Rockstar is certainly no stranger to the open-world game. Over the years, the company has been getting better and better with its Grand Theft Auto games, and last year, it really outdid itself with the amazing Western epic Red Dead Redemption. This year, it looks to go over the top once more, working with Team Bondi on an upcoming epic-to-be with L.A. Noire. The game has been announced for some time, but we’re just now getting the idea of what all is going into it. It takes place in 1947, where you play the role of a World War II soldier, Cole Phelps, taking on the duties of a police officer. As you enter the Los Angeles district, you’ll find there’s crime afoot all over the place, as you work your way up the ranks from patrolman to traffic cop to the big leagues, where arson and homicide detectives get all the tough cases. But not all is what it seems in L.A., and that’s where the real mystery of the game really picks up. Throughout the game, you’ll tackle a variety of cases that will challenge your best detective instincts. Along with facing enemies in deadly shootouts, you’ll also engage with innocent and not-so-innocent folks, getting answers to questions and occasionally calling someone’s bluff, should they be less than convincing with their statements.
The goal is to slowly but surely piece everything together so you can figure it out, and bust the criminals responsible for it. Along with working between your brain and trigger finger, you’ll also need to keep your foot to the floor for some awesome car chases and knock someone out in a fisticuff-powered brawl. It all mixes together into one smooth gameplay experience, from what we’ve seen thus far. What’s cool about L.A. Noire is how each element comes together in genuinely feeling like you’re working through a detective novel. You’ll gather clues at crime scenes and come back to them should you need to look for details; keep a close eye on facial expressions of the people you talk to, looking for “tells” when it comes to falsifying the facts; following unsuspecting types that may prove vital to the case; and eventually interrogating criminals until they confess, without going too far over the line. The levels of inquiry can actually go deeper, depending on the clues you have in your possession. Where L.A. Noire manages to step up over previous Rockstar efforts is in its presentation.
We first caught a glimpse of the technology being used for the game last year at E3, a process called MotionScan. By carefully going over small details on a person’s face (right down to their expressions and reactions), it recreates these on in-game characters, making them appear more lifelike than ever. A recently released video showcases the dazzling detail that goes into lip-synching and how someone reacts in a situation. The costumes are pretty cool, too, taken straight out of the late 40’s era. The locations have been recreated like classic Los Angeles, right down to the old-school theaters and restaurants. It sounds like the dialogue will be equally praise-worthy, as characters tough-talk their way through situations or react like either frightened witnesses or someone who may know a little too much. The music is vintage 40’s style, complete with jazz numbers and other L.A. Confidential-style tunes. And the sound effects are authentic – there’s no way a classic shotgun is going to sound the same as an automatic one from today’s age. Team Bondi did its homework. We are genuinely thrilled to see how L.A. Noire turns out once its ships on May 17, 2011; so be sure to check back to PlanetXbox360 for the final verdict. This is one detective story you’re probably not gonna want to miss.
