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[ntb825]

You aren't, it's the gripe I complain about all the time. In interrogations, cole needs to press people for more information. Doubt and Truth both do this, and it's completely random which one actually triggers it. You have to doubt truthful statements at times for this to work, like the stuff you mentioned...the system is completely broken.

"Doubt" doesn't mean "Lie", though. If someone answers something straight faced and to the point, you select truth. It they stumble around, or have a worried or distant look on their face, it means they aren't telling you everything they know, which is why you "doubt" their answer.

 

[disappeared]

edit: nevermind, found the additional evidence.

 

[Grisby]

Wow. I'm kind of conflicted on the ending. The whole story was a bit of a mess although it did pick up some good steam near the finale.

I'm a bit miffed at the moment. I really enjoyed certain aspects of this game yet others were pretty mediocre.

One thing is for sure, this game deserved better in the plot and character department.

 

[BannedEpisode]

I'm having trouble with the second Arson case, A Walk in Elysian Fields.

I interviewed the neighbor (Dudley), checked evidence A, B, C, and inspected the whole house. The inspection music is still playing and my partner keeps telling me to press the neighbors. He makes it sound like there's more than one neighbor but all the surrounding houses are vacant.

Any help?

Spoiler

Check the bushes in the front left corner of Dudley's home from the perspective of his doorway. You should find cigarettes and footprints, afterward question Dudley about them.

Assuming that you got stuck at the same thing I did anyway...Hope that helps.

 

[NullPointer]

"Doubt" doesn't mean "Lie", though. If someone answers something straight faced and to the point, you select truth. It they stumble around, or have a worried or distant look on their face, it means they aren't telling you everything they know, which is why you "doubt" their answer.

When I first started playing I took doubt to mean "lying but without evidence to prove it", but after some more weirdness in cases its also seems to be used to "dig deeper" into a subject the witness might be nervous about. The problem here is that doubt can randomly play out as an over the top berating and accusing of the witness and cause them to clam up. So it feels like you're taking a true gamble every time you use it.

Also, regarding me missing out on all the evidence, I guess I didn't check around at

Spoiler

the morgue. I checked the rope, but according to a walkthrough there is more to examine, including shoes and the body, again. I didn't think to search because the coroner told me he'd let me know if he found anything.

I think my problem here is that I don't have a handle on the system, so end results end up feeling arbitrary, which is never a good feeling when the game takes pains to score you.

 

[Papercuts]

"Doubt" doesn't mean "Lie", though. If someone answers something straight faced and to the point, you select truth. It they stumble around, or have a worried or distant look on their face, it means they aren't telling you everything they know, which is why you "doubt" their answer.

If it was that cut and dry the game's system would work fine, sure. Many times the suspects look straight faced and to the point and are lying, otherwise it'd be too easy. There have been plenty of moments where I knew they were lying, had no evidence, hit doubt and was wrong...and truth was the right option to pick.

 

[Cheech]

My PS3 is still kicking into high gear when I play this game and this game only. I almost don't want to play it anymore.

Same. I have a 40 gig, and it's insane. It is like somebody is blow drying their damn hair while I'm trying to play the game, and no matter how loud I turn the game volume up it's still annoying. I play with the PS3 sitting in an open air A/V rack in my basement, where it is about 60 degrees. I can't imagine how bad it is for others.

I'm like 3 years out of warranty, so I've debated taking it apart and putting new thermal paste on both heat sinks to see if that helps. I want to finish the game first, though. Just over the halfway point. If it YLODs I'm going to go ballistic.

 

[disappeared]

Spoiler

Check the bushes in the front left corner of Dudley's home from the perspective of his doorway. You should find cigarettes and footprints, afterward question Dudley about them.

Assuming that you got stuck at the same thing I did anyway...Hope that helps.

Thanks bud, I literally just found the bootprints and smoke butts after I typed that.

