me a game (aside from Deus Ex
) that is.
The game sounds good, with a few minor points against it - good enough for me. My parents want to play this as well cos they like all this crime solving business and the easier difficulty would suit them well.
JOHNKARA on 16 May '11 said:
Thanks for an informative and spolier-free review CVG. I have my copy pre-ordered, and will play in hard-mode and switch every assist off so as to make the experience that much more compelling.
TheLastDodo on 16 May '11 said:
Great review CVG. Nice to see you point out a few examples of the games minor failures, instead of just glossing over them.
I'll pick this up on friday.
dannyhulse on 16 May '11 said:
You do realise that 8.9/10 is a fantasic score?
Would you call a movie that got 4.5/5 stars "good"?
Mad Garrotter on 16 May '11 said:
Well played, Wrinkles. Well played indeed.
Brilliant! I genuinely did LOL!
starsail on 16 May '11 said:
Typical biased scoreline ... oh wait, its multiplatform!
Good honest review, nice to see the hype machine isn't carrying the points.
mrjoe1986 on 16 May '11 said:
Great review lads, but all I wanna know is, does this game have english captions?
_Marty_ on 16 May '11 said:
I didn't expect perfection. This still sounds ace... Cannot wait!
BenThomasFoster on 16 May '11 said:
surly no player choice means no replayability? humm i knew this game would not fully work, but didn't know or think it would be 9/10 worthy either so kudos to team bondi. but RDR had no replayability and well sadly thats one of my major points now that i've been spoiled by PC gaming brilliance(MODS) and RPG like fallout or mass effect ect
The_KFD_Case on 16 May '11 said:
I still stand by my earlier prediction that a lot of people looking forward to this game are going to find something very different from their expectations, and that a lot of those same people will ultimately be disappointed by it.
Black Mantis on 16 May '11 said:
Good review, just cancelled my pre-order! I will pick it up eventually (when all the pre-order dlc is available), but the fact that it suffers from the typical Rockstar mid-way lull and lacking crime scene mode, put me off.
cult on 16 May '11 said:
Thanks kirankara for the link, I will never get those 45 minutes back!
I think a lot of disappointment and a quick price drop is incoming.
An interactive point and click with driving to yellow flag sections... meh
http://www.gameanyone.com/video/313168
Windowlicker79 on 16 May '11 said:
I think I'll be getting this for sure, although I look forward to a sequel where they'll be able to take on board peoples responses and fine tune the experience.
jim2wheels on 16 May '11 said:
I actually think this is going to be the thinking mans GTA. If Johnny Noob Tube thinks this is s**te, then I know this is gonna be just the ticket for me.
Sammy_bham on 16 May '11 said:
great review. cant wait for friday
GTCzeero on 16 May '11 said:
Thanks for the review CVG. I think I might be the only person, who on hearing it's more like Heavy Rain/ Point and Click than GTA ,is actually looking forward to it even more. The hint prompts will be off for me, I think.
kirankara on 16 May '11 said:
http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3/la-noire/ ... 826087/p-3
video comparison on ps3/360
chunkyboymania on 16 May '11 said:
Didn't bother reading the review because I want to know as little as possible about this game before playing it... read the score though pretty solid.
Useless comment I know.
razors edge on 16 May '11 said:
The trailers just make me want to watch Madmen. And Fringe.
Will buy.
Ror1984 on 16 May '11 said:
I'm quite happy it's not like GTA; I've never particularly liked any of them, but L.A. Noire has had me interested for a while. I think I'll be picking this up then.
Very_Silver_Ownz on 16 May '11 said:
I like GTA and Heavy Rain so I'll like this either way.
notalktalk on 16 May '11 said:
to much negativity out there give the game a chance. I predict a top selling title.
Imaduck on 16 May '11 said:
Visually, they seem about even. There's the usual difference as standard in the PS3 having that slightly more washed out look and the 360's more vibrant look. Other than that, from what I've seen, the 360 version has better AF, but a bit of texture pop-in. While PS3 has some instances of clearer lighting but some weirdness in that department too in stuff like reflections. Overall - they're pretty much equal in the visual department from what I've seen. Not sure on framerate.
