Well it's taken me a very long time to get around to finishing this game but damn, I'm glad I did.
Let's start with the setting. LA Noire perfectly captures that late-40s aesthetics with its map design and atmosphere and as someone who is a bit of a sucker for anything from that period, I fell in love with this world. It's so appealing to look at and just take in while you're driving in your Chevy to the next case location listening to Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.
And the characters in this game mwah. Every single main character you come across in this game is so complex and has a clear personality, but this is something I've come to expect from Rockstar, and they were once again bang on the money here. Cole Phelps might even be in my top 3 favourite Rockstar characters.
The story of this game is good, however, I can't say everything is sun and roses. There is a key turning point in the story where something big happens and to be completely honest, I can't say it was satisfying. There was no build-up to it at all and it seemed completely out of character. The ending too in my opinion did feel a tad bit rushed and probably could have done from some more depth being applied to it, just to really hammer home that emotion that Rockstar is so renowned for.
I did also have a problem with one of the game mechanics which is one of it's biggest selling points, the interrogation system. Because I'm playing the old version, the labels are still Truth, Doubt and Lie. For a start lie is one of the most stupidest labels, as sometimes you actually hit lie to see the relevant dialogue to make you think of accusing them. This can cause you to hit doubt based on the original dialogue but then get it wrong because you were none the wiser. This actually ends up forcing you to hit lie whenever you're not sure now, but luckily you can back out if it ends up being a failed accusation, however, it's a bit of a pain to do. Doubt and Truth can also be very misleading at times as well with it more being like Push and Calm. Saying this, the new labels in the remastered version are much better to be honest so credit to Rockstar for that.
So overall, LA Noire does have its drawbacks but that didn't stop me from coming back to it during my playthrough. The story is engaging, the world is stunningly accurate and the characters are unforgettable. I think I'll end this on a quote I can't seem to shake
"I SAY WE BUST IN THERE AND FIND THE GODDAMN EVIDENCE!"
Let's start with the setting. LA Noire perfectly captures that late-40s aesthetics with its map design and atmosphere and as someone who is a bit of a sucker for anything from that period, I fell in love with this world. It's so appealing to look at and just take in while you're driving in your Chevy to the next case location listening to Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.
And the characters in this game mwah. Every single main character you come across in this game is so complex and has a clear personality, but this is something I've come to expect from Rockstar, and they were once again bang on the money here. Cole Phelps might even be in my top 3 favourite Rockstar characters.
The story of this game is good, however, I can't say everything is sun and roses. There is a key turning point in the story where something big happens and to be completely honest, I can't say it was satisfying. There was no build-up to it at all and it seemed completely out of character. The ending too in my opinion did feel a tad bit rushed and probably could have done from some more depth being applied to it, just to really hammer home that emotion that Rockstar is so renowned for.
I did also have a problem with one of the game mechanics which is one of it's biggest selling points, the interrogation system. Because I'm playing the old version, the labels are still Truth, Doubt and Lie. For a start lie is one of the most stupidest labels, as sometimes you actually hit lie to see the relevant dialogue to make you think of accusing them. This can cause you to hit doubt based on the original dialogue but then get it wrong because you were none the wiser. This actually ends up forcing you to hit lie whenever you're not sure now, but luckily you can back out if it ends up being a failed accusation, however, it's a bit of a pain to do. Doubt and Truth can also be very misleading at times as well with it more being like Push and Calm. Saying this, the new labels in the remastered version are much better to be honest so credit to Rockstar for that.
So overall, LA Noire does have its drawbacks but that didn't stop me from coming back to it during my playthrough. The story is engaging, the world is stunningly accurate and the characters are unforgettable. I think I'll end this on a quote I can't seem to shake
"I SAY WE BUST IN THERE AND FIND THE GODDAMN EVIDENCE!"