L.A. Noire is developer Rockstar Games latest attempt to break new ground in the video game medium. Set in Los Angeles in the year 1947 it explores one of the most violent eras of the cities history. I recently got to watch about thirty minutes of gameplay and I couldn’t have come away more impressed. So here are my Top 5 Reasons I’m Excited about L.A. Noire.
5) Mad Men
So I may be a little more than biased about this one. However, Mad Men is one of the most critically successful shows on television, and with good reason. The show mixes wonderful writing with powerful acting and defies many cliches popular television . Obviously, if you watch Mad Men, you have realized that the main character in L.A. Noire, Cole Phelps, is played by actor Aaron Staton whom plays Ken Cosgrove on Mad Men. So if you are a fan of Mad Men, your interest is more than likely already piqued a bit. Rockstar didn’t stop at Ken Cosgrove though, as I have spotted several people who have been on Mad Men in the most recent trailer. Does this mean the acting is automatically going to be fantastic? Not necessarily. Does it mean it has a good chance? Definitely.
4) Voice Acting
I already have a great feeling about the quality of the voice acting for this game. I am equally excited after the phenomenal voice acting in Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar Games has consistently proved that it knows how to produce some of the highest quality voice acting in the genre. Given the setting and the ambition behind the story, I see L.A. Noire having some of the best voice acting to date in gaming.
3) Gameplay
L.A. Noire aims to force gamers to think things through in their quests to bring justice to the downtrodden, instead of solving every crime with a heavy dose of lead. Bunking traditional gaming tropes, the company hopes to slow the game down and make gamers do actual detective work to solve crimes. Attention to detail and using clues you find are the only way you will advance through most of the case files; there won’t be the option to just shoot every suspect down in cold blood. You will have to solve crimes the right way. Of course, a little good cop/bad cop never hurt anybody.
2) Setting
The setting of Los Angeles in 1947 could not be more perfect for a Rockstar Games attempt at a noire tale. With the backdrop of Hollywood in its golden age, the city of Los Angeles was hit with one of the most violent years in its history. The cases in the game will be based off of cases from that year. With the famous Black Dahlia case as a fundamental example, Rockstar is free to explore a city brimming with some of the most violent cases on record. It is a wonderful setting for a noire tale and is rife for exploitation.
1) Facial animations
I have already mentioned the new facial mapping techniques but they do need repeating. They truly are astounding and will allow the developers to create something that will stretch the artistic possibilities of gaming. With a tool as powerful as this at the hands of Rockstar, gamers will be able to experience a tale more lifelike than any they have seen before. The levels of emotions I saw in the demo were astounding. You truly felt as if you were watching an actor, and not a video game character. I really could not be more excited about the opportunity Rockstar has to create something artful and meaningful.
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