LA Noire Review

                One of the most anticipated games of the year and only really the second or third massively anticipated release so far this year L.A Noire promises much with its revolutionary face capturing technology and its deep investigatory game play but has it delivered?

The story of L.A Noire is the titles strongest facet. You play as Cole Phelps (Aaron Staton), a former military hero returning from the War in the Pacific to become a member of the LAPD. You start as a street cop but are quickly promoted to the Traffic division. This is where the detective fun really begins. The Traffic Desk is one of the most enjoyable out of the four that you work in throughout the game (traffic, homicide, vice and arson), because the cases are the most varied. Each case is individually interesting and enjoyable. All the way through the story there is the undercurrent of a larger case which ultimately builds to a superb climax at the end of the game. What makes the story so immersive are the great characters that you encounter throughout. This is bolstered by the great face animation Rockstar has implemented as well as some of the finest voice acting in video game history. Characters are multidimensional and often not what they seem. The setting of the game is also terrific. Late 1940s Los Angeles is a fine setting for this crime drama. The developers have gone to great lengths to replicate the feeling and ambiance of the period and this makes the experience all the more immersive. The golden age of Hollywood and Jazz is wonderfully replicated throughout. The Map is massive and diverse. You are able to skip driving between locations throughout the story by letting you partner drive but you feel that doing this would not do justice to the work the developers have put in replicating every detail of 1947 LA.

The investigatory part of the gameplay is executed very well. Whilst questioning a suspect or speaking to a witness or victim players are given three options of dialogue, truth, lie, or doubt. Basically, the player picks truth if he knows that the person he is talking to is telling the truth, the player selects lie if he knows the suspect is lying and has evidence to prove it, and doubt if you know the person could be lying but you have no truth. This system works well, but sometimes you do feel that your character is not questioning exactly what you want him to. Overall the investigation mechanics are solid. Where the gameplay falls down slightly are the open world controls. To cover system feels dated as it is basically the same the one in GTA 4. One other mildly irritating issue emerges whilst the player is engaged in an on foot chase. Players are able to fire a warning shot, tackle the fleeing suspect or simply shoot them. However you never have the option to do either of the three, it is always one or the other. You also cannot shoot people in the leg to stop them running, if you shoot someone they will die no matter which area of their body you target. It may have been more realistic to be able to choose one of these options in order reprimand a fleeing suspect rather than having one method chosen for you. The game also seems a little buggy. I played through the 360 version and do not know if the same can be said for the PS3 version. Cars often disappeared as you were driving by them. This is especially annoying if you are trying to collect every car in the game. All this said the controls and gameplay mechanics are good and it is only on one or two occasions that they become problematic.  

Graphically this game is one of the best on the consoles. 1940s LA is stunningly diverse and interesting and the character animation is second to none. The environmental detail is outstanding, particularly the 95 vehicle models. Each car is beautiful spurring players to drive all 95. The graphical wait of this game is underpinned by the fact that it shipped on 3 disks for the 360. LA Noire must have one of the largest casts ever assembled for a video game. There are hundreds upon hundreds of individually mapped faces throughout the game and it is no wonder it took five years to develop. 

Overall LA Noire is an extremely fun gaming experience. Rockstar is able to replicate the splendour of its other marquee sandbox title making this game a must play especially if you want to experience something new and different to what you may normally play. The story is diverse and interesting from beginning to end even if the dated on foot controls let it down slightly. LA Noire is a marvellous game that furthers the notion that video games are as an immersive experience as film, literature, and theatre if not more so.  

Score 8.8/10  

The best characters in video games

The best characters in video games.

Video games have been around for a while now and we have seen the rise and fall of many video game characters that have become memorable for many different reasons whether that be their role in a great game, nostalgia from childhood or a time gone by, or alternately their inclusion in a truly terrible game.   Would just like to point out that I have never had a Nintendo console, which does not mean I have never played Nintendo games, but I do not have the same nostalgia for their games. I am not saying they are not great games but if I was more of a Nintendo player then this list would be dominated by Link, Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, and the like. This does not however mean I not include them so those of you who swear by Zelda do not stop reading now. This is my top fifteen video game characters of all time.

