L.A. Noire

Hello there! It's been quite some time since I last posted, but hopefully anyone who has read my blogs will forgive me!  I have broken a bone in my arm from basketball, so typing this will be a slow painful process.  I hope it will be worth it! Now, I am going to review a game that has come out recently: L.A. Noire.

Alright, here's the rub, see?  L.A. Noire is a suspense thriller game, where you are a police officer in Hollywood, set in the 1940's.  I personally love this, as I am a fan of 40's and 50's era.  Your role is an up and coming police officer, trying to rise through the ranks with each solved case. Starting as a patrolman, you go through such squads as homicide, vice, arson and traffic.

The game holds a great amount of detail; so great, in fact, that it takes 3 discs to hold everything on the Xbox 360 version.  That's because of all the options as well.  Thanks to the blueray discs used by Sony, the Playstation 3 copy uses only one disc.  The world is free roam, similar to the Grand Theft Auto franchise (it is made by the same people, after all) so you can drive around Hollywood and stop street crimes as they occur, and discover landmark locations as well.  The action in the game is fun as well; shoot outs with criminals, foot chases and car chases....not to mention fist fights.  The characters in the game are interesting as well, varying in personalities.  With each promotion, you get a new partner, including new experiences as a result.

The details don't just stop at the freedom of travel.  The whole investigation scenes are excellent.  You search the crime scene (and other key locations) for clues, which you can later use as a tool when interrogating suspects and witnesses.  The great thing about interviewing people is the use of a new experience in gaming.  The technology they used incorporates actual facial expressions from actors, which not only makes for interesting gameplay, but makes for incredible experiences when interrogating (such as frequent blinks, shifty eyes, a smug look); each expression you have to try and read is different for each character's personality.  For an example of the interrogating experience, click here. ALERT! Spoiler, but taken from early in the game.

All in all, I suggest trying this game out; even if on the Xbox 360.  I know some of you may think that 3 discs would be annoying, but it doesn't really disrupt gameplay, as you don't have to switch back and forth between discs. At least rent it! Hey, I'm not jivin', see?