L.A. Noire

[cool breeze]

the write up from IGN after they read the Game Informer article ( )

February 6, 2010 - In the March 2010 issue of Game Informer (on stands this month), the first real details of L.A. Noire are revealed. Developed by Team Bondi (The Getaway), L.A. Noire is an open-world action-adventure game set in the City of Angels in 1947. Unlike previous Rockstar efforts, L.A. Noire exists in a real city, painstakingly recreated for historical accuracy. Don't expect the "shoot everyone" mentality of a Grand Theft Auto title -- this is something completely different.

You play as Cole Phelps, a beat cop looking to clean up the streets of L.A. It won't be easy, seeing as how the L.A. police force is mired in corruption from top to bottom. Phelps has his own issues to deal with, including some very bad things he did in World War II. Though he starts low on the totem pole, over the course of L.A. Noire Phelps progresses through a series of "desks" in the department, including traffic, vice and, ultimately, homicide.

As a detective, you have to solve cases through a mixture of investigations, interviews and interrogations. According to the article in GI, when you come across a scene, you won't find highlighted items sitting in obvious places. Crime scenes are said to look natural and require a deft eye to spot important clues. See a pair of glasses on the ground of a supposed murder scene and you can pick them up, noting details such as the brand etched on the inside of the frame. These little bits of information are jotted down on your notepad, which can be brought up at any time.

Things get a little more interesting in regards to the interview system. Team Bondi is using revolutionary technology that could change the way games are made. The new facial motion capturing system sets actors alone in a giant room with cameras all around. In full make-up, the actor delivers their dialogue. Every facial moment is recorded, from the most exaggerate of motions to the slightest twitch of an eye. The dialogue is recorded at this time as well, creating a seamless scene. All of this is then translated into a 3D game landscape with no animators needed. The result? According to GI, it's a picture-perfect rendering of the actor's scene. That's important to the gameplay.

When you interview someone, you'll need to watch their face and determine if they're lying. Like Mass Effect, your dialogue choices come from a handful of general options: coax, accuse or force. The way you handle an interview or interrogation is greatly determined by the reactions you get from the suspect. You can also refute testimony by selecting clues from your notebook.

Unfortunately, GI wasn't shown any of the gunplay, so the set-up for the action sequences is still a mystery.

You can read more details on the demo in the latest issue of Game Informer.

more screens: http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/02/15/new-exclusive-screens-for-l-a-noire.aspx

there are also supposed to be scans of Game informer somewhere but I'm too lazy to look

It sounds awesome.  It's like Heavy Rain if it was a game and the detective stuff wasn't automatic and worthless.

btw, it's on 360 and PS3.  I think people said it was PS3 only at one point.

[The Fake Shemp]

Don't want, will play Mafia II instead.

[demi]

Yeah this wont turn out shit

[cool breeze]

Don't want, will play Mafia II instead.

I played Mafia 1 and really liked it, am really looking forward to Mafia 2, but the Mafia games aren't detective games.

[Stoney Mason]

This game has been a trainwreck of development so until they actually show something cool, I'll remain highly skeptical.

[Mupepe]

Sounds pretty cool to me. 

[Raban]

I got this in the mail the other day, here are your scans. They're in the spoiler.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0196.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0197.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0198.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0199.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0200.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0201.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0204.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0205.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0206.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0207.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0208.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0209.JPG
http://users.noobsgonewild.org/anarchylives/Dr.%20Bob's%20Pharmacy/GI%20Scans/March%20'10/IMG_0210.JPG

[close]

[maxy]

Thanks for the scans,looks good and sounds promising.

[Bebpo]

My favorite Rockstar game is Ping Pong.  They should try making more non-sandbox games.  I thought L.A. Noire was going to be a detective noir adventure game :\

[Raban]

My favorite Rockstar game is Ping Pong.  They should try making more non-sandbox games.  I thought L.A. Noire was going to be a detective noir adventure game :\

That would blow my mind.

Also, thanks for reminding me to get Table Tennis when I get a 360. What is it, like $2 now?

[Kestastrophe]

I was more interested when it was entirely black and white 

[pilonv1]

Don't want, will play Mafia II instead.

indeed. Mafia 2 will be awesome

[Raban]

/not a PS3 exclusive anymore

/feign lack of interest

When I saw this as I was flipping through the mag I lol'd irl.