Solm on 16 May '11 said:
This is my first pre-order this year and I can't wait 8.9 is very high score IMO.
skyvisco on 16 May '11 said:
You just made the pre-order worth it! This review sold it for me. Can't wait to pick this up!
MrRage on 17 May '11 said:
8.9 is a decent score, I hope this is the start of a trend of people giving games lower scores so actually outstanding games can get the big 9+ marks. Apart from COD of course which is bound to get something silly like 11/10.
The_Jaster on 17 May '11 said:
kirankara on 17 May '11 said:
unrealistic expectations much lol??
8.9 is decent score? i dont even want the game at all, but that's pretty f'in good score mate. How do u measure the difference in enjoyment between an 8.9 and a 9.0 or 9.1? lol
PPl should abandon review scores imo, and just read the comments, and compare it to other reviews and see whether they like overall impression thy get from them.
I think review scores date back to a time where space in mags was limited and they couldnt afford to talk and talk about pro's and cons in games, and so a score gives a rough indication of their overall feelings, but with internet we have more and more space available at no extra cost , so can discuss these things in more length.
Theres jut no exact criteria u can give to measure games and allocate scores, and the whole thing is just so subjective anyway.So it is just better ppl discuss what they liked and didnt like about a game, and make decisions based on those factors.
Ppl get too caught up in scores, and u get ppl who wont play anything less than a 7 or even a 9 sometimes, and they will miss out on great games, and may even have loved a game someone else scored as a 4.
Some sites hated on Brink, but im really likiing it so far. The lag is almost non existent for me, and appears to be being fixed by them and on the wane as a whole. Yes theres no sp as such, but tbh fps and campaigns , well lets be honest, they are pretty much dull, repetitive, cliched and all feel the same these days anyway, so not overly bothered tbh. I have enough fps to play the campaigns on if i want boring cliched narratives and set pieces
http://www.lensoftruth.com/head2head-l- ... /#comments
head2head on LOT up on LA Noire, looks a fairly comprehensive ps3 win, but 360's still obviously good enough not to ruin game(its no bayonetta lol, thats a phrase that should be used in day to day conversation for saying somethings not awful)
MrRage on 17 May '11 said:
kirankara on 17 May '11 said:
like i say, howd differentiate between an 8.9 and a 9 in real life lol??
anyway, I dont think its worth even an 8.9 from criticisms ive seen, but each to their own i guess.
Its not made by R* by the way, its just published by them, its made by team bondi, who originally were making it on ps3 and R8 came along as publisher and made it multiplat.
gamefreak666 on 17 May '11 said:
Good to see a new ip make a solid outing. Also good to see the critics not buy in to the pre-release hype for a change, as is often happening these days, especially with the COD games.
. L.A.Noire, Dead or Alive Dimensions & Duke Nukem will just have to wait till I have some more pennies. 
Unfortunately there are 6 new games coming out in the next month that are on my 'to buy' list and can only afford to be getting 3. So I will be buying Infamous 2, Ocarina of time 3D & Alice: Madness Returns
Very_Silver_Ownz on 17 May '11 said:
''
yes I'd say it was a decent score. Depends on your definition of what decent is. I have the game on pre-order and I'm looking forward to it, I went for it on R*'s merit for making decent games. IMO 5-6.9 would be average 7-8.9 would be decent and 9+ should be outstanding. Perhaps I'm just not as excitable as some people ''
Don't go on scores to what is a good game or not. I've played plenty of good games that have scored less then an 8 or a 9.
Its better when the game gets less then a 9 because your expectations are lower so you have more chance to enjoy it.
Scores from GTA IV and RDR is why I didn't enjoy them because of the 10/10s I was expecting the best games ever but they were far from 10/10.
PaulC1888 on 17 May '11 said:
Been waiting since the day this was annonced. Even if this game got a 2 or 3 i would still buy it. Can't wait, please hurry friday.
pRM8 on 17 May '11 said:
This and the Witcher 2 will do me nicely over the next few weeks
only_777 on 17 May '11 said:
A still think I'll enjoy this sort of game.
