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Team Bondi's L.A. NOIRE |OT| Watchin' Faces, Solvin' Cases

Also, someone, must be spoiler tagged, explain Golden Butterfly for me. I'm still going to finish this, but, that case left a really sour taste in my mouth.
 

seat

Member
Anyone have a link to an accurate map of all the gold film reel locations? It may just be my computer, but the one on Rockstar's site seems embarrassingly off-mark.

Dechaios said:
I'm surprised this hadn't been posted yet... Gabe from PA's take on Cole.
http://i.imgur.com/jKxHo.jpg
I like this, and I like Gabe's art, but he's never been very good with likenesses. I think with all the focus on facial scanning in LA Noire, it's important that Phelps looks like Aaron Staton.
 
Jipan said:
I thought the ending was decent; I'm neither shocked nor satisfied, so I can't say that I liked the ending. The way Cole died was abrupt so that got me annoyed and I was at least hoping that there would be a cut scene showing Kelso and co. trying to look for him. They pulled a off a RDR with John's death, except that I thought John's death was more tragic and surprising. I was expecting Kelso and Cole to open up their own P.D. business. The whole church sermon in the ending was pretty meh, and I thought the game would have been fine without the WWII flash backs. I had a feeling that something bad was gonna go down when they decided to pull off a GTAIV and turn the last couple of missions into shootouts. I don't know where the story can go from here.


Shit,
Cole and Kelso opening up a PI business would be awesome and hilarious. As for where the story goes... probably would relate to Earle and the rest of the police department corruption, I'd assume.

GillianSeed79 said:
Also, someone, must be spoiler tagged, explain Golden Butterfly for me. I'm still going to finish this, but, that case left a really sour taste in my mouth.

Yeah, that case presents one of the problems with the game... namely that investigation in this game isn't really investigation as most people would think.

These cases in LA Noire are not based so much in investigation as public perception, which is ridiculous. The LAPD Brass would score more political points by arresting a child molester instead of the vic's husband. It's ridiculous, cause it's not investigation, just a public media circle jerk.

Plus, the ending of the Homicide Desk makes pretty much everything you did beforehand pointless, so it doesn't really matter that much
 
bender said:
If you accuse Hugo, the game penalizes you and thus the three star rating.

Which is bullshit. This game is so bi-polar. I know this stuff. What the game wanted you to do was grade A patrolman detective work. I shall press on, but it's so not reflective of actual detective work.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
Y2Kev said:
Is it? I was forced to charge someone in the case I replayed. Maybe it doesn't apply for all cases? Or maybe I still had too much evidence?

If you fuck up the interrogation at the end, you can't charge the person. Atleast this happened to me in
an Arson case.

But it's pretty funny regardless because
every time you get multiple suspects to interrogate at the end, they're always in the case strings where you're going after the wrong people...meaning you always choose between which innocent person is guilty, then get the game yelling at you for picking the "wrong" wrong person. Brilliant!
 

Dany

Banned
The game is coming in tomorrow on the 360 and have a few questions?

1. how exaggerated are the complaints bout 360s overheating? I have an old 360 that rrod twice
2. should i turn on black/white, how cool is it?

I'm excited to finally pick up the game, I knew I should have preordered but couldn't
 

1stStrike

Banned
I don't think I'll play this game again. After finishing it the other day and being massively disappointed with the way it ended... it's just not worth it for me to go back and try to finish missions. I don't even care about any DLC that'll be coming out. The game, while it had a lot of fun moments and all, was ultimately a let down and by the end I was forcing myself to get through the cases.
 
Watching the end cut scene right now.

Fuck this game. I don't care what it offers, if the ending sucks- like this game- it means nothing to me. Very disappointed. =(

This game is like Heavy Rain Ver. 2 or Heavy Rain of 2011. A lot of awesome mechanics and features and the story just kills it completely. Did David Cage write LA Noire?
 

Mifune

Mehmber
Just finished Golden Butterfly. That was incredible.

No, this game doesn't actually simulate real police work. But it does a great job of expressing the gut punch that detectives must feel day in and day out. Holy shit,
that Leroy character was despicable. I'd never felt grossed out by a human character in a videogame before.