 

[BannedEpisode]

Thanks bud, I literally just found the bootprints and smoke butts after I typed that.

No problem. I knew exactly what you were talking about when a read your post. It seems like a lot of people got stuck there, myself included.

 

[Havok]

I see a lot of the same complaints I've had of the game, both for specific incidents and general issues.

One thing I haven't seen, perhaps missed, is how every time you select Lie, the person you are interrogating responds with something along the lines of "I bet you can't prove that I'm lying."

This annoys me in two ways. First, it seems like a pretty unreasonable reaction to a police interrogation, especially when it is so consistently the reaction. Not that I've ever found myself being interrogated by the police, but I doubt I'd antagonize them in that fashion. I could see if one or two of the characters responded in that way on occasion, but not all of them and not every time.

Secondly, it's eliminates the immersion of the game, such as it is. The reaction to my calling them a liar is, essentially, the game saying "ok, now don't forget that we have a mechanic in place for this." I know that the mechanic exists. It was explained very early on, and I didn't forget about it during the subsequent two dozen or so missions.

I've just completed the game. I hope the ending varies based on how you do on all of your missions. Mine was underwhelming.

Despite the numerous problems with the game, I want to go back and play it again. I think this is mostly for vanity's sake. I feel pretty stupid and annoyed that I got certain TDL choices incorrect. My concern is that I'll go back though the game and find that little if anything changes either within the cases themselves or regarding the conclusion of the game.

I don't think it's a very good game, but I guess it says something that I am at least initially willing to replay it.

This was one of my biggest problems with the game, included in a post from a day or so ago. You're right, it completely breaks the immersion of the experience. The way that every Lie prompt, even for the most innocent of white lies, results in an immediate "OH YEAH WELL PROVE IT YOU PIG" just brings me back to the reality that this is a video game with frustratingly uneven writing. I don't think the ending changes, but that's just a guess, and yeah, underwhelming is an understatement.

 

[DarkChronic]

I just finished The Golden Butterfly case myself and I'm very frustrated with the outcomes (went through it twice and got chewed out twice, lol). Very confusing system in place when it comes to interrogations. Easily my biggest gripe of the game.

Regardless, still having an absolute blast.

 

[Korosenai]

Anyone that is at homicide and saying this game is getting boring, then you will love vice. It is a breath of fresh air and amazing.

 

[Tobor]

Rusty and Roy are both great characters. It's like watching The Wire done in 1947. Rusty even calls people shitbird a couple of times!

 

[Tom Penny]

This game is glitchy piece of trash at this point. I lose a save after playing hours and have to restart the game. Now I have to go to a spot. I pick the destination but the it will not allow me to go there. The stupid auto save function was a fucking failure. So freaking stupid. Now I have to go Bishops apartment but I can't and have to start over this case again.

 

[watershed]

Okay here is my final review of the game. Spoiler free edition.

The atmosphere is great. The opening chapters really draw you in and set the mood for the rest of the game. But even from the beginning the gameplay mechanics and the controls become an issue. Driving, shooting, running/chasing on foot are all clunky. All I can think is that this has been done better in other games.

The interrogations are interesting, for the most part extremely well acted. But Cole is easily the worst actor or worst written character in the game. His partners are always interesting and in many cases funny. But Cole is unlikable and bipolar. The problems with the interrogation scenes really mount up as the game goes on. I also didn't like the mechanics of the interrogations being broken down into truth, lie, or doubt when at times they don't seem to apply. I found myself wishing for some more dialogue options, a way to coax more out of the witness or simply to have greater control over the crap that comes out of Coles' mouth.

The investigations are the best executed portions of the game. I really feel like a detective looking at gruesome dead bodies and looking for evidence. The mood is especially strong in these sections. The game seems to work the way it was intended in the investigation scenes which is the only time I felt that way about the game.

