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L.A. Noire

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L.A. Noire
Official box art
Developer(s)Team Bondi
Rockstar Games
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games
Director(s)Brendan McNamara[3]
Writer(s)Brendan McNamara[3]
Composer(s)Andrew Hale[4]
EngineIn-house engine
(a combination of facial motion capture and animation software)[5]
Havok (Physics Engine)
Platform(s)PlayStation 3[6]
Xbox 360[7]
Genre(s)Open world, third-person shooter, action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

L.A. Noire is a video game developed by Team Bondi in conjunction with Rockstar Games[11] and published by Rockstar Games. It is the biggest game ever made in Australia.[12] Initially announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, the game was later reported to also be scheduled for release on the Xbox 360.[7][13] L.A. Noire is set in "a perfectly re-created Los Angeles" of 1947,[14] with players being given an open-ended challenge to solve a series of murder mysteries.[13]

As the title suggests, the game draws heavily from both plot and aesthetic elements of film noir – stylistic films from the 1940s and 1950s that shared similar visual styles and themes including crime, sex and moral ambiguity and were often shot in black and white with harsh, low-key lighting. The game uses a distinctive colouring-style in homage to the visual style of film noir. The post-war setting is the backdrop for plot elements that reference the detective films of the '40s (as well as James Ellroy's novel L.A. Confidential and the Curtis Hanson film based on it), such as corruption and drugs, with a jazz soundtrack.

L.A. Noire is also notable for using Lightsprint's real-time global illumination technology, as well as Depth Analysis's newly developed technology for the film and video game industries called MotionScan, where actors are recorded by 32 surrounding cameras to capture facial expressions from every angle.[15][16]

LA Noire is the first video game to be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.[17][18]

Gameplay

The game takes place in 1947 Los Angeles, a city of glamour, fame, and wealth, but also where crime, vice, and corruption are rife. The player assumes the role of Cole Phelps, an LAPD officer who rises through the ranks of the department. He has joined the police force to "right the wrongs" he committed during the Second World War. He starts off as a patrolman, then advances to traffic detective, homicide, vice, and finally arson investigator. Each rank gives the player a partner who will help Phelps in his investigations, fights, and arrests.

The game blends investigative elements such as mystery and crime solving with fast paced action sequences including on-foot and car chases as well as gun-play. In addition to the storyline missions, the player can work on optional side-investigations following a call from dispatch. The player can also travel on foot, as well as in different vehicles.

Unlike Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series, the player cannot freely create chaos and kill civilians with weapons and cars, as the character is a police detective. Weapons are only allowed in appropriate circumstances.[19]

Development

In February 2004, Brendan McNamara, Team Bondi's president, responded to an interview with Kristen Reed that "the project is wholly funded by Sony Computer Entertainment America. We have a long-term exclusive arrangement with SCEA."[20] On 11 June 2007, Take-Two Interactive, the sole publisher of Rockstar Games, re-confirmed the release of the PlayStation 3 version by listing it amongst its "announced to date" titles for "fiscal 2008" in a press release regarding the company's second quarter financial results.[6] However, during the shareholders conference-call, a spokesperson for Take Two implied that both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 releases were likely and that "L.A. Noire is being developed for next-generation systems."[21] L.A. Noire had, however, only been officially announced for the PlayStation 3.

On 10 September 2007, as part of their Q3 2007 financial disclosure, Take Two announced the game had been delayed until their 2009 fiscal year.[22] On 21 January 2010, in a Question and Answer section on their blog, Rockstar said "There will be something great to see soon – a proper in-depth look at the game and why it is so ground-breaking and innovative, both in terms of the game's design and the amazing new technology to support it. Expect to see a long-awaited reveal via a big cover story next month."[23] On 4 February it was announced that L.A. Noire would be on the cover of the March 2010 issue of Game Informer and confirmed the game would also be available on Xbox 360.[13][24]

L.A. Noire is haa a large amount of audio. Game Informer reported L.A. Noire to have over 20 hours of voice acting. Actor Aaron Staton lent his voice and likeness to the main character, Cole Phelps.[25][26]

Team Bondi recreated 1940's Los Angeles by using aerial photographs taken by Robert Spence.[27] In a career spanning over 50 years, Spence took over 110,000 aerial photographs of Los Angeles.[28] The developers used Spence's photographs to create traffic patterns and public transport routes as well as the location and condition of buildings.[27] While striving to recreate an accurate model of 1947 Los Angeles, the developers also took some artistic licence, such as including the appearance of the film set for D. W. Griffith's Intolerance, the set had actually been dismantled in 1919.[29]

