# L.A. Noire



## Voley (May 9, 2011)

The makers of Grand Theft Auto go all James Ellroy:



Given that Red Dead Redemption was the best game I've played in years, I'd be really surprised if this isn't ace. 

I'm looking forward to using a bit of strongarm to shakedown hopheads.


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## kained&able (May 9, 2011)

yeah looks like a great game from what i've seen thus far. This and the new max payne game make me a bit wet.

dave


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## Augie March (May 9, 2011)

The motion capture is nothing short of amazing. The fact that you have to make judgement calls on if you think characters are lying by their facial actions, tells you how good it must be.

I think if Rockstar can get the balance right between the detective and the action parts of the game, this could quite easily be a classic.


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## Barking_Mad (May 13, 2011)

My brother worked on this game, and he says it's most excellent.


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## Paulie Tandoori (May 13, 2011)




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## tommers (May 13, 2011)

NVP said:


> Given that Red Dead Redemption was the best game I've played in years,



Seriously?

You need to play more games.


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## Paulie Tandoori (May 13, 2011)

tommers said:


> Seriously?
> 
> You need to play more games.


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## Crispy (May 14, 2011)

RDR was made by rockstar. This was made by Team Bondi. Rockstar are just publishing it.


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## Voley (May 14, 2011)

tommers said:


> Seriously?
> 
> You need to play more games.



I don't. They take up too much of my time as it is. Open to recommendations of anything better though.


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## Termite Man (May 14, 2011)

NVP said:


> I don't. They take up too much of my time as it is. Open to recommendations of anything better though.



almost any other game ever made. RDR was worse than fucking assasins creed and that was shit.


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## Voley (May 14, 2011)

You're all mental.


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## Corax (May 14, 2011)

RDR's brilliant.  Particular for non-gamer gamers like me that want to chill with a game rather than having to concentrate too much and getting all adreneliny.

Mosey round the immersive game-world, play a few hands of poker, maybe do a mission or two if I'm feeling energetic.  Perfect.


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## Ranbay (May 14, 2011)

L.A.Noire.Disc.1.XBOX360-NoGrp


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## Voley (May 14, 2011)

Have Googled. Do I need some sort of unchipped Xbox or summat?


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## Ranbay (May 14, 2011)

you need flashed xbox to play it yes...


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## Voley (May 14, 2011)

Ah, no good for me then.


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## Ranbay (May 14, 2011)

It's rather good...


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## Paulie Tandoori (May 14, 2011)

i thought it didn't come out til monday?


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## bmd (May 14, 2011)

It's a little earlier in extended evaluation land. Downloading now. Just, you know, until I get the proper one on Monday.


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## spawnofsatan (May 14, 2011)

Got it on order from Amazon, there better be opium dens!


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## bmd (May 15, 2011)

It's good, as in, good graphics but the gameplay is leaving me a little 'meh' atm. Go to crime scene, question suspect, rinse and repeat at next crime scene. I am only a couple of hours in but still... meh.


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## Ranbay (May 15, 2011)

yeah at first i was like, woot then i was yeah, but then i was like... meh


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## ruffneck23 (May 16, 2011)

I dont know why but this games doesnt appeal to me at all....

I await your opinions..


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## al (May 16, 2011)

ah fuck it - had to pre-order.... I've been totally sucked in.

http://uk.kotaku.com/5802203/14-minutes-of-la-noires-unexpected-thrills

(not really spoilery unless you want to know nothing at all)


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## Orang Utan (May 16, 2011)

RDR was ace. This looks acer. And it has that bloke from Mad Men in it. Looks like it was designed just for me. Does anyone want to lend me an Xbox360?


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## Corax (May 16, 2011)

al said:


> ah fuck it - had to pre-order.... I've been totally sucked in.
> 
> http://uk.kotaku.com/5802203/14-minutes-of-la-noires-unexpected-thrills
> 
> (not really spoilery unless you want to know nothing at all)


 
Urb reactions made me think it was a bit shit.

But that gameplay video makes me want it a lot.


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## al (May 16, 2011)

I really like the fact that it's not all action - it seems like the kind of game that would go quite nicely with a good pipe and a glass of port...


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## Sunray (May 17, 2011)

Gamespot have given this game a 9.0 which throws a game I've never heard of, into very serious company.


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## DexterTCN (May 17, 2011)

Charlie Brooker is tweeting non-stop about it - loves it.   Says it plays a bit like the movie LA Confidential.