Just a wonderfully ambiguous episode that kind of made me examine some of my own personal biases. Can't say the medium has often made me take a look in the mirror like that.

I realize I'm outnumbered, but I love this game.
 

Atruvius

Member
Square Triangle said:
Watching the end cut scene right now.

Fuck this game. I don't care what it offers, if the ending sucks- like this game- it means nothing to me. Very disappointed. =(

This game is like Heavy Rain Ver. 2 or Heavy Rain of 2011. A lot of awesome mechanics and features and the story just kills it completely. Did David Cage write LA Noire?

If you didn't know
There is still a cutscene after the credits.
 

overcast

Member
Holy shit the backlash at this game is surprising. I'm borrowing it from my friend once he finishes it. Should be an interesting experience. I'll write about my experience when I get it.
 

Kevtones

Member
Mifune said:
Just finished Golden Butterfly. That was incredible.

No, this game doesn't actually simulate real police work. But it does a great job of expressing the gut punch that detectives must feel day in and day out. Holy shit,
that Leroy character was despicable. I'd never felt grossed out by a human character in a videogame before.

Just a wonderfully ambiguous episode that kind of made me examine some of my own personal biases. Can't say the medium has often made me take a look in the mirror like that.

I realize I'm outnumbered, but I love this game.


I suck at the game but I'm really enjoying it/agree.
 

Shiloa

Member
I'm pretty disappointed that so many are knocking the ending. I really don't understand why. What did you expect to happen?
The narrator at the very beginning tells you how it's going to end. This story isn't about you. It isn't about a hero. It's about a good man. A good, flawed man. A real man. Something sorely lacking in videogames. For Cole, it was all work work work. Trying to be the upstanding citizen, trying to do good, going along with the law (reflected by the war backstory, such as where Cole was following orders to the letter, which resulted in the hospital cave incident).

Cole isn’t a superhero. The police just care about putting people away, it doesn’t matter why. What matters is the public perception of the department. It’s a seedy world, and Cole is forced to make any decision, regardless of whether you want to or not. This is a story about Cole and his rise and fall and of post-war L.A. The narrator tells you that from the very beginning. The city that swallows him up.

L.A. is recreated for a reason. It’s not there to be abused with silly mini-games dotted about, or hidden rocket launchers on top of the tallest buildings. It’s another character in the tale. The bright lights of a striving city, building for it's future while it is actually rotten underneath the coat. L.A. is the most important character in the game.
 

bryehn

Member
Man does this game get tedious or what? Homicide was such a drag.

What's this broken beer bottle? Oh wait, here's a bloody knife.

Street crime? Better call the coroner, I'm on my way!

And what's the deal with film reels? I'm 14 cases in and stil haven't come across a single one. 4/5 starred every case so far, are they just randomly scattered in the needlessly open world with nothing to do?

I still kind of like the game, but its just so damn robotic.
 

Shiloa

Member
bryehn said:
And what's the deal with film reels? I'm 14 cases in and stil haven't come across a single one. 4/5 starred every case so far, are they just randomly scattered in the needlessly open world with nothing to do?
I didn't even know they existed until the very last case when I found one quite by accident. I think they are scattered at random. I've played the game a lot and only have found about five.
 

Shiloa

Member
Foliorum Viridum said:
I discussed it a few pages back :)
Erm. Re: your post

1) Police cared about reputation. Get in line or get out. That's the point. The game didn't cheat you. The police wanted someone convicted. Rusty gives the best insight on this whole aspect.

2) Cole got let home early in the war. He decided to join the police force. The story of L.A. Noire takes place over a long period of time. Cole doesn't rise up the ranks in three cases. In that time, his unit come back to L.A. and do their business. What's so implausible?

Regarding Cole cheating, you must realise that this is a different time. Your perceptions of what is believable is entirely shaped by your moral conditioning as you have grown up. Modern society has very different values. Adultery was a more serious issue back then. Add in the fact it was with a German drug addict, the press had a new plaything to divert hatred to.


It's clear from those two why you might feel the story is ridiculous. If you don't understand that the different time period altered not just the setting, but the way of life, morals and reasoning, then you won't find the story believable. But that still doesn't support the accusation that it's poorly told.
 