The games' soundtrack comprised an original score by Andrew Hale, original 1940s style songs composed by The Real Tuesday Weld and sung by Claudia Brücken as well as recordings by artists of the period, such as Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.[30]

Cast

Main Characters

Patrol Cases

  • Floyd Rose - Jack Impellizzeri
  • Errol Schroeder - David Meunier
  • Wendell Bowers - Adam Bitterman
  • Clovis Galletta - Iyari Limon
  • Edgar Kalou - Michael B. Silver

Traffic Cases

  • Nate Wilkey - Harrison White
  • Margaret Black - Kate Connor
  • Adrian Black - Larry Clarke
  • Frank Morgan - William O'Leary
  • Juan Francisco Valdez - Geoffrey Rivas
  • Shannon Perry - Amanda Booth
  • Lorna Pattison - Kate Norby
  • Leroy Sabo - Jeffrey Vincent Parise
  • Dudley Lynch - Michael Gladis
  • Jessica Hamilton - Haley Ramm
  • June Ballard - Maria Cina
  • Mark Bishop - Daniel Roebuck
  • Marlon Hopgood - William Charlton

Homicide Cases

Marketing

An in-game trailer was released on 11 November 2010, which subsequently confirmed the release date as Q1/Q2 2011.[31][32] A developer diary was released 16 December 2010 which features the game's Director detailing the MotionScan technology.[33]

L.A. Noire was featured on the cover of the February 2011 edition of PlayStation: The Official Magazine, which confirmed that the game would be released sometime in March 2011.[34] However, several US retailers listed 5 April as the launch date, Rockstar commented with a "no comment".[35] A trailer for L.A. Noire, called "Serial Killer", was leaked on 22 January 2011, two days before its planned official release. It showed 90 seconds of new gameplay footage as well as a release date. Take-Two later had the video removed from websites, citing copyright infringement. The video noted that L.A. Noire will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 17 May.[1]

DLC

On 25 February Rockstar announced a number of pieces of additional game content for people who pre-order the game. The content differs depending upon retailer.

  • "The Naked City" (Bonus Case) where Phelps investigates the apparent suicide of a fashion model. It also contains the "Badge Pursuit Challenge" where the player is tasked with finding 20 police badges hidden in the city. Upon completing the task the player is rewarded with the "Button Man" suit; an in-game piece of clothing that allows the player to carry extra ammo. During the challenge each badge will add 5 XP points to the player's abilities which will help to unlock Intuition Points that can be used to give an investigative advantage in the game.[36]
  • "The Broderick" detective suit; a suit that boosts the fighting ability of the player's character as well as its resistance to damage.
  • "A Slip of the Tongue"; a traffic case where a simple car theft escalates into a large scale investigation into the largest car fraud racket in the city's history.
  • "The Sharpshooter" that enhances a character's aim with pistols and rifles. There are also other promotions involving T-Shirts and vouchers[36]
  • "The Chicago Piano" (UK Exclusive) a Machine Gun favoured for its reliability, ergonomics, compact size, large 45-round cartridge, and high rate of automatic fire. This bonus weapon will be stored in the trunk of Detective Cole Phelps' car throughout L.A. Noire.[36]

Rockstar also ran a competition to win a trip to Los Angeles to attend the Festival of Film Noir at the Egyptian Theatre (which is actually featured in-game as a location), take an Esotouric Black Dahlia bus tour, and play the game a month before its official release.

On 29 March 2011 Take 2 Interactive announced that L.A. Noire had been selected to be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival, the first videogame to be recognised by the festival.[17] L.A. Noire was screened as a sixty minute long film on 25 April 2011, followed by a question and answer session on the game's story and the technology used to make the game.[18]

Reception

On the day of the games' US release, shares in Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company, peaked at 17.75% and closed up 7.75% on the day; a three year high for the company. The rise was attributed to the positive reviews that L.A. Noire had been receiving.[50] L.A. Noire went straight to top of the UK games chart and became the fastest selling new IP ever in the UK. [51]

Early reviews were positive. IGN gave the game 8.5 out of 10.[48] Gametrailers gave the game a 9.1 out of 10. Gamespot's Carolyn Petit awarded the game a 9 out of 10, concluding that "L.A. Noire's absorbing investigations and intoxicating sense of style make it an unforgettable journey through the seamy side of the City of Angels."[44]