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## Crispy (May 18, 2011)

If the acting is any good, this looks like a pastime to be compared with watching a season of US TV drama. Can see myself playing this with sparrow, arguing with each other about how to pursue each interrogation


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## Paulie Tandoori (May 18, 2011)

Crispy said:


> If the acting is any good, this looks like a pastime to be compared with watching a season of US TV drama. Can see myself playing this with sparrow, arguing with each other about how to pursue each interrogation


So are you the good cop or the bad cop?


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## spanglechick (May 19, 2011)

i don't like computer games - i get flustered by the shooting in all directions and a zillion creatures trying and kill me and having to fly a dragon or jump from rock to rock at the same time- but i'll be playing this.


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## elevendayempire (May 19, 2011)

Getting this for my bday. And looking forward to it SO VERY MUCH.


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## Orang Utan (May 19, 2011)

i like the idea of this so much that i put a request for a free x-box in recycle your stuff, BUT maybe there's not enough killing in it for me


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## Utopia (May 19, 2011)

al said:


> ah fuck it - had to pre-order.... I've been totally sucked in.
> 
> http://uk.kotaku.com/5802203/14-minutes-of-la-noires-unexpected-thrills
> 
> (not really spoilery unless you want to know nothing at all)


 
Looks brilliant, love the idea of less shooting more thinking, very cool!


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## Voley (May 19, 2011)

al said:


> I really like the fact that it's not all action - it seems like the kind of game that would go quite nicely with a good pipe and a glass of port...


 
My thoughts entirely. Definitely buying a copy tomorrow.


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## Corax (May 19, 2011)

spanglechick said:


> i don't like computer games - i get flustered by the shooting in all directions and a zillion creatures trying and kill me and having to fly a dragon or jump from rock to rock at the same time- but i'll be playing this.


 
I know exactly what you mean.  When I play shooters I usually end up spinning in circles staring at the sky/ground.

You'd like Red Dead Redemption I think.  I do.  You can take it at its own pace, and mosey about soaking up the gameworld.


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## Voley (May 19, 2011)

Yeah I like games like that, too, Corax. I liked the daftness of RDR if you decided to act like a twat for a while too. Queueing up hogtied people on the railway track and waiting for the inevitable was one of my favourites. Nothing to do with the game, just good harmless mindlessly violent fun. I doubt there'll be much scope for that in this - it looks pretty serious - but that 14 minute intro posted above really does look good. Like al says, open a bottle and settle in for an evening of epic battles of wits. That's what I'll be doing this weekend if it's any good anyhow.


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## agricola (May 20, 2011)

Got it, love it, cant see it having much replay value though.


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## kained&able (May 20, 2011)

al said:


> I really like the fact that it's not all action - it seems like the kind of game that would go quite nicely with a good pipe and a glass of port...



this post has almost convinced me too not buy it

dave


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## Voley (May 20, 2011)

It's fucking great, even if I am rubbish at interrogating suspects. I have a tendency to get angry with the totally innocent.


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## FridgeMagnet (May 20, 2011)

agricola said:


> Got it, love it, cant see it having much replay value though.


 
Well, that's all right, as long as the play value is high enough. Plot and achievement-based games aren't really meant for replay anyway.


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## Voley (May 20, 2011)

If you're into James Ellroy's LA Quartet you'll recognise Jack Vincennes, Dudley Smith, plotlines lifted wholesale from the books etc etc. I'm hoping that the main plot from The Big Nowhere fits into it somewhere, it'll be dark as hell. I might have to read all four of 'em again after playing this.


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## spanglechick (May 20, 2011)

NVP said:


> If you're into James Ellroy's LA Quartet you'll recognise Jack Vincennes, Dudley Smith, plotlines lifted wholesale from the books etc etc. I'm hoping that the main plot from The Big Nowhere fits into it somewhere, it'll be dark as hell. I might have to read all four of 'em again after playing this.


 
omg really? i adore la confidential, (book and film) though i read 'the cold 6000' next and that kind of put me off my ellroy thing. might have a look at the kindle prices for the others.


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## al (May 21, 2011)

agricola said:


> Got it, love it, cant see it having much replay value though.



I'm definitely going to be playing through again to get 5 stars on each case...


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## Voley (May 21, 2011)

spanglechick said:


> omg really? i adore la confidential, (book and film) though I read 'the cold 6000' next and that kind of put me off my ellroy thing. might have a look at the kindle prices for the others.