15. Carl “CJ” Johnson (Grand theft Auto: San Andreas)

It is difficult to pick one out of the many charismatic Grand Theft Auto characters but after a tossup between Niko Bellic, Roman, and CJ it had to be CJ because San Andreas is in my opinion the best game of the series and one of the greatest games of all time. CJ has to deal with some of the most ridiculous and the best characters in the GTA franchise including OG Log and officer Tenpenny. CJ is also one of the more likable leads in the GTA series, Tommy Vercetti in Vice City comes across as being a bit of a bastard and Claude (GTA III) is silent and not in the good Gordon Freemen way. CJ is also involved in some of the best missions of the series. Overall CJ is a great character in the middle of one of the greatest games of all time.

14. Big Daddy (Bioshock)

Escorts to the little sisters, the Big Daddies are some of the most impressive and scary bad guys in all of gaming. What is especially unique about them is their deep sea diving attire, which fits perfectly into early 20^th century setting of Bioshock. Each encounter with a big Daddy is nail biting and very memorable. The Big Daddy is one of the best original iconic characters of this generation.

13. Captain Price (Call of Duty Modern Warfare series)

Captain Price emerged from Call of Duty for as one of the most relished characters. He is the perfect SAS member with a great London accent to match. He also utters the best lines of the series such as “I keep this for close encounters”; a line some will have realised originates from Aliens. He also out does Mario in having the best moustache in video games. Overall he is the quintessential British Special Forces soldier and as many of the other characters on this list are, he is the stand out character in a stand out series.

12. The Joker (Batman: Arkham Asylum)

 One of the best ever portrayals of the face painted villain. Mark Hamel’s voice acting is absolutely superb bringing a comparable feel of unhinged psychotics to the Joker. The boss battle at the end of Arkham Asylum is very enjoyable as well. The Joker is an enemy that the player is already familiar with but he is still able to frighten and amuse the player through his wild rants.

11. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

Appearing in the Tomb Raider series Lara Croft is the essence of girl power emerging in the 90s at a time when girl power was king with the likes of the Spice Girls. Like Crash Bandicoot Tomb Raider also put the PS1 on the map. However, since the original three the games have fallen from grace somewhat. Going along the Sonic route, the games of recent have frankly been terrible. Apart from being the first attractive game character, Lara Croft also tapped into the explorer in everyone. She is basically a female Indiana Jones allowing players to see areas of the world that they could have only dreamed of all be it in graphical limitations of the PS1.

10. Crash Bandicoot

Crash’s place on this list is attributed to the role he played in my childhood. The first game I got on the PS1 was Crash Bandicoot 3 and it was a completely amazing experience for an eight year old boy to spin his way through time as an orange Bandicoot (which does not actually look like a bandicoot but a fox). Crash Bandicoot was such a simple character, he was mute, all he did was run around in his blue three quarter shorts and brown trainers spinning and jumping on stuff. If you go back now and play the original three Crash Bandicoot games they still hold up as great platformers. Crash Bandicoot was a simple but wonderful character who helped put the PS1 on the map.

9. Marcus Fenix (Gears Of War)

Marcus Fenix is the definition of one dimensional but then again so is every other character in the Gears of War series. Two things contribute to his place on this list; one is his awesome voice by John DiMaggio, which is perfectly husky adding to his ridiculously hench image, the other is his role in the GoW series. He is ultimately just a massive bad ass. HE CHAINSAWS HIS WAY OUT OF A GIANT WORM for goodness sake that has got to count for something.

8. Wheatley (Portal 2)

Stephen Merchant provides the voice for Wheatley, probably one of the best video game voice acting castings of all time. He provides some of the best comedy in video game history. He makes the character of Wheatley, who is basically a white robotic orb seem very human which is an impressive feet. This may spoil the plot but he also a great villain later on in the game, a great idiot.

