L.A. Noire 360/PS3

[saturn-gamer]

I really enjoyed this game and I even liked the ending, it was good and it was Noire.

But I, as the player, did start to feel useless. You could skip action scenes you've failed, you could screw up any interview and you could screw up in collecting evidence. The game will still take you through the outcome and that doesn't feel right.

Heavy Rain is being criticized but in that game although not as much as being touted, the choices actually did lead to different events and outcomes.

[Ajay1986]

I completed and traded this today (?35 trade-in at GS plus ?5 worth of points on your loyalty card). I liked the game but it wasn't as great as I was hoping. As Saturn said you can really screw up in cases but it has no effect on the story at all, you get a slap on the wrist from your superior but move on as if nothing happened.

I also felt their was a big lack of police station interrogations and actual convictions in the game, too many of the cases involved simply killing people in the end which felt like a copout. The way the homicide desk plays out is particularly disappointing,

->Open Spoiler<-

oh look the guy who killed all the women is revealed but you only get about 2 lines of dialog from him then your forced to shoot him. I can't be the only one that was totally let down after all the build up, I really feel like they missed an opportunity for an exciting ending to that case.

Overall I'd say the game is worth a 7 out of 10, it kept me engrossed but once I'd finished it I had no desire to replay any of the cases again other than for a few achievements.

[jezzace]

The last homicide case is a bit of a joke:

->Open Spoiler<-

I could solve his riddles but i had no idea where the landmarks were so I had to drive randomly to get phelps to tell me where it was.

It's a shame because I really enjoyed the Homicide desk. However, the Vice desk cases were awesome. Really, really engrossing.

->Open Spoiler<-

I also got 1 star on the boxing vice case. I haven't replayed it yet but I'm guessing if you call her correctly she won't die. I want to replay it and see.

Just got to arson and i'm loving the game. It would've got 10/10 if it weren't for the last homicide case but 9/10 seems about right.

[Jebus]

I must admit, disc three and the game is starting to lose me.

It can't keep up with my deduction, and Cole is just a prick. The repetition is becoming a bit of a grind tbh too.

[EvilBoris]

I've been enjoying the latter cases , I do felt like they removed a whole scene though.

->Open Spoiler<-

The whole thing with him visiting/sleeping with elsa

was so vague it was actually a suprise to me and I wasn't even sure if what they said had happened had.

[toythatkills]

[HIDE]He visits her two or three times, I definitely thought it was implied pretty clearly[/HIDE]

[EvilBoris]

[hide]Maybe I missed something then, I remember meeting her for the first time and interviewing her, then pretty much straight after he slips round to visit her, which I thought was strictly business. It just kind of cut there then next thing I know, that ad vice bastard has photos of him and is 'fingering' him[/hide]

[toythatkills]

[HIDE]I think the first time he goes there is during that advice case. He tells his partner he's got stuff to do and then goes round to see her. It definitely seemed like more than business, though. She opens the door, he goes inside silently and she closes the door behind him. Everything is implied!

Strictly business? How innocent is your mind? [/HIDE]

[PeteJ]

The Vice guy

->Open Spoiler<-

sees the light go off too.

. The whole story there was pretty poorly done though, it seemed so out of character and also if you miss the news paper article then most of it probably doesn't make sense anyway. I'm on Arson now so maybe it is expanded on later.

Oh god this game pisses me off sometimes. The interrigations are so flawed. I know that people are guilty or lieing and and have evidence that backs that up, but because the game wanted me to select a different piece of evidence I'm told I'm wrong. I have two suspects in for questioning but even though having spoken to them both further lines of enquiry should be available to me I have to pick there and then which is guilty. I have no way of knowing which is the right one to pick because the game won't let me investigate any further!
And I fell through the bottom of a swimming pool and had to reload.

[EvilBoris]

I think the biggest problem with the truth/lie/doubt thing is that the doubt option is really poorly labeled. You only ever use it when you know they are lying but don't have any evidence to back it up.

It does a really good job at times of leaving you to freely solve a case, but at other times it feels like you are being forced to make a decision or option.
Twice now it has made me accuse someone, when I've not even been sure if I'm right.

The Vice guy

->Open Spoiler<-

sees the light go off too.

. The whole story there was pretty poorly done though, it seemed so out of character and also if you miss the news paper article then most of it probably doesn't make sense anyway. I'm on Arson now so maybe it is expanded on later.

I didn't see said newspaper, perhaps that is why. As you say it did seem really out of character and there didn't seem like there was any build up to what he did. All of a sudden it's a majr plot point.

My next gripe is that the game has just

->Open Spoiler<-

changed perspective

so I'm now interviewing a character who I've just told what to do. The whole truth/lie/doubt thing has gone out of the window now, because I know what is going on, but the character I'm controlling doesn't. confusing.

[Family Fry]

Never thought I would say this about the hotly anticipated LA Noire but I cannot ****ing wait for it to end.
100% this game?

[Btang84]

I traded my copy in last weekend. I played until I was a detective in traffic. I wanted to like it, but couldn't get into it at all. It really should have struck a chord with me but never managed to. There was a distinct lack of polish in the controls. I wasn't going to go through the entire game going through investigation scenes pressing the investigate button only for loads of clues to be pointless objects like a cigarette packet or ashtray etc.

The interrogation system annoyed me. The game never explains the difference between doubt and lie. When I was playing it, I found myself thinking that I could be playing Phoenix Wright. That is more fun, the investigation and the courtroom parts are more fun and the objections with the evidence presented are clear.

[Mayhem]

[HIDE]I think the first time he goes there is during that advice case. He tells his partner he's got stuff to do and then goes round to see her. It definitely seemed like more than business, though. She opens the door, he goes inside silently and she closes the door behind him. Everything is implied!

Strictly business? How innocent is your mind? [/HIDE]

[hide]Nah, he had already been to see her before then. Earle questioned Cole about his relationship with her during one of the "driving to a location" scenes before that cut scene iirc.[/hide]

[Neon Ignition]

Finished this last night and it picks up towards the end. Overall it's a solid entertaining game, it's a bit frustrating how it's almost a mirror for GTA4. Whereas GTA4 has the superior mission structure freedom and location variety, this has the superior gameplay mechanics and visuals and to a degree it's a sad reminder of the fall of GTA this gen. I'm not going to bother with the DLC as I think it ends just before it outstays its welcome but I'd definately be interested to see where they go with a sequel.

[MartyG]

I've been enjoying the latter cases , I do felt like they removed a whole scene though.

->Open Spoiler<-

The whole thing with him visiting/sleeping with elsa

was so vague it was actually a suprise to me and I wasn't even sure if what they said had happened had.

It seemed completely random and purely an instrument to drive where the character goes to next on the career path. It honestly didn't make much sense, unless this is cleared up later in the narrative or papers. As it stands you're left wondering why. I can potentially see a connection on the back story part, but it's seems pretty weak sauce as a plot arc.

Edit = Reading the spoilers I must have missed all of that, but I have been paying attention - the only interaction I saw was the visit.