 
I didn't like The Cold Six Thousand, either, and I love James Ellroy. I've read everything he's done (barring Blood's A Rover as it's the follow up to the Cold 6000 so that put me off) and the LA Quartet are far and away his best stuff. They're my favourite crime novels by anyone. Really worth reading them in order, Black Dahlia first. It's a bit of an epic task reading the lot, especially as they're so incredibly densely-plotted, but as a whole they're an incredible piece of work. I think the whole thing spans about a decade.


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## tommers (May 21, 2011)

Just bought it from Blockbuster and they gave us a copy of LA Confidential free with it.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (May 21, 2011)

Barking_Mad said:


> My brother worked on this game, and he says it's most excellent.


 
Is his name Bill S Preston esquire?


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## al (May 21, 2011)

I've started playing it black and white, definitely adds something to the atmosphere....


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## agricola (May 21, 2011)

"Its the gas chamber for them!"


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## stuff_it (May 22, 2011)

Orang Utan said:


> i like the idea of this so much that i put a request for a free x-box in recycle your stuff, BUT maybe there's not enough killing in it for me


 
Really? I put my request for a free Xbox in to Santa. I probably still stand marginally more chance of getting it.


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## Corax (May 22, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> Really? I put my request for a free Xbox in to Santa. I probably still stand marginally more chance of getting it.


 
There's a possible bite in exchange for a server fund donation to be fair.


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## stuff_it (May 22, 2011)

Corax said:


> There's a possible bite in exchange for a server fund donation to be fair.


 
I srsly hope that wasn't intended as a pun.


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## blairsh (May 22, 2011)

Got this yesterday when i decided the weekend was more than likely destined to be a quiet one  Great to play over a lazy weekend, looking forward to getting into it a bit more next week and it does look rather good...


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## Corax (May 22, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> I srsly hope that wasn't intended as a pun.


 
Nope.  So much so that I'm mystified as to where the pun is!


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## Orang Utan (May 22, 2011)

NVP said:


> I didn't like The Cold Six Thousand, either, and I love James Ellroy. I've read everything he's done (barring Blood's A Rover as it's the follow up to the Cold 6000 so that put me off) and the LA Quartet are far and away his best stuff. They're my favourite crime novels by anyone. Really worth reading them in order, Black Dahlia first. It's a bit of an epic task reading the lot, especially as they're so incredibly densely-plotted, but as a whole they're an incredible piece of work. I think the whole thing spans about a decade.


 i didn't like the cold six thousand when i first had a go at reading it, but i went back and tried again a few years later and something clicked with the rhythm of it and i finally got with it. it's like listening to bebop. it can mystify you at first, but persevere and you'll dig it eventually.


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## Dan U (May 23, 2011)

The American Tabloid/Cold Six Thousand/Bloods a Rover trilogy are ace, as is the LA Quartet, although for differing reasons.

This is a game my Wife is even interesting in us owning, so thats a pass for me to hit amazon later


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## Utopia (May 23, 2011)

Loving the interrogations, genuine tension when you're checking out their reactions, and going through your clues trying to judge which way to go with the questionning.

Any ideas if there'll be any form of online games?


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## Voley (May 23, 2011)

Orang Utan said:


> it can mystify you at first, but persevere and you'll dig it eventually.


 
You're talking like him now.  I thought he'd just gone a bit over the top with his writing style. Might give it another go, though as I loved American Tabloid. I've had to wean myself off LA Noire as I'm onto the third disc already and I don't want it over that quick. I'm now teamed up with a shameless rip-off of Jack Vincennes. "Let's go roust some hopheads."


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## Utopia (Jun 2, 2011)

Loving this game, i'm well into the Homicide cases!!! 


Really feels like i'm 'playing' a film


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## mwgdrwg (Jun 2, 2011)

Just finished the first homicide case. What an amazing and beautiful game, and the soundtrack is just amazing.

Tried the "Black & White" mode last night, which was strange, but fun.


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## Utopia (Jun 2, 2011)

mwgdrwg said:


> Tried the "Black & White" mode last night, which was strange, but fun.



....So whats that all about, same game just in B&W then?


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## Crispy (Jun 2, 2011)

Now that I've finished RDR, I have bought this. Will probably fill the same gap as a series of American TV drama. An episode a night after dinner


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## mwgdrwg (Jun 2, 2011)

Utopia said:


> ....So whats that all about, same game just in B&W then?



Yep!


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## mwgdrwg (Jun 2, 2011)

Crispy said:


> Now that I've finished RDR, I have bought this. Will probably fill the same gap as a series of American TV drama. An episode a night after dinner



Yeah, I like to sit down with a 'Case' once the kids go to bed. Very relaxing.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jun 2, 2011)

Crispy said:


> RDR was made by rockstar. This was made by Team Bondi. Rockstar are just publishing it.


 
you say that but it's clear it's a reskin of the previous GTA:SA Los Santos map with the GTA 4 engine behind it, Bondi have just added the facial stuff on top of the set package.

just as RDR was grand theft horsey this is grand theft dibble...


