L.A. Noire

Preview from Jae - Wednesday, 24 November 2010 @ 1:17am

My first thought when the game play screen booted up was Grand Theft Auto 1940’s. Purely because there was a circular map at the bottom left hand corner of the screen. That is pretty much where the similarities stop. You can tell Team Bondi have really focused on the story and storytelling element in L.A. Noire. It may be hard to imagine but once you get into the game the characters, their names and their appearance will all become second nature to you.

In the case previewed you take control of Cole Phelps, the main character who has returned to America after serving his country in World War II. Immediately you can pick up on the subtlety of Cole’s background and you have this inkling that there is more than meets the eye with Cole. Perhaps a dark secret or dirty past haunts him, we don’t get to find out about it now but I’m sure we will when the game ships. Having now reached the rank of detective Cole and his partner, Stefan, are assigned to a case involving a high profile actor, June Ballard. June and her niece, Jessica, are victims in an alleged murder plot whereby they were drugged and placed in a moving car on top of a hill. The premise of the game seeps in when you start investigating the scene. One of the items you find first is a pair of torn panties which immediately spells rape. I know this because I watch Law and Order SVU and if TV has taught me anything it’s that torn underwear is a sheer indication of sexual assault. In time you discover that the underwear was Jessica’s, June’s fifteen year old niece who is aspiring to be an actress just like her famous aunt. Hang on a sec, under aged plus drugs plus rape? This is where you queue in the famous Law and Order music. All that is missing is a pun laced punch line, something along the lines of “rape, not even Hollywood is safe from it”. The impression I get from this is that L.A. Noire is a serious story based title that takes cases from a forgotten era.

So to solve the case you must discover who is behind the alleged murder attempt. Interrogating June Ballard, her niece and several people enthralled in the Hollywood scene you soon pin down the culprit. The journey getting there is one that is diverse. Investigating crime scenes, interrogating suspects, high speed car shoot outs as well as straight up duck and cover gun fights can all be experienced in an hour of game play. There appear to be side quests, such as close by bank robberies, which Cole and Stefan can take part in. The preview we saw stuck to the case at hand which included elements of a good crime story.

The stand out feature you’ll notice straight away is the facial detail. Lip synching is better in this than any other game and the facial movements are so realistic you’ll sometimes forget you’re playing a game. The technology behind this is MotionScan which has never been used in gaming before. Every character you interact with is a real life actor. Checking out some studio footage actors are set up in a room that is geared up with numerous cameras. The cameras then capture facial movements which are then translated across to characters in the game. If you know your actors well you can pick up the resemblance of them straight away. Cole is played by Aaron Staton (Mad Men), a talented actor who has invested his skills into his character. It’s important to read the facial expressions in the game to determine how you interrogate people. Dialogue between Cole and others progress with your choice of three responses. Reading your respondent’s face and tone of voice is key to solving crimes. It’s a unique and new approach to problem solving which breathes fresh air into the genre.

Look out for more information on L.A. Noire closer to its release. This game has surely got some hidden talents we have yet to see and I’ll be keen to jump back into the 1940’s era, if only to wear a fedora because those things are damn sexy.