L.A. Noire arrives on consoles with no small amount of hype. A noir/detective story set amidst the bustling Los Angeles of 1947, the game received considerable attention for it’s MotionScan technology, which records actors faces from 32 separate cameras in order to provide detailed, highly realistic looking facial animation for the game’s characters. Furthermore it was published by Rockstar Games, developer of such recent classics as Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption (a game that numbers with the very best of all time in my humble opinion). With such a pedigree, along with the promise of such advanced storytelling technology, L.A. Noire promised to be something special in the world of video games. Therefore, it is disappointing to note that the game is something of a disappointment, an experience that uncomfortably marries intermittently successful gameplay with a thoroughly uninteresting narrative.
L.A. Noire tells the story of Cole Phelps, a Los Angeles policeman who begins the game as a simple beat cop, but quickly rises through the ranks to become a detective. As you/Phelps solve cases (from such departments as Vice, Homicide and Arson), a criminal conspiracy begins to emerge that connects lowly criminals to the corrupt halls of power that are seeking to dominate Los Angeles in the ever-changing post WWII landscape. Interspersed with these cases, we are given flashbacks to Phelps’ time in World War II, experiences which haunt him still and might possibly connect with the unfolding conspiracy. Throw in a bruiser of a police captain, some crooked cops and a sexy German nightclub singer whom attracts Cole’s eye, and you have all the standard elements for an old-fashioned noir tale.
That plot description belies one of the multiple problems I have with the game: It is all too familiar. While it’s obvious that the story is supposed to be an homage to certain detective films in that style, the game seems content to simply reference without telling a satisfying story itself. The plot and characters consist of signifiers; stock elements that remain far too one-note and familiar to ever truly register as memorable in and of themselves. We get the requisite references to such films as The Maltese Falcon, Chinatown, Double Indemnity and (more recently) L.A. Confidential, but the game never develops an identity of its own. Phelps himself is an example of the way the game fails narratively. Beyond being thoroughly unsympathetic and annoying throughout, he is not developed as a character except in the most clichéd ways: former soldier who is haunted by his past, hard edged cop who is out for justice even at the expense of his personal life, etc. Even in terms of basic storytelling his arc falls short: about 2/3s into the game a major plot point hinges on his wife and children. As far as I can tell, the game had previously made no mention of their existence, which completely undercuts the impact of that twist in the story. The game is rife with oddly slack storytelling like that, undermining the narrative and rendering it fairly uninteresting throughout.
While the game’s story leaves something to be desired, how does the gameplay itself work? Unfortunately it too falters, though not for lack of ambition. The aforementioned MotionScan technology is very impressive, and the characters’ faces have a level of detail almost unprecedented in videogame history. Luckily this is not just for show, but actually forms the backbone of the gameplay itself. You see, in the course of solving investigations, in addition to gathering clues from crime scenes and the like, you must interview witnesses and possible suspects. Based on their answers you decide whether they’re lying or telling the truth. This is accomplished by examining their faces and searching for signs of duplicity, which might manifest itself in shifty eyes, nervous facial expressions etc. It’s a fairly ingenious gameplay mechanic and when it works it works well; it is truly satisfying to catch a perp lying solely through your powers of observation. In these moments the game does an outstanding job of making you feel like an actual detective. However, these sensations are undercut by the limits of the gameplay mechanics. If you suspect that a subject is lying then you have the option to select Lie (if you have evidence to back it up) or Doubt (if you have no evidence to back up the accusation). But it’s often hard to tell what evidence the game wants you to provide to back up an accusation. Even if you have evidence that seemingly backs up your claim, it might not be the exact piece that the game requires. Thus you’re more often trying to guess what the game itself wants you to do, which constantly pulls you out of the experience and reminds you that you’re playing a game. The game is quite forgiving in this respect. Too forgiving actually; no matter how many incorrect answers you give the cases will always work out the way they’re supposed to. While that is a generous way of offsetting the learning curve, it also lends you the feeling that you’re not truly contributing to the game’s progression, more like you’re watching a movie that requires you to press a few buttons now and then to get to the next chapter.
There are other problems with the gameplay as well. The game seems to give you an open world to explore (like the Grand Theft Auto series), but the game lends you no downtime between missions to explore it, as you’re constantly being shuttled from one case to the next. You could technically explore while working a case, but that detracts from the urgency of the mystery you’re trying to solve. Seemingly noticing this, the developers put the secret items that you can discover (vintage cars, landmarks around Los Angeles) on the map, which makes them easy to find but also takes away from any sense of discovery. Furthermore the action segments where you are forced to shoot it out with criminals suffer from truly clunky controls (I was often stuck to walls where I didn’t want to be, exposing myself to enemy gunfire). It makes for experience that is as frustrating as it is innovative.
L.A. Noire could have been something truly special. The elements are there to make a game unlike any we’ve seen before; a truly open-world detective story where you’re decisions make an impact on the narrative, where you have to hone your skills at reading (virtual) people in order to make tough calls of innocence or guilt. As it is, this is an unwieldy first step in that direction, a game that can’t quite reconcile it’s gameplay with its conceit. The recent PS3 game Heavy Rain, as ridiculous as it’s plot might have been under scrutiny, did a much better job of immersing you in a story and making you feel as if your decisions were of consequence. This could end up like the first Assassins Creed; a game where ambition far exceeded execution, which lead to a vastly improved sequel with sharply honed gameplay mechanics and a compelling story to boot. As it is, it’s an admirable but ultimately failed effort.
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