As the game went on I found the flaws in gameplay and plot really grating. Its like the little things mount up after each car chase, shoot out, interview, etc. I should note I never tried to marathon the game. I never did more than 2 cases in a row beyond the initial tutorial section.

Still, despite its flaws and laugh out loud unintended comedy, the game is oddly compelling. Even though I don't like some gameplay sections or find some stuff ridiculous, mostly acting and story, I still wanted to find out what happens next.

Compared to GTAIV and RDR the open world is really boring here. This was disappointing because I thought messing around in 1940's LA would be great. Not so much.

Overall, the game has a lot of issues, enough to sour me on the experience but not enough to stop me from finishing. I think the stage is set for a great, truly GREAT sequel if they address the obvious gameplay and narrative flaws. Final score: 7.5

 

[The Lamp]

her eyes are darting every which way, her answer is not sincere. you should doubt her answer

press doubt.

Doubt really means "I doubt you are telling me everything you know", not "I doubt what you just said was true".

Regardless, he's right, that's another instance of stupid dialogue/writing that gets in the way of the interrogations.

 

[Incendiary]

The interrogations are interesting, for the most part extremely well acted. But Cole is easily the worst actor or worst written character in the game. His partners are always interesting and in many cases funny. But Cole is unlikable and bipolar. The problems with the interrogation scenes really mount up as the game goes on. I also didn't like the mechanics of the interrogations being broken down into truth, lie, or doubt when at times they don't seem to apply. I found myself wishing for some more dialogue options, a way to coax more out of the witness or simply to have greater control over the crap that comes out of Coles' mouth.

I definitely think that a game that put so much into the little nuances of facial expression and capture, that limiting the dialogue options to three choices was a mistake. Or at least there should be more options that don't immediately fail the question. And I wholeheartedly agree that Bondi did a poor job at making Cole bipolar. In one interview, I questioned an old lady and everything was going fine, and for one question I chose 'Doubt' (which was correct, mind you) and he just started yelling at her like a spaz and called her an old hag. And she didn't bat an eye because that was the 'correct' answer. It doesn't make me hate the game, it's just...weird to play it.

 

[mickcenary]

Overall, the game has a lot of issues, enough to sour me on the experience but not enough to stop me from finishing. I think the stage is set for a great, truly GREAT sequel if they address the obvious gameplay and narrative flaws. Final score: 7.5

This is an accurate score in my eyes. For anyone who thinks that LA Noire deserves to venture well into into the territory of high 8's/9's, I'd have to politely ask you to up your standards significantly.

I respect LA Noire for endeavoring to be different and exciting, but these hallmarks only ring true on the surface. Delve deeper and you find only broken mechanics, a poor narrative and a game that is ultimately moribund halfway through its duration. The pure banality of the Homicide Desk alone makes this game fall well short of its mark. I've lost count of the number of nonsensical outbursts from Cole and the utterly LAME conclusions to cases. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears half the time when it would cut to the Captain debriefing us and singing our praises. "Did the case really just end that poorly? Did it really just happen to be some random dude who knew the victim and whom we discovered RIGHT AT THE LAST MINUTE to have a violent history towards women? How fucking convenient!

Anyway! God knows I've hated on this game quite a bit, but the more I play, the more confident I am in my claims. It has a great atmosphere and some pretty superb tech behind it, but it truly is an empty shell - quite literally, too, if we're to talk about the open world. It's by no means bad, but it absolutely irks the hell out of me to see 10/10s popping up all over the place for this game. Goddamn R*. They sure know what they're doing, I guess.

 

[Penguin]

I'm just gonna call BS on the ending.. that was just cheap

 

[NullPointer]

Anyway! God knows I've hated on this game quite a bit, but the more I play, the more confident I am in my claims. It has a great atmosphere and some pretty superb tech behind it, but it truly is an empty shell - quite literally, too, if we're to talk about the open world. It's by no means bad, but it absolutely irks the hell out of me to see 10/10s popping up all over the place for this game. Goddamn R*. They sure know what they're doing, I guess.