Tawpgun

Member
*sigh*

Not going to lie, I had a lot of fun with the game despite its flaws. Thing is, since Rockstar was behind it I was expecting a rockstar quality masterpiece. I got something good, but not Rockstar quality masterpiece.

My biggest regret is I didn't wait for a price drop/rent.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
Shiloa said:
Erm. Re: your post

1) Police cared about reputation. Get in line or get out. That's the point. The game didn't cheat you. The police wanted someone convicted. Rusty gives the best insight on this whole aspect.

2) Cole got let home early in the war. He decided to join the police force. The story of L.A. Noire takes place over a long period of time. Cole doesn't rise up the ranks in three cases. In that time, his unit come back to L.A. and do their business. What's so implausible?

Regarding Cole cheating, you must realise that this is a different time. Your perceptions of what is believable is entirely shaped by your moral conditioning as you have grown up. Modern society has very different values. Adultery was a more serious issue back then. Add in the fact it was with a German drug addict, the press had a new plaything to divert hatred to.


It's clear from those two why you might feel the story is ridiculous. If you don't understand that the different time period altered not just the setting, but the way of life, morals and reasoning, then you won't find the story believable. But that still doesn't support the accusation that it's poorly told.

1. From the player's point of view, this is immensely unsatisfying, which is the issue people have. I realized what was happened, yet still had to spend a large chunk of the game putting away innocent people. Overthinking these parts meant the game yelled at you. Everyone roots for you to put away the pedophile, but the husband had way more linked to him. I wanted to be the good man here and get who would be more likely to be the actual killer, and the game yelled at me--the choice really was that shallow. It literally makes me lose interest in all the cases afterwards, knowing it didn't matter if i did anything right because I would get the wrong guy anyway.

Cole's cheating is awfully told. You get one or two scenes of him going to the bar to watch her sing, then you get ripped out of vice for cheating. Then you see Cole's wife FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER and are somehow supposed to care. With the game talking about his wife and kids, they didn't build up any meaningful relationship for the player to grasp. I understand how adultery was treated, but the way it was shown in game was bad. Even after it happens, Cole never talks about it, no motivation whatsoever.
 

Xanathus

Member
I've just finished and platinum'd LA Noire, but haven't touched the Naked City DLC because lol PSN lol. Should I just sell the game and key now because I hear people are paying crazy bucks for the DLCs or should I wait for the store to come back up? Basically I'm asking how interesting the DLC is.
 

McBacon

SHOOTY McRAD DICK
I loved this game - great sense of style, typical Rockstar panache and the interrogations were fun.

I was just disappointed to find out that game never made me feel like a detective. Like a real gumshoe who would have to pay attention to clues, figure things out and follow leads.

It was like the game was holding my hand the entire time - and everytime it automatically put a marker on my map or made investigating someone as tough as pressing X on a phone, I died a little.

shivah_screen2.jpg


Did you ever play The Shivah? This is an indie point and click from Wadjet Eye (They made Gemini Rue). It's like $6/£4, and super short, but really makes you feel like a P.I. You have to play the game with a pen and paper (or jotter app on an iPad :p) in front of you, to write down pertinent names and clues.

So to research a guy you'd need to physically type his name into a search engine, and read up on articles and contact info. Maybe you'd hack into someone's email (by guessing their "Secret Answer" password retrieval) and then look for suspicious emails and names, and then go search for those, or question people about them.

It's relatively simple, but it felt like a fantastic proof of concept for a proper, big budget game.

I dreamed of one day playing a game where I could have written down addresses, and then taken the subway or a cab or a car around a full NY city. Obviously, The Shivah automatically puts new locations on a clickable map because the lads at Wadjet Eye don't have the budget to render an entire city...

But Rockstar does. Has about 4 or 5 times now. When I played The Shivah, I was hoping one day I'd play PI in Liberty City. Maybe I'd find a matchbook at the crimescene, and then write down the address. Pull out the map from the box (when did Rockstar games stop coming with city maps? I miss those) and figure out where I need to drive or which subway to take.