7. John Marston (Red Dead: Redemption)

Red Dead Redemption is undeniable one of the best games of the past ten years. Rockstar were able to capture comprehensively the essence of the “Great American West”. The Sunday Times went as far as to call it the greatest western ever made. John Marston is the character you play throughout the immense and enthralling story. He is basically forced by the US Government to round up the members of his former rag tag gang of bandits to gain access back to his family. Marston is one of the most relatable personalities in gaming because of his plight as a reformed man marred by his dark past. Marston’s voice (Rob Wientoff) is another part of his character which makes him so memorable.  He has a perfectly husky voice. Overall Marston is a superb character within a truly ground breaking game, showing how developed characters can be within modern video games.

6. Master Chief (Halo)

Not a well known fact, but Halo is the most profitable entertainment brand of the past ten years, even topping Harry Potter. Difficult to believe I know but Halo: Combat Evolved, like Tomb Raider in 1996, put its release console on the map. Halo launched the X Box into the stratosphere with is addictive multiplayer and refreshing campaign. Halo 2 did much the same, becoming the first game to bring online play on the consoles to the mass market. Master Chief is possible the most iconic video game character of the past 10 years as well and although he does not speak, he oozes cool as the Last Spartan Warrior. Master Chief is to many the definitive game character and Halo the definitive game.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog

Like so many of the characters on this list Sonic launched a console. In this case it was the Sega Mega Drive. When the Mega Drive was announced few thought that it would be able to challenge the dominance that Nintendo had over the market. Little did the world know that they would be soon be addicted to speeding through the Green Zone, defeating Doctor Robotnik, and freeing the small fluffy animals. Sonic combined Sonic platforming with speed. When you look at the slow pace of the Mario Games then look at the speed of the Sonic games it is easy to see how the blue hedgehog posed such a big threat to the red plumber and his friends. However unlike Mario, Sonic failed to reinvent himself successfully with each new generation of consoles. The Sonic games of past have been dreadful. Still the excellence and addictiveness of the original Sega Mega Drive series is what makes Sonic one of the most iconic characters in popular culture.

4. Kratos (God of War)

Kratos is the lead character form the god of War series. The God of War games are some of the most influential of the past ten years. Almost all games of the action genre set within a medieval/ancient sort of theme that has been released since can be seen to take huge parts of the God of War games. Kratos is pretty much the ultimate bad ass. He wields possible the coolest weapons ever seen in a video game, the chained blades, and is involved in some of the most brutal, spectacular gameplay ever seen. One particular level that stands out for me is the first level of God of War 2 in which Kratos fights the Colossus of Rhodes. (Gametrailers.com also took this level as an example of a true great in their ‘Level’ series.) This game really was the swansong for the PS2 and it really does push the hardware to the max. The sequence is truly epic in all senses of the word with Kratos first battling the behemoth from the outside and then from within before he is stabbed by Zeus. Kratos is the best example of a character that may be morally flawed in terms of his life outlook but we still love him anyway.

3. Gordon Freeman (Half Life)

Gordon Freeman’s place on this list is helped immensely by the fact that he is the lead character in two of the most critically acclaimed and popular games of all time. He is of course silent, something a lot of the characters seem to have in common. He lives, especially in Half Life 2, of his notoriety. He is the quintessential silent protagonist. He actually looks very normal with his glasses and beard but in the game he transforms into an orange clad head crab killing machine. Personally the greatest Gordon Freeman moment is the Half Life 2 level where Freeman has to make his way through the head crab infested town of Ravenholm. The player is on the edge of their seat for the whole level as head crabs spring from all around. Freeman is the most emblematic character that Valve has created and that is saying something considering Valve’s pedigree.

2. Solid Snake (Metal Great Solid)

First seen in Metal Gear in 1987, I however came to know the Fox Agent in Metal Gear Solid on the PS1. Like John Marston Solid Snake is the perfect character for his role, a husky voiced stealth soldier who is a demon in a card board box, (did anyone ever actually use the box apart from to look ridiculous?). Metal Gear Solid 2 also saw the appearance of Snake but only as a playable character in the first Tanker Chapter of game, One of the greatest ‘levels’ in gaming history in my opinion. After this you play as Raiden. I am not a Raiden hater like some people; actually I think he is pretty bad ass to. Solid does appear as (plot spoiler) Plisken throughout the story but it is not the same. Solid snake is a genre defining character who is involved in some of the greatest sequences and set pieces in video games.