Agreed entirely. I love everything about this game except for the driving, open world gameplay, shooting, interrogations, and the fact that you don't have to use your brain nearly as much as you would hope. So yeah, great concept, mediocre game.

 

[pakkit]

Turning the hints off definitely makes it harder, but it's really not worth it imo, you're pretty much just going to run around the crime scene mashing A until you find something you can pick up. It's especially shitty in indoor enviroments, seeing the amount of objects is much greater than in an outdoor area, and you can't always tell what's supposed to be important and what isn't.

I like the system without the hints. Recalls the Point n Click games that investigating gameplay mimics.

 

[Tendo]

Red Dead had zombies in October... This game is set in 1947... Can I have a Roswell esque DLC set much like Undead Nightmare?

A guy can dream...

 

[saunderez]

Red Dead had zombies in October... This game is set in 1947... Can I have a Roswell esque DLC set much like Undead Nightmare?

That's what I was hoping for. But I can't imagine it happening.

 

[Tendo]

That's what I was hoping for. But I can't imagine it happening.

My other dream? Marston would still totally be alive in 1947... Something else I want but won't see.

 

[Meier]

Wow, just nailed all the clues and 15/16 questions but had about $2k in vehicle damage and got a 4*. If the damage caused me to not get a 5, that's some bullshit since most of it came when chasing after people.

I'm never ever driving again on my own if I can avoid it.

http://twitpic.com/51d7jx (slight spoiler in the CASE NOTES section -- White Shoe Slaying case)

 

[Gravijah]

Wow, both versions are available now? Hope I get lucky and GameFly receives the game I just dropped off in the post office asap.

 

[mickcenary]

Agreed entirely. I love everything about this game except for the driving, open world gameplay, shooting, interrogations, and the fact that you don't have to use your brain nearly as much as you would hope. So yeah, great concept, mediocre game.

Haha. I'm not sure if you saying that you "love everything about the game" and then proceeding to list what is basically 95% of the game as things you hate was intentional sarcasm or not. Either way, that was funny AND you're right.

I'm all for games trying to bridge the gap between 'zomgpresssomebuttons' and your cinematic, interactive adventure, but so often is the game lost in the process. It's kinda like Heavy Rain. There was no reason for that "game" to be a game; it should have been a movie or a book or anything but a game. It's "gameplay" was incredibly boring and because of that and the inherent limitations of the video game medium in terms of story-telling (for now), the most important facet of HR - its story, which was quite good, I thought - was not all it could have been.

You need to nail the basics first (movement, performance, mechanics, feature-sets, etc) before attempting to implement seamless story-telling and a gripping atmosphere.

 

[Resilient]

For all those sad and annoyed at Golden Butterfly

Spoiler

They want you to pin the murder on Eli even though all things point to Hugo being the one who murdered her. This is revealed in a conversation between you and Rusty in the car on the way back to the station. They want to pin the child molester because he is an immediate threat, where as Hugo isn't.

 

[PsychoSoldier]

Well, despite my frustrations with the game and my worries about what the Arson part of the game was becoming, I went ahead and finished it.

I really do think that Assassin's Creed is the right comparison to this game. A great idea with some sparkling moments weighed down by a lot of poor decisions.

The investigating is excellent if overly simple, the interrogations are fun if sometimes wildly inconsistent, the plot has good moments and bad moments, the characters are mostly interesting, and the shooting and driving moments are serviceable at best.

I'm happy that action skip is in there. There were definitely some times I died a few times to something wonky that would have been frustrating to get through if I hadn't had that.

But there is far far far far too many suspects who run----those moments became tedious due to how often they happen.

And man, Cole's big character moment still is not something I can see making sense in any way, shape or form. It just doesn't fit anything you know about his character, and if they were going to do something like that with him they should have at least built up to it a bit.