[TripleA]

Looks interesting, getting a Mafia vibe from the visuals.

[Herr Mafflard]

edge preview

spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6489/img0001qn.jpg

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/7767/img0002zp.jpg

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1900/img0003mk.jpg

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2528/img0004pjc.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7425/img0005mq.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2898/img0006xt.jpg

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8866/img0007ob.jpg

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/849/img0008df.jpg

[close]

Investagative crime drama set in post-WW2 L.A., with cast members and director plucked from Mad Men? Grounbreaking facial mocap (that leaves Heavy Rain in the dust), over 300 unique 'faces' and 22'000 pages of script? Jesus, fuck - I need this game.

I don't want to gush over a damn preview, but they're hitting all the right notes to get me interested: the genre, setting, investigative gameplay... Please don't disappoint. This could easily be my goty if done right.

[WrikaWrek]

Sounds very gud.

[chronovore]

I'll probably get it, but with the length of the dev schedule, the whole thing is most likely a total train wreck.

[Herr Mafflard]

[youtube=560,345]U9IH8fWOwS4[/youtube]


I think so far this has leaked. Looks fucking awesome. 

Edit: okay replaced it with official 'rockstar' version

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Look fucking awesome. Sony should've kept it.

[Stoney Mason]

Definitely like the style and look. Hopefully it turns out to be a good game like Red Dead.

[cool breeze]

looks awesome

they weren't joking when talking about the face capture stuff

only thing that's suspect is that it's from the Getaway team

[Herr Mafflard]

Looks like there's a lot of investigating to do. I wonder how deep your choices go in this game. Like, if you have a choice of accusing different people and you pick the wrong guy (i.e. innocent), would the game continue and factor that into story?

Voice acting sounds fantastic btw, as per usual with Rockstar.

[WrikaWrek]

Facial animation is actually pretty goddamn good.

[Raban]

looks awesome

they weren't joking when talking about the face capture stuff

only thing that's suspect is that it's from the Getaway team

If that's what you meant to say, then I agree. It exactly what popped into my mind first. The facial animations are fantastic.

Rockstar

[cool breeze]

yeah, that's what I meant to say.  I don't type so good.

edit: I want to play alan wake before this to make the faces seem that much better.  characters had trouble closing their eyes in Alan Wake.  his wife looked like a monster.

[iconoclast]

That trailer looked great. The facial animation is ridiculous. Finally someone topped the 6 year old source engine!

[Raban]

That trailer looked great. The facial animation is ridiculous. Finally someone topped the 6 year old source engine!

I was going to mention this but I didn't want to be shit-on since I PC fanboy enough. It's amazing and just a little embarrassing that the Source engine still leads the facial animation department. This game's stuff looks to be miles ahead of it, though.

[Diunx]

Mafia II looks better, real talk.

[Cravis]

I hope they focus on investigation. I'd love for it to be like the Police Quest series but in 1940s LA with a freeroam engine. You go where you want, collect evidence, and interrogate who you want. It needs very little gunplay.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

That's the best facial animation I've ever seen. Wow.

[Raban]

Mafia II looks better, real talk.

Your opinion is terrible. Jesus.

[GilloD]

I will not be able to play this without giggling at Ken Cosgrove, Private Eye

[Diunx]

Mafia II looks better, real talk.

Your opinion is terrible. Jesus.

[Raban]

Mafia II looks better, real talk.

Your opinion is terrible. Jesus.

Oh I'm fine, I just feel sorry for you because you actually think what you're saying makes sense.

[Diunx]

You don't have to feel sorry for me just because I have superior taste in games and movies than you boo.

[Raban]

How delusional can one man be!?

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Still love ya

[close]

[TripleA]

The faces look "placed" on the character models, if that makes sense.

[Diunx]

Yeah they look weird, are they using the same engine they used for gta4, rdr?

[demi]

uh... Mafia 2 looked better. Sorry. And that trailer feels fake as shit.

[Eel O'Brian]

Much like Red Dead, Mafia II, and The Saboteur, I will probably be very forgiving of the game's flaws due to my love of the setting.

[Bebpo]

Is this still PS3 only?

[Stoney Mason]

Is this still PS3 only?

No

[cool breeze]

supposedly it isn't the rage engine anymore, so maybe it won't be that bad on ps3! (already have it preordered on 360)

Is Agent still exclusive?