Someone thing I have always thought reviewers should do is include a list of 5 of their favorite games. As a review is a personal view on a game and not everyone is going to have the same opinion/taste in the same games as the next person.
It would be a good way to see if the person reviewing the game has the same taste in games as you do.
laslowoodbine on 17 May '11 said:
Despite the reviews I will rent this, the last 2 rockstar games I have had were missing that fun which made me love my GTA III and GTA Vice City. Others seen to love GTA still and RDR, but as much as I appreciate the effort that goes in to these games and they get top scores accross the board I just connect with their recent games.
Zero_Cool on 18 May '11 said:
If it's not on PC then it's not getting bought. Period. I have zero interest in consoles...
notalktalk on 21 May '11 said:
a game is a game, not reality
m4v3r1cK89 on 27 May '11 said:
I may be a little late to the party (I decided to finish the game before commenting) but here's my two cents anyway...
After roughly 18hrs of playing, LA Noire reached its conclusion. I played at a fairly leisurely pace, taking in the side missions (which began to repeat themselves afterwards, during the free-roam - despite there being 40 and me only completing 21) and finding a few of the hidden vehicles. Which brings me neatly along to the first point I'd like to make...
The vehicle handling is far too sharp, far too responsive, for vehicles of this era. I was expecting something along the lines of Mafia 2 in this respect, but was left disappointed. It wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that it has been "dumbed down", along with the shooting and chase sections, to appease the casual gamer. There are also a worrying number of graphical and framerate issues, on the Xbox at least (I can't speak for the PS3 version). I frequently witnessed cars appearing and disappearing right in front of me, building pop-up which I haven't seen since the days of GTA: Vice City, and inexplicable vehicle collision physics. Cars would frequently fling themselves into the air after a miniscule impact, others would disintegrate after the slightest touch, while some vehicles you give chase to seem to sidestep along the tarmac, as if they have those beach-ball wheels from Will Smith's Audi in I ,Robot
The story, while very much appealing to my taste in movies, is at times left undeveloped, such as the relationship between Phelps and his wife. Perhaps that particular decision was an intentional omission, to hint at Phelp's disinterest in his family. At other times, the game evokes memories of L.A. Confidential, through its seedy, brooding plotlines, ambiguous main character(s) and atmosphere; and the Coen brothers' Miller's Crossing, with its snappy banter and random craziness
The MotionScan facial animations are staggering, every bit as good as has been said. The interrogations, for me, are by far the best thing about the game - they can be genuinely tense.
Overall, L.A. Noire is a distinctive step forward for games, propelled by that facial technology and a strong narrative. The driving and on-foot sections have been done better elsewhere, in Mafia 2 and GTA4 respectively, but MotionScan truly distinguishes it from the rest. I'd give it a solid, sometimes spectacular, 8.5 out of 10.
Apologies for the overlong post
Barkspawn on 30 May '11 said:
While this is not a bad game at all
but now that i have finished it i believe the end is the worst of LA Noire
in my opinion it is a major let down not going to reveal anything about it but
i n my opinion it is a really weak ending to an interesting game that deserved a better ending
but they that's just my opinion
Windowlicker79 on 30 May '11 said:
Yeah it was pretty weak. I can't believe it was actually aliens that were doing all the killings.
theblkwhsp on 4 Jun '11 said:
Yeah, but then Indy turned up in his magic fridge and saved us all, so it ended on a high note...
mr_pibb on 19 Jun '11 said:
the only problems I found with this game was the odd time when your partner would give you directions that wound up with you doing a loop, and the occasional chapter that ended if you looked at a key piece of evidence, so you weren't able to gather all the clues. Otherwise, its up there as one of the best games I've ever played.
rikkicm on 27 Jun '11 said:
Love it, one of the best games I have ever played great story that looks like it is going to eng on a big note from what I can see in the Nicholson DLC case before the final case.
Very_Silver_Ownz on 27 Jun '11 said:
Aliens were doing the killing ? :/ okay.........didn't finish the story because homicide case wasn't good and couldn't be bothered getting past it.