I really hoped LA Noire - when it was unveiled - would do this sort of thing. But alas, it did not. The cardboard cut-out Los Angeles simply acts as time-filling downtime to spread out the suspects and crimescenes. And as you never really need to pay attention to the cases, except maybe to do some light homework before grilling a suspect, you can just idly follow the paper trail without taking the cases in at all. I know I did, sometimes.

Like I said. I really enjoyed LA Noire. I was just really hoping that it would be a big budget, gorgeous 3D detective game with proper clues and investigations. That's the sort of game a kid dreams about.

Instead, it's a game where you float around a crime scene until the music stops, shout at an old lady and then shoot like 12 guys.

Did anyone else feel this way?
 

Shiloa

Member
Papercuts said:
1. From the player's point of view, this is immensely unsatisfying, which is the issue people have. I realized what was happened, yet still had to spend a large chunk of the game putting away innocent people. Overthinking these parts meant the game yelled at you. Everyone roots for you to put away the pedophile, but the husband had way more linked to him. I wanted to be the good man here and get who would be more likely to be the actual killer, and the game yelled at me--the choice really was that shallow. It literally makes me lose interest in all the cases afterwards, knowing it didn't matter if i did anything right because I would get the wrong guy anyway.

Cole's cheating is awfully told. You get one or two scenes of him going to the bar to watch her sing, then you get ripped out of vice for cheating. Then you see Cole's wife FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER and are somehow supposed to care. With the game talking about his wife and kids, they didn't build up any meaningful relationship for the player to grasp. I understand how adultery was treated, but the way it was shown in game was bad. Even after it happens, Cole never talks about it, no motivation whatsoever.
1) Not the game's fault. Your own. This is the chief problem here. The perception we as gamers have built on what a game should do. This is Cole's story, not yours. This is not a plot issue. You wanted to be the good man? Tough. The world is against you. Everyone wants the paedophile away, which means you get blasted for doing the other choice. As it should be. Ever worked in a place with a dickhead boss? Like that. You have to do what he says or lose your job. So you conform to his dickheaddery. That's life. I reiterate. Cole is not a hero. He's a normal man.

2) Again, gamer's perception. As gamers we have been given so much exposition on every aspect of a story. Rarely are we ever left to ponder on our own. Compare this with many of cinema's masterpieces, and you'll see a massive gap. Just think of how many pieces you are left to put together yourself when you see the likes of Citizen Kane, Lost in Translation, 2001, Memento etc. We are so used to being told everything, to being shown everything that we jump on developers who leave us to fill in the gaps. The few glimpses of him at the club give you all you need for the hint, but without telling you. Cole is an obsessive man. He works and works and works. He doesn't spend time at home. Do we really need several cutscenes of his homelife? His growing relationship with Elsa? Put it together yourself.

We need games like L.A. Noire to break us free from some game-storytelling shackles. Yeah, gameplay could be done better, but the plot is a step above anything before it.
 
overcast said:
Holy shit the backlash at this game is surprising. I'm borrowing it from my friend once he finishes it. Should be an interesting experience. I'll write about my experience when I get it.
Backlash? For me it's more like severe disappointment with the game I had such high hopes for. I wonder in all its years of development of the game ever was more than what it is now. I had some great potential to once again bring adventure games back to the mainstream.

Story? What story? I'd hardly consider the plot in this game relevant or a step above the rest. The presentation on the other hand was this games strong point.
 

JonCha

Member
Posted this in another thread, but I'm halfway through the Arson desk and at this point I am bored. Up to this point something got my interest, and usually for the majority of the time. Now I'm struggling to get through, even though there have brief moments of enjoyment.

There have also been some really questionable story moments in this game, like
Phelps's random affair which seems to lack explanation
.
 

LifEndz

Member
Square Triangle said:
Anyone have any tips on the car collecting? The game is so fucking big, I have no idea how long this will take.


Not sure there are any real tips other than just get in and out of every car you see when you can or when you see something you think you haven't driven yet. It's a really tedious trophy and I hate that R* always does an FU achievement/trophy.

The social club website is a great way to see what you should be looking for.
 

LifEndz

Member
JonCha said:
Posted this in another thread, but I'm halfway through the Arson desk and at this point I am bored. Up to this point something got my interest, and usually for the majority of the time. Now I'm struggling to get through, even though there have brief moments of enjoyment.

