L.A. Noire, with all DLC, for $25. Worth it?

D

dderidex

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Oct 31, 2001
Messages
6,328
Looking for a quick opinion, here, since Steam has a 'complete edition' on sale for 50% off today.

The setting SOUNDS interesting - wife and I are huge fans of that era. The 'Nero Wolfe' TV series one of our favorites, fans of the 'hard boiled' detective novels, etc.

So...how is the game? Is this really much of a mystery-solving type of thing? Or basically just a shooter with some clicky-scenes (rather like other Rockstar games)?

I understand there ARE combat elements - how do those break down vs non-combat (dialog/investigation/etc)? Is that most of the game? Not much of it? etc
 
If you are looking for a shooter this is definitely not what you are looking for. The shooter elements are a secondary part of the game play. From your post I would think you would really like this game. Its definitely not a game for everyone or even most people but if you are looking for something different Its not bad at all IMHO.
 
MrGoat said:
If you are looking for a shooter this is definitely not what you are looking for. The shooter elements are a secondary part of the game play. From your post I would think you would really like this game. Its definitely not a game for everyone or even most people but if you are looking for something different Its not bad at all IMHO.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's something I was thinking the wife might enjoy playing a bit with. But she hates shooters, so 'not a shooter' is a good thing.

A lot of places seem to pitch it as a 'dark, violent' setting. Is it really? Moreso than your typical period detective novel?
 
It's a great adventure game with decent acting and not as bad as Q-BZ always says it is :)

I treat it like a classic 90s adventure game and it's great in that way. I don't expect any fun out of the driving (why did they even create the entire city? such a waste!) and usually just fast travel from location to location.

It is NOTHING like a Rockstar game. That's probably one reason many people tuned it out. It's basically a crime solving game. You collect clues, interrogate witnesses, try to read their facial expressions, etc. The shooting and action scenes can even be skipped if you fail them a few times in a row.

It's a mediocre game with the polish of a blockbuster game but a very enjoyable depiction of the era. It's a game with elements you don't find in other modern games.

For what I've played of the game, I'm mostly in bright and sunny LA and Hollywood of 1947 or whatever. It's not dark or hardboiled but it may turn out that way once I get out of the traffic division. As far as violence, there really isn't any unless you do the "street crimes" which are random side-mission crimes you might come across if you are driving around the city and 95% of them involve shooting the bad guys but those things only last about a minute.

Unless you are really in love with the 1940s/1950s nostalgia or like old fashioned adventure games, I'd maybe wait until this is $14.99.

What this game is not:
YmOnc.png
 
Last edited:
dderidex said:
A lot of places seem to pitch it as a 'dark, violent' setting. Is it really? Moreso than your typical period detective novel?
Click to expand...
nope.
can check on youtube for gameplay vids.
the general idea of the game is you go around questioning people and examining crime scenes etc for clues and evidence. it does this pretty well, and is quite immersive, so if you are into this sort of thing i think you will enjoy it.

im not into this style of game yet i think highly about those parts of the game
 
It's like a modern point and click adventure i'd say. It's refreshing. Kinda like how Heavy Rain was refreshing, if that makes sense.
 
Spare-Flair said:
It's a great adventure game with decent acting and not as bad as Q-BZ always says it is :)
Click to expand...

Yes it is. ;)

At $25 I can be a little more forgiving than the laughable full price they were asking for this otherwise.


Love that comic you posted. :)
 
I'd like to play the game on my PC, but if it's still locked at 30 FPS with no graphics options, forget it. You either love games like this or hate them. I loved heavy rain, and I like to play this, but it sounds like I'd be just as well off to borrow my brother's copy and play it on the Xbox.
 
If you're interested Onlive have it for $1 in their showcase section, a few other games aswell - Battlefront is free for example.
 
I think a lot of the negative comments here are from people that either don't like the game type (adventure/mystery), haven't played it, or just simply don't get it...

Personally I loved the game...so much that I quit playing half way through the Xbox version so I could finish it on the superior PC version :)

As far as graphics go...there's a lot of adjustments and I haven't noticed a 30fps cap.

To the OP...you and your wife will enjoy the game very much! The shooting sequences while not the games primary focus are done well I thought...nothing too special or unique but certainly not any worse or better than any other third person shooting game. Best word I can think of is "solid".

Driving in the game is so-so...honestly after a little while I just fast traveled but that's not because I didn't enjoy driving, it was just something I did so I could more quickly get to the exciting crime scenes :)

Anyways...for $25 for the complete game and DLC...I for one say its worth it! You'll enjoy the performances, the technology used, the sounds and music...its just a great game over all! Especially considering you and your wife are fans of the era!
 
JoeUser said:
I think a lot of the negative comments here are from people that either don't like the game type (adventure/mystery),
Click to expand...

I love action/adventure.

haven't played it,
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I did.

or just simply don't get it...
Click to expand...


Yeah, I got it. Especially after the narrative hopelessly flies off the rails after Homicide.

No replay value in this thing, either.


For $25 it isn't the end of the world but I feel sorry for anyone that goes into this expecting some great action adventure game.
 
Last edited:
Wow...I think what you and I both have are called "opinions"...which, believe it or not, differ from person to person!

I personally thought the game was great as it did exactly what I expected it to do and actually turned out a lot better than I would have thought.

You obviously did not.

