One of the game's most notable strengths is its stunning recreation of 1940s, Los Angeles. The meticulously crafted cityscape captures the essence of a booming and abrasive post-war America, as well as the sinister undercurrents that lurk down below. The world dressed in classic cars, period-appropriate architecture, and shop displays, complemented by an atmospheric and moody, bafta awarded jazz soundtrack. This attention to detail immerses players in a bygone era and adds true a sense of authenticity to the game, and whilst this is not to the excellence or budget of 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2, the desired effect is nonetheless successfully achieved. Despite this commitment to the authentic open world of LA, which according to Rockstar covers 21km2, it remains severely underutilised. The games focus upon linear narration and investigation while compelling, naturally discourages any exploration of the free world, and rather it just becomes a backdrop to drive from location X to Y, and even this can be skipped entirely. When driving, certain gameplay segments, known as “street crimes”, can be triggered where the player is invited via police dispatch to assist. However, these are meaningless and soulless interactions that have no purpose within the story other to provide the player with some momentary action.
Where LA Noire truly distinguishes itself, is in its use of the then cutting-edge facial animation technology, which allows for the game to capture a certain amount of human realism in character interactions. The MotionScan technology used to capture the actors’ performances results in mostly life-like facial expressions or a true uncanny valley experience depending on where you stand. These are incorporated into both cutscene and the game’s “interrogation” mechanic, where the player must analyse facial/body language to determine the validity of a statement being provided by a person of interest. This mechanic, where the player must select, “good cop”, “bad cop” or “accuse” (2017 Remaster) is the cornerstone of the game’s detective work and is both innovating and engaging. Players must pay attention throughout, gathering clues, and inferring between the lines to solve cases. These mechanisms can be frustrating and rigid, if a player selects the correct response in an interrogation, they may receive mixed results due to the games sometimes ambiguous feedback.
The narrative of the game is another core component, this is compelling and has stood the test of time. Sadly, it does sometimes suffer from pacing issues that undermine the power of the linear story, as the player is naturally more engaged when playing the “homicide” or “vice desk” to “patrol” or “traffic”. Additionally due to this linear story, the player choice which the game promotes, is nothing more than an illusion, with many cases ending the same and their outcomes being predetermined. As such the game suffers from dissonance between the players agency and the overarching narrative. This dissonance is only furthered through the several questionable plot twists that leaves the player feeling unconnected to Detective Cole Phelp’s journey throughout the game, with this undermining its narrative power.
L.A. Noire is an ambitious and visually stunning game that offers a unique blend of detective work and open-world exploration in a meticulously recreated 1940s Los Angeles. While it excels in its attention to detail and facial animation technology, it falls short in terms of open-world immersion, and the rigidity of its mechanics. L.A. Noire remains a game worth experiencing for its innovation and atmosphere but may leave some players desiring a more cohesive and polished gameplay experience.