Before Skyrim came and stole me from my other games like a jealous lover, I'd been playing L.A. Noire, and something about this game is bugging the hell out of me. Why is Phelps constantly having seizures in his face? Every so often, he starts blinking like crazy and contorting his mouth, apropos of nothing. Even just standing there, he starts in. I thought it might be some sort of PTSD from his war flashbacks, but if it were a plot point, surely one of his brazenly ill-mannered partners would have brought it up?

In short: Twitchy face. Supwiddat?

That's just part of his character's mannerisms. His facial ticks were noticeable but I don't think you need some kind of elaborate story explanation for it. That is actually where L.A. Noire started to lose me as it tried to string everything together and failed miserably.

He's on something, nothing good.

@carlthenimrod said:

That's just part of his character's mannerisms. His facial ticks were noticeable but I don't think you need some kind of elaborate story explanation for it. That is actually where L.A. Noire started to lose me as it tried to string everything together and failed miserably.

While I love the game so far (just finished Homicide), I agree wholeheartedly. It totally undermines everything you do in the Homicide chapter.

Incidentally, PLEASE tell me the game never tries to be Assassin's Creed/Carmen Sandiego again after the Dahlia hunt. I actually like the routine of "search for clues, find suspects, interrogate, sometimes chase or shoot", and when they go too far beyond that, it's painful to play through.

@ShaggE said:

@carlthenimrod said:

That's just part of his character's mannerisms. His facial ticks were noticeable but I don't think you need some kind of elaborate story explanation for it. That is actually where L.A. Noire started to lose me as it tried to string everything together and failed miserably.

While I love the game so far (just finished Homicide), I agree wholeheartedly. It totally undermines everything you do in the Homicide chapter.

Incidentally, PLEASE tell me the game never tries to be Assassin's Creed/Carmen Sandiego again after the Dahlia hunt. I actually like the routine of "search for clues, find suspects, interrogate, sometimes chase or shoot", and when they go too far beyond that, it's painful to play through.

What a coincidence! I also just finished the homicide desk today and I found that last case to be REALLY out of place. It just seemed like an attempt to put more cinematic sequences into the game (And really Cole? You go up onto that rickety old Intolerance Set after it ALREADY almost killed you when you worked Traffic?)

@ShaggE said:

@carlthenimrod said:

That's just part of his character's mannerisms. His facial ticks were noticeable but I don't think you need some kind of elaborate story explanation for it. That is actually where L.A. Noire started to lose me as it tried to string everything together and failed miserably.

While I love the game so far (just finished Homicide), I agree wholeheartedly. It totally undermines everything you do in the Homicide chapter.

Incidentally, PLEASE tell me the game never tries to be Assassin's Creed/Carmen Sandiego again after the Dahlia hunt. I actually like the routine of "search for clues, find suspects, interrogate, sometimes chase or shoot", and when they go too far beyond that, it's painful to play through.

You don't have to do anything that silly again if I remember correctly. At the absolute very least I can promise you there will be no more tar pits.

@carlthenimrod said:

@ShaggE said:

@carlthenimrod said:

That's just part of his character's mannerisms. His facial ticks were noticeable but I don't think you need some kind of elaborate story explanation for it. That is actually where L.A. Noire started to lose me as it tried to string everything together and failed miserably.

While I love the game so far (just finished Homicide), I agree wholeheartedly. It totally undermines everything you do in the Homicide chapter.

Incidentally, PLEASE tell me the game never tries to be Assassin's Creed/Carmen Sandiego again after the Dahlia hunt. I actually like the routine of "search for clues, find suspects, interrogate, sometimes chase or shoot", and when they go too far beyond that, it's painful to play through.

You don't have to do anything that silly again if I remember correctly. At the absolute very least I can promise you there will be no more tar pits.

Huzzah! That case really should go down in infamy as one of the worst ideas in otherwise great games. And then they had the gall to end it in what's basically a boss battle...

And god forbid you let your partner drive through most of the game, never amassing landmarks, because then you get to drive aimlessly until Cole figures out the clue on his own! Video games!

And with that, I swear I'll stop bitching about that ridiculous vignette.