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## Crispy (Jun 2, 2011)

No, Team Bondi are a separate studio, headed by Brendan McNamara who previously made The Getaway for Sony. They are based in Sydney, while GTA:SA was made in Edinburgh by Rockstar North. Los Santos is a fictional city, whereas L.A. Noire uses a historically accurate map of Los Angeles. GTA runs on Rockstar's RAGE engine, whereas L.A. Noire runs on Team Bondi's own proprietary engine.

L.A.Noire is not GTDibble - it has much less open-world content, and has a far greater narrative focus.


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## Utopia (Jun 2, 2011)

Who cares who made it or where they cut&pasted the framework from, the game is genius, it may look similar but it 'feels' like nothing else!


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## tommers (Jun 2, 2011)

Crispy said:


> No, Team Bondi are a separate studio, headed by Brendan McNamara who previously made The Getaway for Sony.



Ah, that explains it!


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 2, 2011)

It is much more of an "on the rails" game that some of the previous rockstar releases, which i do think is an improvement.


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## ChrisFilter (Jun 2, 2011)

spanglechick said:


> i don't like computer games - i get flustered by the shooting in all directions and a zillion creatures trying and kill me and having to fly a dragon or jump from rock to rock at the same time- but i'll be playing this.


 
How odd. My wife has request that I buy it for her to play.

She was pretty rubbish at the driving, it annoyed her.


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## mwgdrwg (Jun 2, 2011)

My wife loves this game, she can drive ok but can't do the shooting. It's great for her that you can skip the action scenes after failing a couple of times.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 2, 2011)

The driving is crazy, i know they're trying to emulate the handling of 50's cars but they don't half swing wide around the corners.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jun 2, 2011)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> The driving is crazy, i know they're trying to emulate the handling of 50's cars but they don't half swing wide around the corners.


 
odd I foudn they oversteer too much... though the hand brake is to die for (although clearly on the wrong damn button why did they remove all button mapping from 3rd gen games... ffs...


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## Utopia (Jun 2, 2011)

Get yourself a decent 'ride', my personal fav is - http://lanoire.wikia.com/wiki/Nash_La_Fayette_Convertible


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 2, 2011)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> odd I foudn they oversteer too much... though the hand brake is to die for (although clearly on the wrong damn button why did they remove all button mapping from 3rd gen games... ffs...


I thought L2 was the handbrake?!


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## al (Jun 2, 2011)

Utopia said:


> Get yourself a decent 'ride', my personal fav is - http://lanoire.wikia.com/wiki/Nash_La_Fayette_Convertible









my vehicle of choice...


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## Voley (Jun 2, 2011)

I've really fucked my last two cases up and have been demoted. People are getting much, much more difficult to read now.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Jun 2, 2011)

intresting.  ZP kinda said that the actors when lieing sorta overacted.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/3347-L-A-Noire


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## Supine (Jun 2, 2011)

It's so realistic I don't like speeding while driving!

Brilliant game & the graphics are superb


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## Utopia (Jun 3, 2011)

al said:


> my vehicle of choice...



Thats a SChweeeeeeeeeet ride my friend!!


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jun 3, 2011)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> intresting.  ZP kinda said that the actors when lieing sorta overacted.
> 
> http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/3347-L-A-Noire


 
see I think they are overacting when lying which says two things....

one the tech is good enough for us to tell when they are mugging up and a lying and two that they needed to make it obivous as it's a game, I can tell if they are lying I can't tell which evidence to use all the time and find it a tad harsh that you can't retry the evidence again or requestion the witness... 

I got a lead foot throuphy yesterday... longest ride without crash... spaffed it up shortly afterwards...


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## D'wards (Jun 3, 2011)

http://www.priceminister.co.uk/nav/Games/kw/L.A.+Noire

Add the code NOIRE13 to get it for £27.98 - PS3 and Xbox - CEX pay £28 for it 2nd hand and £30 exchange...

(feeling uneasy about posting commercial links, but this is a ruddy bloody good deal, so should not het "done for it"


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## Voley (Jun 8, 2011)

Just finished this last night. Really enjoyed it but just as it was getting difficult enough to test my powers of deduction it ended. There's a lot more scope with this one I think - I'd like to see the interrogation bits get more tricky in the sequel and there's loads of scope for robbing James Ellroy's back catalogue for good plotlines (he should fucking sue, btw  ). Oh and if you're being really faithful to the books you should be allowed to beat confessions out of people occasionally.


