MY FIRST sighting of LA Noire was about four years ago with a brief, albeit exciting trailer, which was doing the rounds on game sites.
The impression that initial trailer gave was that LA Noire would be some kind of 1940s Grand Theft Auto (GTA). Now some years later the finished product has hit the shelves and although elements of the game echo GTA anyone buying it expecting a free-roaming crime-fest featuring a misunderstood central character is going to be disappointed.
The flip side is that for those who are open to something new they’re going to find one of the most exciting and innovative games released in years.
It has faults, plenty in fact, but its ambition to try a different approach is something that produces a genuinely enjoyable and innovative experience.
You play as Cole Phelps, a rookie police officer, and you (as with most games) have to work your way up the ranks.
Now as opposed to the free-roaming style Rockstar fans are used to you’re on a far tighter leash. You can drive around and check out a beautifully rendered 1940s Los Angeles but the nature of the game means there are few occasions where you’ll want to.
As you work your way up through the LAPD you have to work through the traffic, arson and murder departments. To do so you have to solve a number of cases which help progress a main storyline.
To solve the cases you invariably follow a similar pattern, visit the crime scene, look for clues (helpfully pointed out by a vibration from the control pad), examine the body and talk to the coroner.
From there you need to follow the clues and interview the suspects and witnesses as you go along.
That’s where LA Noire comes into its own. A lot has been made of the facial animation technology used for the game and make no mistake it’s very impressive.
Although you’re not exactly dealing with expert poker faces you really can read the anxiety, anger or indifference of those on the end of your questioning.
As you question people you have to decide to doubt their response, believe it or out and out call them a liar. The last one will only work if you have the evidence to back it up. The interrogations make the game and if you don’t pay attention you’ll find you struggle to earn top marks on the case.
Now it’s a little bit paint by numbers but on the whole the concept is great and harks back to classic adventure and puzzle games.
Coupled with the fact that the storyline is expertly told it makes it like playing a movie - something few games even get close to.
Now while some people might find it a tad pedestrian, personally it’s a great step in trying to make something more mature than a point and shoot bloodfest and it bodes well for the future.
RATING: 5/5