As of 25 May 2011, L.A. Noire received an overall score of 90 out of 100 on Metacritic for the Xbox 360, with 57 "positive" reviews and one "average" review.[38] The PlayStation 3 receiving an 89 out of 100[52], with 55 "positive" reviews and three "average" reviews. Despite the more "average" reviews and less "positive" reviews on Metacritc, several reviewers and fans have stated that the game is graphically better on the PlayStation 3, as the PlayStation 3 was the primary console used by the developers of the game, and actually recommended the PlayStation 3 version over the Xbox 360 version[53]. GameRankings gave the PS3 version 89.44%[37], but gave the Xbox 360 version 88.90%.[38]

Despite the overall positive reception, some reviewers thought that the game had too many redundancies in the cases and left too little control to the player,[48] leading to the game being boring at times.[54] 1UP also warned that the extended cut-scenes in the game could make some players feel they lost control of the action.[55]

Edge praised the facial technology, but pointed out that while there are no other major aspects of the game that had not been done better elsewhere, the fact that Team Bondi had brought together such a wide range of game genres in such a stylish, atmospheric, and cohesive manner was an achievement that few developers had managed.[42]

Technical issues

Shortly after the release, a minority of players on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 experienced game freezes due to overheating of the consoles.[56] After initially judging that the problem was due to the latest PS3 firmware, Rockstar later acknowledged the problem on their game FAQ.[57] In a subsequent joint statement, Sony and Rockstar declared that the problem was caused by neither the PS3 firmware update nor the game.[58] In a statement on 20 May, Rockstar reiterated that the neither the game nor the console manufacturers were at fault. It also stated that the troubleshooting tips on its website had been "erroneously picked up by some news outlets as a 'story,'" and that the stories were "categorically untrue".[59]

Possible sequel

On 22 May 2011, Team Bondi's Brendan McNamara told GamerLive. TV that a sequel to L.A. Noire would take less than the five years it took to develop the first, seeing as the technology had already been created. In addition, they are looking to take the MotionScan technology to the next level with full body performances and not just faces.[60] In an investor conference call, Take-Two Interactive CEO, Strauss Zelnick said that L.A. Noire was "a very successful release" and "we have every reason to believe that L.A. Noire is another strong franchise for this company", he reiterated the franchise point by saying "we do see this as a powerful new franchise".[61]

