I really enjoyed LA Noire. Playable stories are something I can truly get behind and the game delivered some engaging stories. I will devour any new cases they put out. It was surprising that “The Naked City” played out exactly like the film of the same name, right down to the doctors name and fate. Outside of a film noir class I took as a lark, I would have no knowledge of the movie so I’m sure it’ll be new to lots of people. Reefer Madness has a much wider audience, so I wonder if they can do the same with that story. If so, pro tip: the guy that looks like a sleazy drug dealer is a sleazy drug dealer.

The face capture tech is impressive, though I think it lost a little luster towards the end. Whether this was because they didn’t polish the cases at the end or I just got used to it, I’m not sure. I’ve heard many people say that it basically plays like an FMV game and they are totally right. The problem with FMV games was integration. The video of actors always looked janky getting chromakeyed into the virtual environment and this capture tech completely gets around it. It’s hard to tell if this will revolutionize the video game acting world. What games would really want or need it? Shooters have no use for it. I think it could add something to a Mass Effect or the like, but at this point artists can render faces plenty well.

Throughout my play through of LA Noire I struggled with Cole Phelps as a character. His real purpose through most of the game is to be the sword of justice for me to interact with the world. And he serves that purpose very well, trying to pry into the truth of every case with an earnestness that separates him from his colleagues. It would be easy enough to only think of him as an avatar, but the flashbacks to Japan told me that the game was trying to say more about him, to explain that earnestness.

Phelps, much to his dislike, is constantly reminded of his Silver Star but tries to avoid recognition for it. The war doesn’t give him any pride. He receives his commendation for simply surviving the night on the hill. Courtney out shines him to mercy kill a fellow soldier. Despite Phelps outranking him, Kelso is the better leader of men. And it top it off, his orders cause the deaths of wounded civilians. In his mind he does not deserve to be regarded a hero and this is the source of his earnestness. Patrolling the streets of LA is his path to heroics now. But the small praise of his colleagues and passersby on the street doesn’t seem to sate him, he seeks the entire city’s praise which drives him to the big cases. Catching the Werewolf would make him a front page hero. Despite the evidence and a reasonable Rusty telling him different, he stridently believes they all tie together. Of course he turns out to be right and is inches from reaching his goal when political ties rob him of getting credit for the most famous unsolved murder in LA (perhaps even US) history.

After this apex of his career, he simply goes through the motions in Vice. As a disheartened man, he furthers his decline by submitting to temptation even on the cusp of breaking up a drug ring. Arson lays him even lower and he is limited in his options when a huge, groundbreaking conspiracy lands in his lap. He requires Kelso to take the lead and again Kelso plays the heroics much better than he ever could. Right up until the end. Cole Phelps gets his front page hero headline as a result of his final action, finally earning his Silver Star.

I really enjoyed LA Noire. Playable stories are something I can truly get behind and the game delivered some engaging stories. I will devour any new cases they put out. It was surprising that “The Naked City” played out exactly like the film of the same name, right down to the doctors name and fate. Outside of a film noir class I took as a lark, I would have no knowledge of the movie so I’m sure it’ll be new to lots of people. Reefer Madness has a much wider audience, so I wonder if they can do the same with that story. If so, pro tip: the guy that looks like a sleazy drug dealer is a sleazy drug dealer.

The face capture tech is impressive, though I think it lost a little luster towards the end. Whether this was because they didn’t polish the cases at the end or I just got used to it, I’m not sure. I’ve heard many people say that it basically plays like an FMV game and they are totally right. The problem with FMV games was integration. The video of actors always looked janky getting chromakeyed into the virtual environment and this capture tech completely gets around it. It’s hard to tell if this will revolutionize the video game acting world. What games would really want or need it? Shooters have no use for it. I think it could add something to a Mass Effect or the like, but at this point artists can render faces plenty well.

Throughout my play through of LA Noire I struggled with Cole Phelps as a character. His real purpose through most of the game is to be the sword of justice for me to interact with the world. And he serves that purpose very well, trying to pry into the truth of every case with an earnestness that separates him from his colleagues. It would be easy enough to only think of him as an avatar, but the flashbacks to Japan told me that the game was trying to say more about him, to explain that earnestness.

Phelps, much to his dislike, is constantly reminded of his Silver Star but tries to avoid recognition for it. The war doesn’t give him any pride. He receives his commendation for simply surviving the night on the hill. Courtney out shines him to mercy kill a fellow soldier. Despite Phelps outranking him, Kelso is the better leader of men. And it top it off, his orders cause the deaths of wounded civilians. In his mind he does not deserve to be regarded a hero and this is the source of his earnestness. Patrolling the streets of LA is his path to heroics now. But the small praise of his colleagues and passersby on the street doesn’t seem to sate him, he seeks the entire city’s praise which drives him to the big cases. Catching the Werewolf would make him a front page hero. Despite the evidence and a reasonable Rusty telling him different, he stridently believes they all tie together. Of course he turns out to be right and is inches from reaching his goal when political ties rob him of getting credit for the most famous unsolved murder in LA (perhaps even US) history.

After this apex of his career, he simply goes through the motions in Vice. As a disheartened man, he furthers his decline by submitting to temptation even on the cusp of breaking up a drug ring. Arson lays him even lower and he is limited in his options when a huge, groundbreaking conspiracy lands in his lap. He requires Kelso to take the lead and again Kelso plays the heroics much better than he ever could. Right up until the end. Cole Phelps gets his front page hero headline as a result of his final action, finally earning his Silver Star.

Good to see others who got this game's intent, as there was a different "the ending sucked" thread popping up everyday for a good while. While some people had valid arguments 90% of them were expecting something that completely negates the point of noire storytelling.

Well put my good man. I loved this game, but I don't feel the same toward the DLC. I guess the story left me satisfied to the point of not needing anymore. The other thing I see people bitching about is the length, was it too long? I thought it was just fine. Everything transitioned beautifully imo. I did dislike Phelps, but in the end understood how he redeemed himself. I hope to see more from Team Bondi, not necessarily another 'Noire' title, but I have high hopes for this studio's future.