I remember reading in a video game magazine when I was a kid that LA Noire was going to be the future of video games. Set in the changing streets of post-war Los Angeles, this Rockstar-published detective drama was set to push the boundaries of open-world design, character graphics, and an evolving narrative that changed as you played. As a starry-eyed kid, I needed this game immediately.
Unfortunately, the game began development in 2004 by the now-defunct Team Bondi, and wasn't released for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC until 2011. I'm not here to delve into this problematic development process. That's an article for another day. But here's how, to this day, the app remains incredibly unique in everything it does.
We pioneered cutting-edge facial capture technology and have worked to tell ambitious stories across a variety of cases over the years. Like fellow Rockstar game GTA, from which it draws a huge amount of influence, the game offers plenty of freedom to roam throughout Los Angeles, but with less violence than what you'd get in Los Santos.
So, with the game turning 15 years old this weekend, I wanted to celebrate all of its amazing details and inventive gameplay ideas, even though today it's remembered more for its goofy facial expressions than anything else. It's actually quite special.
Few games understand attention to detail like LA Noir.
Until the third and final act, LA Noire follows a relatively predictable routine as you and your partner investigate a crime scene, interrogate suspects and witnesses, and then come to your own conclusions. You might be wrong, you might be right, and you might be somewhere in between. Each location you explore is beautifully detailed and impeccably researched, as if you could reach out and touch old furniture or freshly laid concrete.
In many ways, it follows protagonist Cole Phelps (Aaron Staton of Mad Men fame, as well as the cast of LA Noire) collecting evidence and finding out how it relates to the crime. To this day, I struggle to think of an open world set in a historical era feeling truly realistic. Will Red Dead Redemption 2 be another Rockstar game?
The technology that brings characters to life is known as ‘face scanning.’ As the decade went on, many of them looked like bizarre aliens, but in 2011 they were very believable.
After you have gathered enough evidence and have your suspects determine the criminal's motive, sit them down and talk for a while. Within these interactions, you can ask a number of questions while choosing between three options: Truth, Doubt, and Lie. This encourages the use of evidence and questioning points in a distinct way, and this is where the once boundary-breaking face scan comes into play.
The intention is to carefully analyze a character's facial expressions to find out what they are thinking or if they are lying. If someone is looking away from Cole or has obvious guilt on their face, they are most likely not telling the truth. On the other hand, if someone seems really distraught and doesn't know what to say, you're more likely to believe them.
Cole can also lie to people, taking them out of their comfort zone for a moment and forcing them to tell lies. It's an easy-to-understand system full of depth, but these days it looks comically obvious.
We've seen this become the source of countless memes. Cole's expression of 'doubt' has been a much-used reaction image over the years, and at the time, because of how realistic it tried to be, it overshadowed all the great work Team Bondi was doing in LA Noire. But its ambitions still deserve recognition. This is especially true when you're free to explore the vibrant side of Los Angeles.
Want to play the role of an old-time detective? Play LA Noir
It's very interesting that LA Noire puts you not in the shoes of a growing criminal or a very corrupt lawman, but rather a mostly good detective who wants to help people while solving crimes as best he can. Los Angeles in 1947 also saw veterans of World War II struggling to find their place in a rapidly changing world. The trauma that permeated the entire conflict naturally took home many of the men, and Cole was not immune to it. It remains fascinating how the city's colorful characters navigated and reacted to one of the most violent periods in the city's history.
Watching Cole rise through the ranks and slowly but surely succumb to corruption is wonderful, whether he commits murder, arson, or something else. It's unlikely to end as intended, but the journey continues to be interesting as you work with various partners and become embroiled in the politics of various departments. Cole wants to be a good person, but he lives in a world where a good moral compass isn't what will keep you alive.
Like Grand Theft Auto, you'll engage in gunfights and high-speed chases, but don't expect LA Noire to resemble Rockstar's flagship series.
Now I'm writing about LA Noire to celebrate its anniversary. I fondly remember my one and only playthrough of this game as a teenager. No one has made a game like this before, and it's doubtful there will be a sequel after the acclaimed VR spinoff. So even after 15 years, it's still well worth your time.
LA Noir
- released
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May 17, 2011
- ESRB
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M (Mature): Blood and gore, nudity, sexual themes, strong language, drug use, violence.
- developer
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team bondi
- engine
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shambles