There have also been some really questionable story moments in this game, like
Phelps's random affair which seems to lack explanation
.

A lot of people have taken issue with that. Maybe
after having been exposed to the darker side of LA and all the corruption that comes along with it, Cole changed. And maybe seeing how the German woman survived this world when Cole felt like he couldn't was what attracted him to her. Cole probably couldn't discuss the horrific things he'd seen and done with his wife, but I'm sure he'd be able to discuss those things with the jazz singer.

Love the book-club like discussions we're having about the story.
 

JonCha

Member
LifEndz said:
A lot of people have taken issue with that. Maybe
after having been exposed to the darker side of LA and all the corruption that comes along with it, Cole changed. And maybe seeing how the German woman survived this world when Cole felt like he couldn't was what attracted him to her. Cole probably couldn't discuss the horrific things he'd seen and done with his wife, but I'm sure he'd be able to discuss those things with the jazz singer.

Love the book-club like discussions we're having about the story.

Yeah, I'm sure there is somereason but it hasn't been made clear to me so far.
I had presume Phelps cheated because he wanted to get so information out of the woman, hence why he was reluctant to knock
.
 

jett

D-Member
The only thing this game has going for it is the facial animation. If this game didn't have that it'd be total shitcakes.
 

The Lamp

Member
INDIGO_CYCLOPS said:
Backlash? For me it's more like severe disappointment with the game I had such high hopes for. I wonder in all its years of development of the game ever was more than what it is now. I had some great potential to once again bring adventure games back to the mainstream.

Story? What story? I'd hardly consider the plot in this game relevant or a step above the rest. The presentation on the other hand was this games strong point.

I wonder if it going multiplatform affected content being cut or the game having to be drastically changed to meet new deadlines or disc size or something. I know at least 2 desks were rumored to be taken out (and the game tells us burglary is missing).

If that's the case I wish they had stuck to one platform.
 

tiff

Banned
Mifune said:
No, this game doesn't actually simulate real police work. But it does a great job of expressing the gut punch that detectives must feel day in and day out. Holy shit,
that Leroy character was despicable. I'd never felt grossed out by a human character in a videogame before.
Who was
Leroy
?

Shiloa said:
1) Not the game's fault. Your own. This is the chief problem here. The perception we as gamers have built on what a game should do. This is Cole's story, not yours. This is not a plot issue. You wanted to be the good man? Tough. The world is against you. Everyone wants the paedophile away, which means you get blasted for doing the other choice. As it should be. Ever worked in a place with a dickhead boss? Like that. You have to do what he says or lose your job. So you conform to his dickheaddery. That's life. I reiterate. Cole is not a hero. He's a normal man.
I was fine with the boss being pissed about not putting the pedophile away (until he praises you for the great work you've done in the very next cutscene), but why does it affect the scoring system that they foolishly put in? What is a case rating really supposed to represent?

Shiloa said:
2) Again, gamer's perception. As gamers we have been given so much exposition on every aspect of a story. Rarely are we ever left to ponder on our own. Compare this with many of cinema's masterpieces, and you'll see a massive gap. Just think of how many pieces you are left to put together yourself when you see the likes of Citizen Kane, Lost in Translation, 2001, Memento etc. We are so used to being told everything, to being shown everything that we jump on developers who leave us to fill in the gaps. The few glimpses of him at the club give you all you need for the hint, but without telling you. Cole is an obsessive man. He works and works and works. He doesn't spend time at home. Do we really need several cutscenes of his homelife? His growing relationship with Elsa? Put it together yourself.
Put what together? If you miss the one time in the game where he mentions
his family
, you wouldn't even realize he had one until it became relevant to the plot. It's shit storytelling, plain and simple.

Don't even get me started on
Cole's death.
 
Just got the last car and 100% completion, stupid Cadillac 61, was looking 90 min. for it !

Because I´ve been quick traveling over the map during the main game and all the collectible stuff, I still need to drive about 65 miles for the last trophy and the Platinum....


