Paul Yim: (paulyim-deleteme[at]-deleteme-direman [dot] com) 2011-05-30 09:39:08

Joel Noire

Today we begin a new storyline in which everybody's favorite gun-nut is starring in his very own detective story a la Squishy!

Finished L.A. Noire and I have to say a couple of things about it.

Loved the new application of facial scanning. When characters on screen were interacting with each other it didn't feel like a video game for a split second. You forget that they're all digital recreations and you feel like you're watching real actors acting on television.

The gameplay of watching for facial ticks and shifty eye movements only works with the kind of details of expression this game provides. With traditional computer generated character models it would be laughable. The game would be either too easy or impossible. Picking up on facial ques is easy to learn but tricky to master. If you're too clever for your own good you may find yourself double, triple, even quadruple guessing yourself out of the correct response.

The game also does a good job of motivating you to "play it straight". Each case gets a star rating from one to five. Give a bunch of correct responses, find all the clues, and put the right man in jail and you'll get a bunch of stars. Accuse people of lying willy-nilly, get the wrong guy, and run over a bunch of pedestrians and you'll feel a little bit like the State of Texas.

One of the things I absolutely hated about the game was the main character, Cole Phelps. Take Captain Sobel (from Band of Brothers) and every guy you've ever met who's winningest argument was to simply yell louder than you and you've got Cole Phelps. I hate him.

Also, the makers of the game need to work out some kinks as far as what is a "lie" and what is "doubtful" in the game. Some of the connections to evidence you have to make to call someone out on a lie are tenuous at best. I'm sure the next iteration will be more polished in this regard.

That's it! Enjoy the comic and remember to honor our heroes today.