7 Things You Should Know About L.A. Noire

Number 1: The Setting and Themes

L.A. Noire is an open-world action-adventure game set in Los Angeles in the late 1940s. Unlike previous Rockstar games, this one exists in a real city, which has been painstakingly recreated for historical accuracy. This includes its post-war backdrop, the rise of Hollywood, arson attacks, the explosion of the drug trade, serial killings and its very own racketeering conspiracy.

All of these elements come together with remarkably detailed and authentic environments to create an atmosphere that brings cinema Noire to gaming like never before.

Number 2: The Protagonist

Taking on the role of Cole Phelps, you play a beat cop looking to clean up the streets of Los Angeles. Soon enough, you climb the ranks, moving between five different police posts. These include traffic duty, before finally becoming a detective attached to a barrage of deadly conspiracies and the search for a serial killer.

Moreover, Cole must confront his own demons, including his role in World War II.

Number 3: Cinematic Feel

Featuring a very special look, L.A. Noire has been directly inspired from the noire film era of the 40s and 50s. As a result, the game employs cinematographic camera angles to reveal sinister close-ups, emphasizes light and shadow; and draws upon artistic shots from over the shoulder, under the knee, and behind the characters. At the same time, the game features a jazz soundtrack that keeps in tune with the intensity of the moment.

Number 4: Gameplay

Ditching the “shoot everybody” mentality of Grand Theft Auto, Noire requires discretion and police-like precision. As a result, you’ll have to solve cases through a mixture of investigations, interviews and interrogations. Aside from this, the game is filled with many action-packed moments. These include pursuits by car and foot, fistfights and shootouts.

Number 5: Crime Scene Investigations

A large part of the police work in Noire involves fine combing-over LA’s many crime scenes. Here, you’ll have to develop a trained eye in your search for important clues. However, unlike other games that hold your hand, the evidence won’t light up in plain sight. Even more engaging is the need to take a close-up look at the items to note down small details, such as the name of its manufacturer. These bits of information will then be jotted down inside your notepad.

Number 6: Motion Capture Technology

Revolutionizing the way interactions within games are made, Noire employs a new facial motion capturing technology. This real-time tech, called “Global Illumination” has actors play out the entire scenes within a studio surrounded by 32 cameras.

Wearing full make-up, the actors deliver their dialogue, while every element of their facial movement is recorded, including the twitching of their eyes. In turn, this interaction is then recreated in game, using the very same audio from the live action scene.

The result is a picture-perfect three-dimensional interactive event with striking detail, which will allow you to make decisions about whether characters are lying, hiding, or telling you the truth.

Number 7: In-Game Communication

Using the visual information collected during social interactions, you can then communicate with characters using a handful of options. These include the options “coax, accuse and force.” Interestingly, the availability of these and other selections are heavily dependant on the evidence you have acquired, which will be able to force a suspect or information source into giving you answers.

Conclusion:

Available for the PS3 and the Xbox 360, L.A. Noire tells a cinematic story that turns the Grand Theft Auto formula on its head, and blends cinema and gaming like never before.