I love detective stories. Whether it be in TV or movies or just a damn good book, watching a detective work a crime scene, gather evidence, chase down crooks and interrogate suspects is a geeky delight. 'L.A. Noire' is a video game by Team Bondi and Rockstar that tries to capture this experience and for the most part it succeeds.



'L.A. Noire' puts you in the role of Detective Cole Phelps, a decorated WWII hero with some shady secrets working as a police officer in 1947 Los Angeles, CA. After a patrol detail you work your way through four desks in the department: Traffic, Homicide, Vice and Arson. Each desk has it's row of cases and an over-arching plot which ties them together (though you spend most of your time in Homicide and Arson). The story-telling of these over-arching plots really isn't that compelling (thanks to some oddly placed cut-scenes) and seems a bit sketchy, even for a Rockstar game. Also, I never really got a feel for the Phelps character (despite an excellent performance by Aaron Stanton) and his character's story only seems to come into play once you reach the Vice desk (a bit more than half way through the game). Thankfully, the self-contained 'Cases' are interesting enough and I really enjoyed getting sucked into these (though I would've liked more Vice cases).



The gameplay in 'L.A. Noire', like the story-telling is a bit uneven and takes a while to really pull you in. The game starts VERY slowly, introducing the different gameplay mechanics of walking, driving, investigation and some shooting. The driving and running and gunning are typical GTA fare (in that it's very solid but unimpressive) but the investigations are very dynamic and they really give 'L.A. Noire' it's weight. Walking around a crime scene and gathering clues feels natural after a while and really makes you feel like a detective. Interrogating suspects is also very unique as you have to watch the character's facial animations to be able to tell if they're being truthful, holding something back, or flat-out lying. If you accuse someone of lying you have to present evidence contradicting them. I was terrible at these bits and they never really had much bearing on the outcome of the case but again added a unique element to 'L.A. Noire' and puts it's motion-capture technology to good use.



The graphics in 'L.A. Noire' (when they're not glitchy) are VERY impressive. The facial-capture is of course excellent but it's the Sandbox world of L.A. that shines. Everything you do feels like a small part of a bigger world. Crime-scenes are not in little mini-arenas but are fully integrated into the sandbox world. My only disappointment came from having a cutscene trigger whenever I got close to a destination. I would have preferred coming up on a crime-scene on my own to add to the game's wonderful atmosphere.



The acting in 'L.A. Noire' is perfect down the line. Again, Cole Phelps really isn't that interesting a protagonist (though his partners, especially Biggs and Roy and very well drawn) but Aaron Stanton is very convincing and the facial-capture tech used in 'L.A. Noire' turns everything he and his fellow actors do into a full performance and not just voice-work. You'll recognize a lot of the actors in this game, and if you're a fan of the show 'Mad Men' you'll be in for a treat!



Graphical glitches aside there's nothing really 'wrong' or 'broken' with 'L.A. Noire', you just have to sift through a lot of mediocrity to get to the game's shining moments. The overall story could have been more interesting, the main character could've been more compelling (anyone else more interested in Jack's story?) and the game's slow start will definitely test player's patience. However the immersive atmosphere and the feeling of being a real detective make 'L.A. Noire' a definite purchase if you're a mystery/procedural fan. Everyone else should at least rent 'L.A. Noire'; it's a flawed game but so unique that you won't forget it.