Feature: Is L.A Noire for you? What type of game is it really?

LA Noire is out and getting great reviews, but it seems like a lot of people are confused about what type of game LA Noire really is. Just because it comes from Rockstar, it doesn’t mean that it’s this year’s Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption.

In fact, LA Noire is quite the opposite. Is it the type of game you will enjoy?

[WobblyOnion]

That CAD comic is hilarious, and perfectly sums up some people's confusion about the game. This is not GTA, its very from from it.

[Elwenil]

Agreed. A bunch of my friends that are into games but don't follow the news immediately assumed it would be a GTS style game. When I told them "you are a good guy, a cop" they still wanted to know if you can just ride around and shoot people, lol. I think it's pretty clear that Rockstar is trying to branch out a bit more into developing and producing games that are more emotionally story driven and thought provoking rather than the same old "You can beat a hooker with a bat!" mentality. I for one am happy with the changes so far but there will always be that group of gamers that want nothing more than shallow stories with lots of crap blowing up.

[Gamer_Z]

People don’t like to think these days, sad but true

[jriquelme_paraguay]

even Red Dead Redemption is not GTA
cant wait to play this

[pantsula]

Got me doubly interested in picking this up now. Damn finances...

[Ognipode]

I can just see people putting the game in and screaming "WHERE ARE ALL THE HOOKERS!!!!"

[gillri]

its only ever been an investigation game set in an open world

thats all its ever been marketed as, remember the narration over the first gameplay trailers? you cant get any more explanatory

if people see this game and thinks GTA or RDR set in 30's LA than thast their problem

[Pillville]

I agree with the article. To me, it's like a full sized Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game. And that's a good thing.

[Figboy]

It's a double-edged sword that Team Bondi was being pimped by Rockstar and not Sony (the original publisher).

Rockstar games come with a certain level of expectation, especially when the game is also open world (not sandbox).

If Sony had been the publisher, I doubt there'd have been as much confusion over what the game actually is.

I'm a few hours into the game, and just finished my second case last night, and I'm loving it. I went in expecting an adventure game set in an open world.

It's not "GTA - 1947," like I'm sure many were expecting. The meat of the game is truly investigation. The crime scene and the interrogation. THAT'S the game.

The open world aspect is to add some depth to the environment, instead of setpiece after setpiece.

Have you ever played a game that had a really excellent backdrop that you WISHED you could explore, but couldn't? Like, say, Olympus in God of War 3?

LA Noire, is a linear game, but it allows you to scratch that exploration itch.

For those gamers that don't want to bother with the open world aspect, and get a 100% linear experience, they can do that too (since you can just let your partner auto-transport your selected destination by holding down the Triangle/Y button).

I'm loving the atmosphere, and getting a kick out of seeing how my city of birth was back in the 40's.

[Ognipode]

I've always been so jealous of you Americans that get to see your cities in movies and games, especially when they get attacked by Aliens or you see how they used to look.

Well, being a South African... at least we got District 9, but that didn't do too much for Johannesburg's image LOL.

[Figboy]

lol. That's true.

I was born in LA, but grew up in Wisconsin, then moved back to LA 13 years ago.

It definitely is a kick to see so many movies/tv shows in LA, and be like, "Hey, I KNOW where that place is!" It does kind of break the illusion, though. lol.

[mananimal]

It stereotypical, and stale, been there, done that, I play games cause i HATE Hollywood Movies, so this game to me , sucks. I have no interest in this game, and most of the shitty games the INDUSTRY has put out, while marketing them as good buys, liars as always. Brink is no better, you can starve the sheeple into buying games, they really dont want, but fill as if they dont have a choice, since there isnt anything better for them to play, me?, I JUST SAVED A WHOLE BUNCH OF $$$$ , this Generation by simply ignoring and refusing to buy, Half-bake, crappy games. I don't care what the marketing(TV/Programming) says, i don't care what the game articles and reviews say. You cant help but lie(INDUDTRY), so Ive tuned you out totally. I'm not a SLAVE, Principle over Pleasure. Besides, the last Generation had better games. The PS2/Xbox1 was and still is , the Golden Age of Gaming. Now?, its about $$$ and Control, NOT ABOUT THE GAMER AND WHAT TYPE OF GAME HE/SHE WANTS TO PLAY. The Industry is HELL BENT on screwing you over, their agenda is beyond what you would believe, so i wont even attempt to wake up the SHEEPLE, they'll just say BaAAAH! BaaAAH! Tin Foil Hats! BaaaAH! , LOL, out of pure unadulterated FEAR and DISBELIEF.

[Optical_Matrix]

The game is not GTA like many keep going in thinking. In fact its a lot more mature than GTA. More linear, with a tight focus on narrative which is balanced by some strong open world elements. LA is huge, even by car it takes ages getting around. You have stuff like being able to locate cars, settle street crimes and seizing vehicles off of people but the meat of the game comes from the main investigations that have clue finding, questioning and interrogation, all of which require whit and clever/fast thinking.

This, is my kind of game. Gameplay is a great mix of adventure and open world and stylistically the game imo destroys most open world games I've played (To be fair I'm a big fan of film noire, crime/thrillers and 20th century american history. Brilliant game. Just don't expect to go into playing the next Red Dead or GTA