However, based on what the OP said I feel that he would enjoy this game with his significant other...in fact it seems like it would be perfect...considering its really the only game of its kind. For $25 with all that the game has to offer it is certainly worth it at this price...more so than 99% of games released today at $60 that's for sure...*cough* Modern Warfare 3 *cough*...

So I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the game QB-Z but that's no reason to shoot it down for everyone in every single LA Noire thread created as OBVIOUSLY it wasn't a bad game or it would have failed...which based on many reviews, both professional and gamer, it obviously did not.

Not everyone's going to like it...but I can guarantee you that there are more people that bought it who liked it versus those who didn't. Its a niche game for a niche market...that is all. Just because you didn't like it doesn't make it a horrible game unworthy of anyone's time or money. Remember that word "opinion" I talked about?

Quit the riding the hate train and just hop off! Don't hurt yourself though!!!
 
30 FPS cap does suck and sometimes it hurts my eyes a bit. I understand this is because all the facial animation and motion capture only work at 30 FPS timing so they have to lock the whole game to that.
 
JoeUser said:
<whatever>

Quit the riding the hate train and just hop off! Don't hurt yourself though!!!
Click to expand...

Gag me with a spoon.


The only person getting a little hot'n'bothered here is you. LOL, what for? The game isn't even worth that. Yeah, that's my opinion. ;)

Get some sleep and enjoy the weekend. :)


But yeah, I should probably lay off showing up in every thread about it at this point. ;)

I guess I just kind of feel like I need to warn people off if they go in with expectations that aren't going to match what they're going to see in this thing but if people really want to go into this expecting a "great action adventure game" then good luck to them and I hope they enjoy it more than I did. :)


What kills me is: When you play it, there's flashes of potential and downright brilliance all over the place. It just fell short. I REALLY wanted to love this game badly. I supported it because I wanted something different and fresh. It's a shame they didn't spend another 6 good months on it to put it over the top.


I'd love a game where you could be in more or less of an open world where you could be Sherlock Holmes if you want to be and if you "go gray" or "go bad" and start playing it like it's GTA then you're going to endure all kinds of consequences but the nice deep detective work is there in addition to the potential freedom and fully realized world of a GTA like game.

Maybe some day, some one will do it right. The only other game that stood out to me in recent times with mind boggling missed opportunity is Mafia 2. That world is so full, gorgeous, and fully realized and it's an empty, unused shell and that's tragic.
 
Last edited:
I for one enjoy the different opinions, especially from long time [H] users. because it helps me to make a purchasing decision. I have come to know people over time. I tend to buy the games anyway but usually at lower price points. At that time opinions are either confirmed or refuted and so over time I can tell what's what.

Obviously Q-BZ was too euphoric on SR3, but I still trust him on L.A. Noire. Not sure why JoeUser got banned but it couldn't have been this thread.
 
its a good deal imo, If you want a little something different in a rockstar type world its worth checking out maybe it doesnt have much immediate replay value but I can see my self taking another go at in in a year or so after my feeble brain has forgotten the majority of the story. 25 bucks for a good weekend of gaming isnt a bad deal really.
 
Thuleman said:
I for one enjoy the different opinions, especially from long time [H] users. because it helps me to make a purchasing decision. I have come to know people over time. I tend to buy the games anyway but usually at lower price points. At that time opinions are either confirmed or refuted and so over time I can tell what's what.
Click to expand...

That's how I see it. :)

Obviously Q-BZ was too euphoric on SR3,
Click to expand...

I was? ;)

It's got some flaws but it's good fun. I'd give it an 8/10 overall.

but I still trust him on L.A. Noire. Not sure why JoeUser got banned but it couldn't have been this thread.
Click to expand...

It wasn't. He was basically in that Gabe Newell thread putting over his piracy habits and apologisms and that was what did him in.


For $25 you could do worse again, if you know what to expect. That review I linked to early in the thread really nails it at least from the "dissenters" camp. ;)
 
Q-BZ said:
What kills me is: When you play it, there's flashes of potential and downright brilliance all over the place. It just fell short. I REALLY wanted to love this game badly. I supported it because I wanted something different and fresh. It's a shame they didn't spend another 6 good months on it to put it over the top.

Maybe some day, some one will do it right. The only other game that stood out to me in recent times with mind boggling missed opportunity is Mafia 2. That world is so full, gorgeous, and fully realized and it's an empty, unused shell and that's tragic.
Click to expand...

See, this bugged me big time in Mafia II because there is actually a reason to explore and the sandbox element is all there.

With this game, it's basically an FMV game of the 90s done in 3D with a rendered city you can drive around so I don't have any expectations or care about wasted potential.

I can't imagine how they would make a sandbox game with a character with a daily job, especially as a cop. What would you have done differently?
 
Spare-Flair said:
See, this bugged me big time in Mafia II because there is actually a reason to explore and the sandbox element is all there.

With this game, it's basically an FMV game of the 90s done in 3D with a rendered city you can drive around so I don't have any expectations or care about wasted potential.

I can't imagine how they would make a sandbox game with a character with a daily job, especially as a cop. What would you have done differently?
Click to expand...

It's difficult to explain but basically the overly simple and short answer is: Imagine a game that basically marries the good elements out of this with the good elements out of a GTA style game. Obviously you take out or modify whatever things need to be to make the entire concept cohesive, compatible, have at least a modicum of logic, and most importantly something that I simply can't describe this game as: FUN.
 
Either you like the game or you don't. I actually like the game, sure it's not a sandbox, but I'll go play GTA for that.

Anyone want to sell a Steam Code? I missed the sale :/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top