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## Crispy (Jun 9, 2011)

Just sat down to start it now. Fluffed the first interrogation 
Loving the atmosphere


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## tommers (Jun 9, 2011)

fluffed the first one?  they tell you what to say!

The interrogations are quite tricky though - matching the lying with the evidence can be a bit hit and miss....


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## Crispy (Jun 9, 2011)

I was trying to be clever >_<


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 9, 2011)

you're too nice innit crispy, get nasty 

*grr*


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## fen_boy (Jun 10, 2011)

Crispy said:


> I was trying to be clever >_<


 
I did exactly the same thing.


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## TopCat (Jun 14, 2011)

I am enjoying this game a lot.


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## treelover (Jun 14, 2011)

Just bought a 2nd hand Xbox console so I could play this game, once i got over the inferior graphics(to PC) i have to say its a very good game, very complex, in fact a bit too hard for me, very original though


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## grit (Jun 14, 2011)

treelover said:


> Just bought a 2nd hand Xbox console so I could play this game, once i got over the inferior graphics(to PC) i have to say its a very good game, very complex, in fact a bit too hard for me, very original though


 
Its the only game that has made me consider buying a 2nd hand xbox for. How much did you manage to get it for?


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## ChrisFilter (Jun 14, 2011)

grit said:


> Its the only game that has made me consider buying a 2nd hand xbox for. How much did you manage to get it for?


 
I just got one with 11 games, headset, 2 x control pads AND the MS Wireless racing wheel/pedals (worth £85 by themselves!) for £80 off eBay. There are loads of bargains to be had.


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## treelover (Jun 14, 2011)

both secondhand, Xbox with Special Ops, two wireless controllers, power brick, etc 85 quid, game, 28 quid, not bad really

try your local fora, gumtree, etc..


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## treelover (Jun 14, 2011)

The other reason i got it is there are few Xbox only games I really want to play, such as Alan Wake, which looks very atmospheric...


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## grit (Jun 14, 2011)

What about when the RROD finally happens, if its second hand I wont have proof of purchase and I'm paranoid that means MS wont replace it when it eventually breaks.


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## Crispy (Jun 14, 2011)

So get another one. You'd still be better off!


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## ChrisFilter (Jun 14, 2011)

grit said:


> What about when the RROD finally happens, if its second hand I wont have proof of purchase and I'm paranoid that means MS wont replace it when it eventually breaks.


 
You don't need proof of purchase. Just register the device at support.xbox.com using the serial number and you're sorted.

It took 5 years for my Xbox to die. They aren't all minutes from death!


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## grit (Jun 14, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> You don't need proof of purchase. Just register the device at support.xbox.com using the serial number and you're sorted.
> 
> It took 5 years for my Xbox to die. They aren't all minutes from death!


 
oooohhh tempting, thanks for the info.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 14, 2011)

must admit, i think heavy rain is better.


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## Supine (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm loving this game. The graphics are stunning at some points. I'm not very good at reading people though, which is probably true in real life too


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## Radar (Jun 26, 2011)

Pc bound this autumn


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 26, 2011)

finished it the other day, it's good but not great.

as i said before, heavy rain is more fulfilling imo. that said, i've started to play this back to try and 5-* all the missions


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## treelover (Jun 26, 2011)

damn, i bought a xbox especially for it and now its coming to pc, maybe i will sell it while i will get a good price..


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 26, 2011)

i blame the left.


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## treelover (Jun 26, 2011)

anyway, lots of mods await, inc the driving...


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 26, 2011)

its pretty damned good, but its not game of your life like they're making out really.


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## treelover (Jun 26, 2011)

I just like clockwork city games, though Saboteur was let down by the graphics..


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 26, 2011)

this is quite a tight game, which is good, the graphics are stunning, its story is ok and the puzzling is a bit obvious once you get how it works.


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## QueenOfGoths (Oct 8, 2011)

PS3 version is £17.99 pre-owned on Game in Maidenhead. I'm quite tempted


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## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 9, 2011)

QueenOfGoths said:


> PS3 version is £17.99 pre-owned on Game in Maidenhead. I'm quite tempted


i'd say its certainly worth a punt at that price.


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## Rajjie (Oct 10, 2011)

I thought it was poo.


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## Radar (Oct 10, 2011)

Still won't forgive em for no RDR on PC


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