So I just finished LA Noire (it took me less than 16 hours) and I have to say I was severely underwhelmed. I know Iâm going to catch a lot of flak but most or you didnât have to pay $90 USD for the game so I do feel a bit more entitle to complain. All I ask is that you just hear me out.
Game mechanics (half a star)
This was not a game. There were too many cuts scenes to qualify as a game. This is one big âmovieâ that had some game mechanics sprinkled in. The problem is that the game mechanics were very clunky and often distracted from enjoying the overall game play. There seems to be plenty of game engines out there they do a really great job of character movement, cover, and gun fighting so why doesnât Rockstar buy a license for one of those engines? This is the same cloogy game engine form GTA IV with very little upgrade.
Most people are saying the LA Noire was an epic movie or a spectacular TV series. Well, I have to politely disagree, on both counts. I have to say there wasnât much of an overall story that sucked me in and kept me intrigued and the cases themselves werenât stimulating enough to capture my attention. For all the spectacular graphics and realistic depiction of 1940âs LA, the game quickly became routine and quite dull. The main story line was a bit weak and clichĂŠ. The most interesting story arc in the entire game, the serial killer story line, ended way too abruptly and in a totally bazar manner. I really wanted my character to engage in the serial killer cases. I also canât understand why there wasnât more internal conflict with the thought of locking up innocent people while knowing the real killer was still at large. I feel Rockstar dropped a golden opportunity to see the main charter really struggle with this dilemma, especially after what just transpired in Okinawa. In my opinion, it would have been a much better reason to be bumped to arson for going off the reservation and getting caught investigating the cases alone after being order not too rather than lose his gig because of a silly affair. And why was this supposed âboy scoutâ involved with the ugliest girl of the game? We, the game player, do not get a real story line of a cop going off the reservation and following his instincts, consequence be dammed. Instead the main character just continues his routine like a robot detective then an actual human with emotions with real skin in the game. And speaking of disappointment, I really wished the serial killer story arc continue throughout the entire game and I was sad to learn who the killer really was. It seemed like Rockstar copped out instead of telling a truly intriguing story. To be honest, I still donât really know the identity of the serial killer because the entire scene involving his identity it was completely random and unforgettable. There was very little explanation as to who he was or even really why he was killing. And when the main story ended I was like âreallyâ?? It just kind of ended without any real crescendo. Not really the kind of payout I expect after devoting 16 hours to a game. I got more out of the entire CSI game catalog. In fact, you can make the argument the LA Noire was nothing more than a very glossy and extravagant âextendedâ directorâs cut of CSI:LA circa 1947.
Replay Value (1 star) â It would have been zero stars but the âgameâ has easy achievements
As I stated before new games in New Zealand are very expensive and cost prohibitive. I can assure you that it has very little to do with the USD/NZD exchange rate and everything to do with Australian companies gaming the system. When the Xbox was first released here the NZD was only $0.50/USD so when a game cost $120 NZD it was justified. Currently the NZD is $0.80/USD now and shows no signs of ebbing. To make matter worse the Australian dollar is even stronger the USD. Since most game suppliers here in New Zealand are owned my Australian companies you would think games would be even cheaper now. However, the Australian companies know that Kiwis are used to paying $120 NZD per game so the price has been very inelastic. IN fact I have notice small increase since the NZD/AUD have diverged quite a bit in that last year. So why am I mentioning all this? Well it means I have to be very picky about what games I can buy since I can only buy half the games my American counterparts can buy. It also means I prefer games with high re-playability. Once you complete the main story line LA Noire has absolutely no replay value whatsoever. Sure you can go around and find collectablesâŚbut that isnât âplayingâ the game that is engaging in a second job. I play games to escape work not find a second career as car collector. The one thing the game has going for it is that if you donât mind spending about 30-40 hours it should be an easy 1000 gamer score.
I canât really speak to the authenticity of 1940âs LA. Short of asking someone that is still alive if it looks like 1940âs LA I will have to trust that Rockstar did there fact checking. One thing I found very surprising was the dramatic lack of smoking. Everyone should have been smoking everywhere. There should have been smoking in the interrogation rooms, at the crime scenes, in the clubs, etc. Smoking was still considered a healthy habit in the 40âs and Iâm sure eliminating smoking form the game was a conscious decision by Rockstar to keep their rating in the US. It was nice to see they got the âHollywood Landâ sign right. And most of the landmarks seem spot on.
I did feel that the general attitude of 1940âs LA was captured nicely. They did do a great job of capturing the racial tensions and overall seediness of the time.Â
Honestly, I canât really recommend this game. Iâm sure once the hype passes people will slowly change their minds and you will hear less that itâs an âepicâ game and more how it had beautiful graphics but it was just an OK game. you havenât bought his game yet then my advice is wait till the price comes down on the used market (trust me your local GameStop will be inundated with copies once people 1000 the game) or get it from Gamefly, just donât pay full retail. Therefore, I have to give this âgame/showâ only 4.5 stars out of 10