Rockstar has made a name for itself creating open-world sandbox games with lead characters that have little concern for the law. It's only natural, then, that people viewing the first L.A. Noire trailer assume you play a mobster up to no good in the 1940s. But that couldn't be further from the truth. In L.A. Noire

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But that's not the only departure from Rockstar's traditional formula. Not only are you a good guy out after the bad guys, the city itself is not your playground. Though L.A. Noire is an open-world game (explore L.A. if you like, see the sights, admire the pedestrians), there aren't mini-games to be played or side quests to complete or pigeons to shoot. L.A. Noire is a far more linear game, that puts an emphasis on the journey, moreso than the destination, and one where the narrative and the characters take a central role, with far fewer distractions. It's different, but that's what makes it look so promising.Phelps is a few years removed from action in World War II, a decorated hero who harbors a dark secret certain to come out during the course of L.A. Noire. Though young in his career as a cop, Phelps is the kind of media darling the beleaguered LAPD can latch onto to improve its image.That means opportunities for advancement are quick to be had, but of course that doesn't sit well with many of the other men in the department (corrupt or not). So expect the reception to get pretty cool by the time you've made your way to homicide detective.Phelps operates within a Los Angeles that's been beautifully recreated to match the style and feel of the late '40s. This is before sports came to the West Coast, before the freeways, and at a time when Hollywood was at its glitziest and the cops were at their dirtiest. The presentation elements seem as high-caliber as every other Rockstar production, with tons of character actors filling in various roles and superb voice work driving the story forward. Though I only saw a sliver of L.A. Noire, that sliver looked pretty damned good.You start as a beat cop (think of these as your training missions), but soon move up to traffic. No, you aren't a meter maid. Traffic means you're investigating cases involving cars. Like, when a woman mysteriously runs her car off an embankment. Just because it starts off seeming like an accident, it grows into a case about Hollywood corruption, rape and pornography . Playing a good guy means the corrosion around you stands out even more. Expect cases to get dirty, for the guilty to be disgusting, for you to be the light illuminating the darkest, dingiest corners of L.A.Each desk you serve on has a set of specific cases (all based on real cases from the '40s) that must be solved in order for you to earn a promotion. Okay, so I hope you are sitting (do you read IGN standing up?), because this might come as a bit of a shock. At its core, if you really boil it down to its essence, L.A. Noire is an old-school adventure game. That's right, Rockstar made a throwback to classic PC adventure gaming. Of course, use of some cool new technology completely revolutionizes many of the old concepts of an adventure game and make for something fresh, new and full of possibility.Investigations start with a visit to the crime scene. Here is where the adventure-game roots really show. You can search the scene, pick up objects that might be of interest, scribble clues into your notebook and try to piece together the events that led to the crime. Often you'll find evidence laid out for you at the scene when you arrive from officers who arrived earlier, and you can pick these up and examine them in detail to find clues.You'll have the chance to search other areas during your investigation, and the objects of interest there can be less obvious. When in the "search" mode, the music changes and will continue to play until you have found everything of interest at the scene. You don't have to find it all, but the more evidence you collect, the easier it will be to narrow your suspect list. There are some assists here, including subtle piano chimes when you near a clue and easier difficulties that have your partners more or less holding your hand.





