I have finished the game now.
I went through patches of not enjoying the game because some of the mechanics and logic behind a few of the investigations were really stupid, and I was yearning for an over-arching plot. While the former problems are never really resolved, I did enjoy the narrative by the end.
I liked that the structure of the game felt almost episodic. I think Team Bondi definitely should have made this more of a selling point of the game, like Siren or Alan Wake did, as it would have dispelled some of people's expectations regarding the plot. I ended up viewing each desk almost like a season of CSI - perhaps this was their intention, perhaps not, but I felt that the different chapters of Cole's life as a detective were nicely book-ended in a similar way to a TV show. Each desk presented its own little story, the Homicide and Arson desks being the most gripping, and they interlink in subtle yet satisfactory ways. By the last few cases, the game became crystal clear as to what it was trying to achieve, and the end result of that was solid. Some might think it felt too conservative, but I thought it was more believable for it.
One thing I do wish they made more obvious were the importance of the newspapers - they are arguably the most valuable 'audio diary' that I have encountered in any game, so much so that I would consider them mandatory viewing to understand all the intricacies of the plot. I personally got 12/13 of them, but my concern is that some people might have missed more, and hence didn't receive their full benefit as storytelling devices. I think they should have been elevated to the same level as the Marine flashbacks (which themselves were effective in building the relationship between Phelps and his company, particularly Kelso).
In terms of character development, I felt that it was handled pretty well. Certainly a lot less heavy handed than R*'s previous games in which everyone you meet seems to die or flee the country. I can't really talk about Cole on account of spoilers, but what I can say is that I enjoyed his twisting and turning relationship with the LAPD. I liked that his partners always came out their shells as the desk progressed, for better and sometimes for worse. By the end of the game, everyone seemed like they became a lot more human compared to how cold it started out.
In terms of game mechanics, they need a lot of polish if there are ever future instalments of LA Noire. It's been mentioned time and time again, but they really need to re-think the accessibility of the interrogations. It's simply too hard to tell the difference between lie and doubt (and sometimes even the truth) which often completely breaks the flow. The facial expressions are awesome, jaw-dropping at times, but they are not so good that they should have the entire interrogation sequences built on them. You always end up just sort of fumbling in the dark until you get somewhere, and even if you don't the game throws you a bone anyway. Presenting evidence has the exact same logical flaws that the Phoenix Wright games have - surely if I present a piece of evidence that is not quite the exact one needed, but along the right line of thinking, the game can do some of the leg-work for me? It's not 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' for fuck sake. There are also some continuity issues like Phelps responding as if he is batshit crazy, and in cutscenes being congratulated after previously botching an investigation.
Apart from that, the actual crime scene probing was neat and I enjoyed manipulating objects. I would have preferred it though if it didn't hold your hand quite so often and in return gave you a much much better hint system (I won't lie, sometimes I was utterly lost, but in general it was too obvious). Gunplay and car handling are as polished as you would expect from a R* game.
A lot of praise needs to be bestowed upon Team Bondi for the game's presentation. Surround sound was excellent, particularly the car crash and gun effects (dat BAR). The original score was superb, very rousing when the game needed to be more dramatic, and the licensed tracks appropriately filled in the gaps within the game world. Voice acting, or should I even say the performances, were top notch - I can't say I expected any different from R*. The entire world of 40s LA felt realistic, and all the locations you visit were pleasantly individualised. It has to be said that this game is really closing the gap between macro and micro level world detail - Team Bondi barely had to model all of LA, as it could have gotten by with Heavy Rain-style 'sets', but lo and behold there it all is, and the tiniest of haunts are just as impressive as the bigger picture.
Overall, it's quite a flawed game, but enjoyable if you can put up with some of its trial and error bullshit and appreciate a story which isn't meant to be as grandiose as stopping an alien invasion. It also shows a ton of promise in future DLC and sequels. Play their cards right, and R* could have a major new franchise under their belt.
7/10
