I don't mean to be a dick, but there was literally no point in that post since it's been said at least a hundred times on this board. Yes, we get it. We get the idea. We know it wasn't meant to be GTA. Blah. Blah. Blah. Everyone knew what it was going to be, you're right, and anyone expecting GTA deserves all the disappointment they get.
BUT.
That doesn't mean it's a good game, necessarily. Aside from the mo-cap technology, I can't think of anything particularly new it brought to the table in terms of gameplay - all the investigative elements have been done before, as have the "action" elements, and the main criticism is that they weren't executed very well in this game. Personally, my main problem is that it wasn't engaging enough to remain interesting throughout - especially when it repeats itself over and over and over again. Once you've done two or three cases, you've pretty much experienced everything the game has to offer, then it just repeats itself with little to no significant variation.
You may say, "BUT THAT'S WHAT A DETECTIVE'S LIFE IS, DON'T YOU SEE? It's not all guns and car chases" ... fine, but does it make a good game? No. You could make a perfectly realistic video game about a potato-picker's day-to-day life but that wouldn't sustain good gameplay.
And gameplay aside, even if I were to look at this as pure narrative and forget the gameplay altogether, the story's NOT that good - even by pulp fiction detective novel standards. All the characters were caricatures, none of them particularly engaging (including the hugely unsympathetic protagonist) and the story plodded along quite predictably. Even when there was a "twist" it lacked the punch it seemed intended to deliver because there's no reason to care. Had the script been turned into a film instead, it would have been panned and forgotten very quickly indeed.
So no, the problem isn't necessarily caused by stupid, irrational expectations or by peoples' attention spans or lack of "appreciation for the sleuth genre" - some people just feel that it didn't work well as a game. And the reasons are clear, and have been stated time and time again with little rebuttal other than the stock "You didn't get it" or "This wasn't supposed to be GTA" responses. You want to see a game which managed to combine great storytelling with equally intriguing gameplay? Red Dead Redemption. Go to the boards there and see how many people are complaining. Popular opinion isn't always right, but there's a strong case for it here.
These bastards!
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Gowienczyk
13 years ago
I'm one in the camp who feels the gameplay doesn't have to be particularly innovative to be a engaging game (however I do agree on the narrative front, but that's another story). How many times have the mechanics of the modern FPS or even open-world games like Grand Theft Auto been done? I'd wager two decades is a long time to be thrown with such mechanics and for people who want PERFECT mechanical cohesion or INNOVATIVE ONLY are going to have a very small game library and a lot of gripes. The mechanic wasn't the most seamless in LA Noire, I agree. The driving engine felt clunky at times, especially in chases. The TPS mechanic wasn't exactly the most invigorating either, but it worked enough. However, I found the interrogations and sleuthing both engaging and entertaining. Maybe it's because my huge enjoyment of noir and crime dramas that aids in this, but I liked every minute of it and enjoyed 80% of the cases (including DLC). I am not one who thought "well is this all the game is" after three cases as there is variation within the case format.
That's how it should of been and its what made LA Noire stick. The procedural detective work and sleuthing made me feel like I was playing a sleuth game that wasn't contrived or weak. Was it full or masterful? No. It was enough to push the medium/genre (hopefully) forward.
I understand how someone could of not liked it or found it dull. But dismissing it like I keep seeing on several boards just seems ridiculous to me and in a way disrespectful of the piece of art we have in front of us.
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NoodleLizard
13 years ago
It's as if you didn't read my post. I only mentioned one technical aspect of the game to show that the gameplay itself (i.e. concept, objective, investigation etc.) was not unique or new, the only innovation being the extensive use of motion capture.
I'm not one to harp on about mechanics at all. I'm not even a big gamer, and generally lean more towards cinematic, narrative games such as Red Dead Redemption or Assassin's Creed than the Call Of Dutys or various other shoot 'em ups. But L.A. Noire just offered nothing but tedium after a while, and it began to feel far more like a duty to get it over with than actually enjoying what was going on. It feels to me like a very small, mildly interesting idea stretched out to the point of absurdity.
I suggest getting hold of the old Blade Runner game for PC. If you ask me, it pulled off the investigate and interrogate gameplay angle far better, and was far more ambitious in its aims (especially since it was made around 15 years ago).
These bastards!
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