L.A. Noire Video Game Review

I wrote this awhile ago for another site, but figured I might as well post it here too!

L.A. Noire is the latest hit from developers Rockstar Games and Team Bondi. It is available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms, with PC coming in the fall of this year. With this game they have created a visually stunning and authentic recreation of 1940’s Los Angeles, in which you get to play as Cole Phelps, a policeman. The game is comprised of different sections, which have different cases that you investigate. For example, in the tutorial section of the game, you are a normal police officer; later you get promoted to detective and you investigate different cases in the Traffic, Homicide, Vice and Arson sections.

The game is an over the shoulder viewpoint, and the controls are simple. You can run, walk, shoot, pick up clues and drive. You also get to play as another character other than Cole Phelps, but I won’t say who that is as I don’t want to spoil it for you. During the game you will investigate crime scenes to find various clues, question witnesses and interrogate suspects, engage in shootouts with various criminals and drive all over Los Angeles. Oh, and you will also watch lots of cutscenes which flesh out the story more fully. And it is a good storyline, if a little clichéd.

I would give the gameplay 9/10 as it is, for the most part, very well done. The controls are simple, easy to use and remember, and fine for even novice video game players. There are also mechanics in place so that if you fail at certain parts of the game three times you can skip it with no penalty, something I wish other games did. As for the bad, walking can be awkward at times, at one point I walked towards a clue, hit the button to investigate it and nothing happened because I had walked over it. I had to circle the clue and come at it from another angle to finally pick it up. Also, the controls seem too sensitive when driving, during one car chase there were many twists and turns I had to make and I ended up crashing into obstacles too many times. There was also a strange bug where a car I was walking towards just disappeared, but that only happened a couple of times.

The sound and the graphics get a 10/10 from me, as what can I say; they are excellent. It looks and sounds just like the time period, and the attention to detail is incredible. Graphics are crisp and clear, and the animations are smoothly done. The voice acting is perfect, not one sounds out of place, and the game is filled with music from the era and a lovely orchestral background at the right dramatic moments.

The replayability of the game should not be an issue as there are four DLC cases available and who knows what will come in the future. You can also replay the cases or go into free roam mode to get various achievements/trophies and collectibles. There is no multiplayer, but you can register with Rockstar’s Social Club to view your friends stats and see how they compare to yours and satisfy your competitive spirit that way. All in all, I would give this game 8 out of 10. Rockstar Games has released an exciting, addictive twist on the old style detective games, and I can guarantee that if you play you will enjoy many, many hours of fun.