And the ending, while understandable given the inspiration for the game, still leaves me feeling cold, and shrugging. It's not shocking enough to be edgy but just enough of a downer to make you feel like most of what you did was for naught.

I generally enjoyed my time with the game, but it's not something I'd give my full recommendation. And thanks to the way the game is structured, it's not a game I can see myself replaying, ever.

 

[NullPointer]

Haha. I'm not sure if you saying that you "love everything about the game" and then proceeding to list what is basically 95% of the game as things you hate was intentional sarcasm or not. Either way, that was funny AND you're right.

So you think I'm right but you still have doubt? That's no way to speak to a witness at a time like this! I think you should leave.

0/1

 

[mickcenary]

So you think I'm right but you still have doubt? That's no way to speak to a witness at a time like this! I think you should leave.

0/1

YOU SCORNFUL WHORE! The sooner you admit that you raped your cat with that hag face of yours, the better. And I should probably inform you that I'm totally down for breaking your fucking jaw. Bitch.

Thanks for your time, ma'am. You've been very helpful.

"*----".

"JOLLY GOOD JOB, LADS; swift retribution and whatnot. Potatoes".

 

[GillianSeed79]

I'm still pretty early in the game, but I think the weakest part of it is the truth/lie/doubt system. The interview process is a central part of the game and should be the most satisfying. It should reward players who have spent the time collecting all the clues and witness statements. It should be more fluid instead of being, honestly, trial and error. There needs to be more context to your questions or tells on your line of questioning. I say this, because the way it's set up in the game is quite jarring and immersion breaking. Like if I hit doubt, I shouldn't immediately outright accuse the suspect of comitting the crime and being cut off from further questioning. If I hit lie, there shouldn't be a single correct follow up when there's multiple pieces of evidence to suggest the person is being untruthful. The impression I get is there's specific questions you have to ask to get the right answers. If there's a sequel they need to focus on that. It should be like a hot and cold system. If I call someone out on a lie with a piece of evidence that suggests they are lying but not the smoking gun the game expects, it should open up further questioning. I don't think this would work though. Most interviews in real life last hours. You ask the perp clarification questions. You ask the same question multiple times. The fact Cole will outright accuse someone of being responsible for a murder simply by choosing doubt is unrealistic. I get it's a game, but I was hoping for something more dynamic.

 

[strem]

Okay here is my final review of the game. Spoiler free edition.

The atmosphere is great. The opening chapters really draw you in and set the mood for the rest of the game. But even from the beginning the gameplay mechanics and the controls become an issue. Driving, shooting, running/chasing on foot are all clunky. All I can think is that this has been done better in other games.

The interrogations are interesting, for the most part extremely well acted. But Cole is easily the worst actor or worst written character in the game. His partners are always interesting and in many cases funny. But Cole is unlikable and bipolar. The problems with the interrogation scenes really mount up as the game goes on. I also didn't like the mechanics of the interrogations being broken down into truth, lie, or doubt when at times they don't seem to apply. I found myself wishing for some more dialogue options, a way to coax more out of the witness or simply to have greater control over the crap that comes out of Coles' mouth.

The investigations are the best executed portions of the game. I really feel like a detective looking at gruesome dead bodies and looking for evidence. The mood is especially strong in these sections. The game seems to work the way it was intended in the investigation scenes which is the only time I felt that way about the game.

As the game went on I found the flaws in gameplay and plot really grating. Its like the little things mount up after each car chase, shoot out, interview, etc. I should note I never tried to marathon the game. I never did more than 2 cases in a row beyond the initial tutorial section.

Still, despite its flaws and laugh out loud unintended comedy, the game is oddly compelling. Even though I don't like some gameplay sections or find some stuff ridiculous, mostly acting and story, I still wanted to find out what happens next.

Compared to GTAIV and RDR the open world is really boring here. This was disappointing because I thought messing around in 1940's LA would be great. Not so much.