References

  1. ^ a b Eddie Makuch (22 January 2011). "L.A. Noire emerging from shadows May 17". GameSpot. Retrieved 22 January 2010. Cite error: The named reference "GameSpot" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Johnny Cullen (24 January 2011). "Blog Archive » LA Noire confirmed for May 20 in Europe". VG247. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b "L.A. Noire Tech Demo Trailer (Xbox 360)". GameSpot. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  4. ^ a b Oli Welsh (4 May 2011). "L.A. Noire Review - PlayStation 3 - Page 1". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  5. ^ Matt Helgeson. "Exclusive New L.A. Noire Screens". GameInformer.
  6. ^ a b "Second Quarter Fiscal 2007 Financial Results" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  7. ^ a b "L.A. Noire No Longer PS3 Exclusive, Hitting Xbox 360". Shacknews. 5 February 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  8. ^ Team Bondi (15 March 2011). "Classification Database - L.A. NOIRE (MA 15+)". Classification.gov.au. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  9. ^ Tim Ingham. "L.A Noire has nudity, violence and over 5 hours of cut-scenes". CVG. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  10. ^ Jonathan Leack. "L.A. Noire is Mature Only". PlayStation Lifestyle. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  11. ^ "L.A. Noire Information". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  12. ^ Writers, Staff. "Video game industry calls for subsidies like film, TV | Online Video Games Reviews & News". News.com.au. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  13. ^ a b c Ted Thorsen (13 February 2010). "L.A. Noire due in Sept. for PS3, 360 - Report". GameSpot. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  14. ^ ""Thrillingly Lifelike" - Latest Press Previews for L.A. Noire from Around the World". Rockstar Games. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  15. ^ "Why Rockstar's "L.A. Noire" Won't Be Another "GTA" or "Red Dead" - Techland - TIME.com". Techland. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  16. ^ "L.A. Noire Debuts New Animation Capture Solution From Depth Analysis". Gamasutra. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  17. ^ a b "L.A. Noire honored as official selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival". VG247. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  18. ^ a b "2011 Film Guide | L.A. Noire". TribecaFilm.com. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  19. ^ "Game Trailers LA Noire review". 16 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  20. ^ Bramwell, Tom (20 February 2004). "Team Bondi - The First Interview". Eurogamer. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  21. ^ Androvich, Mark (16 June 2007). "Rockstar confirms: episodic GTA content 360-only L.A. Noire developed for Next-Gen Systems". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
  22. ^ Boyer, Brandon (10 September 2007). "BioShock A Long Term Franchise, LA Noire, Beaterator Slip To Fiscal 2009". Gamasutra. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
  23. ^ Boyer, Brandon (10 September 2007). "Rockstar answers questions". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
  24. ^ "Gameinformer". Game Informer. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  25. ^ "L.A. Noire's Lead Actor Says He Skips the Cutscenes". Kotaku.com. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  26. ^ "L.A. Noire preview for Xbox 360". Hooked Gamers. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  27. ^ a b "LA Noire's version of Los Angeles is thanks to 1920s daredevil". VG247. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  28. ^ "Oldies and Oddities:He Shot California | History of Flight | Air & Space Magazine". Airspacemag.com. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  29. ^ "Film locations for Intolerance". Movie-locations.com. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  30. ^ "L.A. Noire". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  31. ^ Wesley Yin-Poole (11 November 2010). "L.A. Noire out spring 2011". Eurogamer. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  32. ^ "Rockstar News Wire | L.A. Noire First Trailer Coming - This Thursday November 11th". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  33. ^ "Developer Diary: The Technology Behind Performance". GameTrailers.com. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  34. ^ "PlayStation Move Heroes Shipping March 22nd, Pre-order Bonuses DetailedL.A. Noire Muscles Its Way Onto the Cover of PlayStation: The Official Magazine". Playstation Blog US. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  35. ^ "LA Noire release date: April 5?". CAG.com. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  36. ^ a b c "L.A. Noire". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 30 March 2011. Cite error: The named reference "PreOrderBonus" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  37. ^ a b "L.A. Noire for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  38. ^ a b c "L.A. Noire for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  39. ^ "L.A. Noire for PlayStation 3 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  40. ^ "L.A. Noire for Xbox 360 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
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  42. ^ a b "LA Noire Review | Edge Magazine". Edge. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011. With the exception of its facial capture, there's no single aspect of Team Bondi's title that hasn't been done better elsewhere, but few developers have brought such a diffuse set of genres together so atmospherically, stylishly or cohesively.
  43. ^ "L.A. Noire Review: A Compelling Yet Flawed Epic That Fascinates - L.A. Noire - PlayStation 3". www.GameInformer.com. 22 February 1999. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  44. ^ a b Petit, Carolyn. "L.A. Noire Review for Xbox 360 - Page 2". GameSpot. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  45. ^ "GameSpy: L.A. Noire Review - Page 1". Ps3.gamespy.com. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  46. ^ Herring, Will. "L.A. Noire Review from". GamePro. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  47. ^ "L.A. Noire review, LA Noire Review, PS3 Reviews". Games Radar.com. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  48. ^ a b c Hilary Goldstein (16 May 2011). "L.A. Noire Review - PlayStation 3 Review at IGN". IGN. Retrieved 17 May 2011. I might think the guy's innocent, but except on rare occasions, I'm just going through the motions and have no control over the end result.
  49. ^ Sessler, Adam. "L.A. Noire Review for Xbox 360". G4tv. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  50. ^ "L.A. Noire gives much-needed boost to Take-Two shares". VG247. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  51. ^ "UK charts: LA Noire becomes fastest-selling new IP ever". VG247. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  52. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/la-noire
  53. ^ http://www.blisteredthumbs.net/2011/05/l-a-noire-angry-review/
  54. ^ "L.A. Noire Review: A Compelling Yet Flawed Epic That Fascinates". Game Informer. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011. At times, L.A. Noire is one of the most vivid, gripping game experiences I've had. Other times, it can be plain boring.
  55. ^ "L.A. Noire Review". 1UP.com. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011. Gamers who had soured on more "cinematic" games like Heavy Rain or Metal Gear Solid 4 may get a little annoyed at the film-inspired cut-scenes in L.A. Noire. While most of the cinematics last only a minute or so, there're a lot of them. It eventually becomes more like watching an interactive movie, with the game only demanding that I hop in the car and drive to the next location in order to trigger another cut-scene
  56. ^ "LA Noire causing console overheating issues". guardian.co.uk. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  57. ^ "Report: LA Noire To Blame For Consoles Overheating". Edge. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  58. ^ "Rockstar Games and Sony Joint Statement on L.A. Noire". Rockstar Games. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  59. ^ "Statement". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  60. ^ John Gaudiosi (16 May 2011). "Brendan McNamara Explains Why LA Noire 2 Won't Take as Long to Make". GamerLive.TV. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  61. ^ "News - Take-Two: L.A. Noire First Week 'Very Successful'". Gamasutra. Retrieved 25 May 2011.

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