[Stoney Mason]

Is Agent still exclusive?

Supposedly so, but nothing has been heard about it for quite awhile which seems typical for Rockstar studios.

[Raban]

This isn't on RAGE?

[cool breeze]

Is Agent still exclusive?

Supposedly so, but nothing has been heard about it for quite awhile which seems typical for Rockstar studios.

yeah, I actually just remembered that Max Payne 3 existed today.  Red Dead Redemption was announced a long time before it was eventually released.

I actually wouldn't mind it if more games were like that.  Really put out the media when the game is close to coming out.  And the media for RDR was great since it was going over the gameplay mechanics and all that.

[Raban]

Is Agent still exclusive?

Supposedly so, but nothing has been heard about it for quite awhile which seems typical for Rockstar studios.

yeah, I actually just remembered that Max Payne 3 existed today.  Red Dead Redemption was announced a long time before it was eventually released.

I actually wouldn't mind it if more games were like that.  Really put out the media when the game is close to coming out.  And the media for RDR was great since it was going over the gameplay mechanics and all that.

God the media releases for RDR were fantastic.

[chronovore]

This isn't on RAGE?

RAGE is a very malleable engine; the GTA Vice City Stories on PSP and PS2 were on RAGE, for instance. RAGE also runs RDR, which has a substantially updated graphics engine over its GTA IV instance.

[Raban]

This isn't on RAGE?

RAGE is a very malleable engine; the GTA Vice City Stories on PSP and PS2 were on RAGE, for instance. RAGE also runs RDR, which has a substantially updated graphics engine over its GTA IV instance.

I know this. I checked some sources and it looks like this is using Team Bondi's own engine, from what I can tell. It looks a lot like RAGE. I know what games use RAGE. Table Tennis was the first game to use it. RAGE is my favorite game engine this gen, the more games that use it, the better. I can't wait to see Bully on it.

This isn't on RAGE?

RAGE is a very malleable engine; the GTA Vice City Stories on PSP and PS2 were on RAGE, for instance. RAGE also runs RDR, which has a substantially updated graphics engine over its GTA IV instance.

People don't have any idea what an "engine" can actually refer to.  Go easy on them :p

Relax, I know what I'm talking about.

[maxy]

Team Blondi is independent,small chance of Rockstar giving them RAGE.

[Raban]

Team Blondi is independent,small chance of Rockstar giving them RAGE.

It's funny to think Bondi was once directly competing with Rockstar just last gen.

[Sho Nuff]

Yeah they look weird, are they using the same engine they used for gta4, rdr?

Not sure if they're using the Rage engine (probably), but they are definitely using a new facial cap system. They basically capture a FMV of the actor performing with totally flat lighting, then map that FMV onto animated facial geometry. Has a weird pasted-on look, though.

[maxy]

Everything is better in Uncharted,even sex.

I have a feeling that Agent will deliver cold shower to sfags too.

[Raban]

I dunno. Certain parts of the trailer are iffy, but in most of it the facial animation is stunning.

I guess if you aren't a fan of the face-mapping that's fair, but I think they did really well here. The Irishman's face is perfect.

[maxy]

When you interview someone, you'll need to watch their face and determine if they're lying. Like Mass Effect, your dialogue choices come from a handful of general options: coax, accuse or force. The way you handle an interview or interrogation is greatly determined by the reactions you get from the suspect. You can also refute testimony by selecting clues from your notebook.

This can go wrong easily,it will depend purely on actor performance.

[Raban]

I'm really sick of this active dialogue shit in video games. The idea is fantastic, but if I wanted a conversation system this deep, I'll just go talk to a real live person.

[chronovore]

Finally able to see the video. Wow. That is some great looking cinematic stuff.

I wonder how it will play.

[Cormacaroni]

I'm really sick of this active dialogue shit in video games. The idea is fantastic, but if I wanted a conversation system this deep, I'll just go talk to a real live person.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T DO THAT

[chronovore]

I'm really sick of this active dialogue shit in video games. The idea is fantastic, but if I wanted a conversation system this deep, I'll just go talk to a real live person.

There should be a dynamic conversation game based on arguing with women.  It's all QTE-based, and the longer you take to interpret the required input string, the more suspicious and irrational she becomes.

[Stoney Mason]

http://www.vg247.com/2010/11/18/l-a-noire-previews-detail-a-very-interesting-crime-noire/#more-130279