.....Damnit. Podcast time I guess.... :D
 
The Lamp said:
If that's the case I wish they had stuck to one platform.
I doubt multiplatform differences or the inclusion of another version affected it beyond some rather superficial modifications. I think it's more likely that, when Rockstar came in and picked up the game from Sony, they helped to sculpt what Bondi had already finished and what Rockstar could bring to it into something that could ship inside of 2011. Losing a chunk of the game, like a couple of sets of cases/missions, isn't going to change the fact that what's there isn't all that good on an individual level. While it could mean a more inconsistent overall experience, cutting stuff would or should have prioritized the best parts of what they had on their plate.
 

The Lamp

Member
MightyHedgehog said:
I doubt multiplatform differences or the inclusion of another version affected it beyond some rather superficial modifications. I think it's more likely that, when Rockstar came in and picked up the game from Sony, they helped to sculpt what Bondi had already finished and what Rockstar could bring to it into something that could ship inside of 2011. Losing a chunk of the game, like a couple of sets of cases/missions, isn't going to change the fact that what's there isn't all that good on an individual level. While it could mean a more inconsistent overall experience, cutting stuff would or should have prioritized the best parts of what they had on their plate.

When did Rockstar pick up the game? Watching the teaser trailer of 2006, it shows the Rockstar logo at the end next to Team Bondi...so they've been working together for about 5 years at least.
 

npm0925

Member
This game is pissing me off. Get one question wrong? You have to replay the entire fucking case or accept that a branch of the story will never unlock. Such awful, punitive game design -- makes Demon's Souls look generous by comparison.
 
The Lamp said:
When did Rockstar pick up the game? Watching the teaser trailer of 2006, it shows the Rockstar logo at the end next to Team Bondi...so they've been working together for about 5 years at least.
When the game went from complete PS3 exclusive to multiplat, which is what I meant about Rockstar picking it up.
 

jett

D-Member
MightyHedgehog said:
I doubt multiplatform differences or the inclusion of another version affected it beyond some rather superficial modifications. I think it's more likely that, when Rockstar came in and picked up the game from Sony, they helped to sculpt what Bondi had already finished and what Rockstar could bring to it into something that could ship inside of 2011. Losing a chunk of the game, like a couple of sets of cases/missions, isn't going to change the fact that what's there isn't all that good on an individual level. While it could mean a more inconsistent overall experience, cutting stuff would or should have prioritized the best parts of what they had on their plate.

Well, their MotionScan tech really does take up a big amount of space(it's the sole reason the game is on 3 discs). There's little doubt disk space is why two desks were cut out of the game, and why the animation is low-res.

But I agree that more cases would have done little to help the game.
 

The Lamp

Member
Maybe I'm just awesome but I got
both of the cases where you have to charge one or the other criminal in interrogation
correct and the captain applauded me ^_^

MightyHedgehog said:
When the game went from complete PS3 exclusive to multiplat, which is what I meant about Rockstar picking it up.

The game went multiplat in ~2006?
 
Shiloa said:
We need games like L.A. Noire to break us free from some game-storytelling shackles. Yeah, gameplay could be done better, but the plot is a step above anything before it.

?!

the storytelling in this game is a mish-mash of just about every 'hard-boiled' cliche & trope ever invented, as put together by a randomization computer program. there is nothing going on, plot-wise, that's in the least bit clever or original, & that isn't either heavily telegraphed in advance, &/or doesn't hit you over the head with a sledgehammer till you 'get it'...

unless, i guess, by 'a step above' you mean 'more contrived than' :) ...
 
Y2Kev said:
Is it? I was forced to charge someone in the case I replayed. Maybe it doesn't apply for all cases? Or maybe I still had too much evidence?

You can fail the interrogation and not be able to charge someone. I don't know if how much evidence you collect impacts your questions yet, because I'm playing with the musical queues in a completion run. The case still gets closed as you still have to finger someone, but you're later given mega-shit and informed that your charge didn't stick.

LA Noire is noir story, but in the way Super Mario is an adventure story.

I'm just happy we actually have a detective game in this gen (even if it is a times quite muddled).
 

jett

D-Member
npm0925 said:
This game is pissing me off. Get one question wrong? You have to replay the entire fucking case or accept that a branch of the story will never unlock. Such awful, punitive game design -- makes Demon's Souls look generous by comparison.

Yeah it's terrible. You even get a WROOONG! sound effect chime, as if it wasn't bad enough.
 
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