Overall, the game has a lot of issues, enough to sour me on the experience but not enough to stop me from finishing. I think the stage is set for a great, truly GREAT sequel if they address the obvious gameplay and narrative flaws. Final score: 7.5

You nailed it. I pretty much agree with everything you said. I think they really missed on capturing the feel of '40's LA. I wish they could of done more with the open world stuff

 

[butter_stick]

The biggest problem for me is it doesn't even matter if you ask the "right" questions. You can get every single one wrong and finish the case just fine, and have no idea why the guilty party is guilty.

 

[SephCast]

I just got the game. How many hours did it take you guys to finish?

 

[THRILLH0]

I just got the game. How many hours did it take you guys to finish?

My playtime was about 17.5 hours. I stopped responding to calls over the radio after the first 5 knowing that I can go back and do them later.

 

[Square Triangle]

Okay that Butterfly case really pissed me the fuck off.

Spoiler

I gathered all clues and answered every question correctly. I send Hugo off for murder, so I get yelled at AND a three star rating

Bondi explain yourselfs in this.

 

[SephCast]

My playtime was about 17.5 hours. I stopped responding to calls over the radio after the first 5 knowing that I can go back and do them later.

Why'd you have to respond to me? Now I'm sad about the Bulls again.

 

[THRILLH0]

Why'd you have to respond to me? Now I'm sad about the Bulls again.

Hehe...

 

[Square Triangle]

A 2-1 lead means nothing boys.

 

[Xtyle]

This is an accurate score in my eyes. For anyone who thinks that LA Noire deserves to venture well into into the territory of high 8's/9's, I'd have to politely ask you to up your standards significantly.

Your standard =/= everyone else's standard

 

[watershed]

A 2-1 lead means nothing boys.

Seriously? I'm getting worried. I want Chicago to go to the finals but the 4th quarters of these last two games haven't been pretty.

Oh, and something about LA Noire not living up to the hype.

 

[mattiewheels]

So how did they manage to get the entire Mad Men cast involved, besides Draper and the older guy? I'm interested in the development of the game since it started sooooo long ago, did they only get the cast for the game much later into the dev process?

 

[Papercuts]

I'm very glad everyone seems to be hating the golden butterfly case.

 

[GillianSeed79]

The biggest problem for me is it doesn't even matter if you ask the "right" questions. You can get every single one wrong and finish the case just fine, and have no idea why the guilty party is guilty.

Shit, I nailed the Jewelry store shooting case perfectly after being told to get a confession, yet there was no confession. Look, the truth is homicide detectives don't give a shit why someone killed someone, they care about a confession. It was really odd I got promoted to detective from patrolman based on a circumstantial statement from a suspect who confessed to nothing. I'm totally nitpicking though. It's just because I deal with this stuff on a daily basis.

 

[Parham]

I just got the game. How many hours did it take you guys to finish?

I finished the game in a little less than 16 hours.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

The thing I dislike most of all is, as many others have said, the guessing game of the interrogations. The facial expressions are the best in gaming by a landslide, but I think Bondi put too much confidence in them. Some expressions I really have no clue how to approach, and in the end I just end up throwing shit at the wall until it sticks. It is so reminiscent of presenting random pieces of evidence in Phoenix Wright, only to find in the end that it's some obscure lead which the normal player couldn't possibly have deducted by themselves. They should really keep things simpler, and let the player figure out everything; not have the solution premeditated while they burn the player through the right track. They really ought to take cues from something like Deadly Premonition, in which you gather all the evidence, do your profiling and then make your final decision at the end of the case.

Basically, LA Noire holds our hand far too much, but at the same time not enough.

 

[Animator]

Every time I think this game has a system in place that makes sense I have those hopes dashed.

Case in point: The Golden Butterfly

Spoiler

The first time I did this case I failed miserably, so I decided to give it a replay. I just replayed it twice and made sure to use all my intuition points to eliminate false paths. Even still, with 18/19 questions correct I still had no evidence to convict either suspect and had to do the same chase and end with getting chewed out.