1. Mario

I realise that it is completely obvious that Mario would be number one but it is really difficult not to give him that spot. Mario games are consistently amazing especially the super Mario games on each console. By these I mean Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, and super Mario 1, 2 and 3. These games are truly spectacular. Super Mario Galaxy is one of the most fun games I have ever played. Also when I say Mario this encompasses the other Mario Characters too otherwise this list would be dominated by them. Luigi, Bowser, and Peach all add to the Mario image. Coupled with the Super Mario games are the other spin offs. Mario Kart is one of the most addictive games of all time. Once me and a couple of mates played Mario Kart 64 for 20 hours straight. This is insanity these games instil in people. I know the lack of other Nintendo characters in this list will piss people off but Mario is the best ever and probably will be for a while.

Well there it is the top 15. I realise there is no Link or Samus but as I said I have never had a Nintendo console. Obviously these characters would rank highly. One interesting point that did come about while I was compiling this list was the fact that there are so many fantastic Nintendo characters. This is of course due to the fact that there have been so many memorable Nintendo games over the years. So take this list, if you will, as the greatest characters that are not Nintendo’s, with Mario as the only exemption as he is the ultimate video game character. 

Are sequels ruining Games?

As I look up at my shelves full of video games ranging from PS1, GB Colour to X Box 360 I have realized that the majority of the games are sequels or titles that spawned sequels. Gears of War, Dead Space, Tekken, and Spyro the Dragon. When you look at other artistic formats such as movies, granted there are many sequels but there are also lots of great movies that are not sequels that come out each year. However, if you take 2010 as an example almost all of the games that were nominated for Game of the Year by the press were sequels. Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are all sequels. Of course there is no denying that these are all great, immersive and groundbreaking titles but they are not completely original. 

  Original titles of course are still released but they are swamped by sequels. XBLA and PSN have been the key areas where new titles have emerged providing originality, examples being Trails HD and Super Meat Boy. The reason for this of course is the fact that these games are developed on much smaller budgets and thus published with much less financial risk than full boxed releases. As the costs have increased over time to develop games the creativity seems to have slipped. If you take a look back to the 80s when the NES was king the majority of the release catalogue was original titles. If you cast your eye over this year’s major releases you see that they are almost entirely sequels. Gears 3, Elder Scrolls V, and Battlefield 3 to name a few. Are the sequels killing creativity within the gaming industry?

Arguably yes, if a studio creates one stellar title they just work year in and out to create sequel upon sequel. Take Treyarch for example, all they do is develop their Call of Duty games that are released bi-annually. Could they not just leave Call of Duty to Infinity Ward and develop something new and unique? Do we really need CoD every year? Fundamentally, the issue is money. Activision knows CoD will make millions in profit every year no matter if the game is average of outstanding; they have been able to build up such a base of support that they know people will buy it. It is too much of a risk for them to develop a new IP that will cost money and not necessarily succeed.

It is not all doom and gloom though. One of the big releases this year is Rockstar’s L.A Noire, which is an original title that looks to be very promising. Rockstar are able to develop new IP’s of the success of and recognisability of their name. Titles like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead are extremely successful blazing a trail for games like L.A Noire and Bully. Other Studios and publishers should see Rockstar as an example. I do not mean to pick on Activision and Treyarch but Treyarch is a very recognisable name in the gaming world so they could build on their name and take a risk.

Overall, if the video game industry wants regarded at artistic and creative levels comparable to that of the movie industry then it needs to take risks artistically and creatively. Eventually the industry will stagnate in a sea of sequels ultimately if new IPs are not created. 

Welcome

Hi, I am Padsy and you may have noticed this is a new blog. What I am trying to make this blog is a discussion point for video game topics. Whether that be which GTA is the best or what people think is the next big thing in video gaming. I will also be writing on what games I am playing at the moment and whether i would recommend them etc. Hopefully people will find these posts interesting and though provoking, if not then fair do's!