There are so many aspects of this case that go wrong it almost epitomizes the problem with the game.

Starting my third runthrough of the case I got 100% of the opening questions on the daughter and father. Didn't seem to matter much though.

First there are true statements, such as the one made by the daughter about waiting around to be picked up, that while true, you should doubt. Why should I have doubted this?

When I bring the father in for interrogation and ask him about ropes, he says that he knows some things from being a scout and from his Army days. Once again I'm supposed to doubt this? Doubting just causes Phelps to ask whether he murdered people with ropes in the Army whereupon the father talks about his training. When I ask him about the tire iron he says he has nothing to do with it and clams up when I doubt him, but I have no evidence to link him to it. I ask him where he puts his work clothes and he says he uses the locker at work... how is this true, false, or doubtful?

What was the breakthrough I was supposed to make and why? So much of this system seems like the roll of the dice, and in this case it feels like I didn't make the one weird
leap in logic (in terms of when to doubt or call a lie) and the whole case falls apart. What the hell am I missing here?

One other thing too. I've turned off the vibrations and only use the music for detecting clues and to know when there isn't anything more to find. I found all clues (according to the music) in the crime scene, the home, and at the car in the parking lot, yet when the case was finished I was missing one. Is the music not enough?

This game is really starting to wear down on me. I'm still struggling to find any true consistency in how I'm supposed to work through interrogations. Please tell me that I'm just being dense and missed something obvious.

I am on that case now and just restarted it thinking I fucked up but reading your post made me realize I am having the exact same problems as you.

I cant wait to finish and sell this game, wish I never bought it. It is just making me angry at this point.

 

[MalboroRed]

Okay here is my final review of the game. Spoiler free edition.

The atmosphere is great. The opening chapters really draw you in and set the mood for the rest of the game. But even from the beginning the gameplay mechanics and the controls become an issue. Driving, shooting, running/chasing on foot are all clunky. All I can think is that this has been done better in other games.

The interrogations are interesting, for the most part extremely well acted. But Cole is easily the worst actor or worst written character in the game. His partners are always interesting and in many cases funny. But Cole is unlikable and bipolar. The problems with the interrogation scenes really mount up as the game goes on. I also didn't like the mechanics of the interrogations being broken down into truth, lie, or doubt when at times they don't seem to apply. I found myself wishing for some more dialogue options, a way to coax more out of the witness or simply to have greater control over the crap that comes out of Coles' mouth.

The investigations are the best executed portions of the game. I really feel like a detective looking at gruesome dead bodies and looking for evidence. The mood is especially strong in these sections. The game seems to work the way it was intended in the investigation scenes which is the only time I felt that way about the game.

As the game went on I found the flaws in gameplay and plot really grating. Its like the little things mount up after each car chase, shoot out, interview, etc. I should note I never tried to marathon the game. I never did more than 2 cases in a row beyond the initial tutorial section.

Still, despite its flaws and laugh out loud unintended comedy, the game is oddly compelling. Even though I don't like some gameplay sections or find some stuff ridiculous, mostly acting and story, I still wanted to find out what happens next.

Compared to GTAIV and RDR the open world is really boring here. This was disappointing because I thought messing around in 1940's LA would be great. Not so much.

Overall, the game has a lot of issues, enough to sour me on the experience but not enough to stop me from finishing. I think the stage is set for a great, truly GREAT sequel if they address the obvious gameplay and narrative flaws. Final score: 7.5

The problem is that those aren't little things, those are basic things, it's like McNamara didn't really grow much as a game director since the getaway, he's still big on cinematic performances but the basic gameplay mechanics he just doesn't care too much about.

 

[PsychoSoldier]

At least they're cognizant enough of the flaws of the action in the game to allow you to skip them on occasion.

The real answer is to make them not shitty but at least there are ways around it.