L.A. Noire: Across the Threshold

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Don Becker: I’m not quite sure what to make of the character models, to be honest. They look real, and sometimes they move like a real person, but every once in a while someone will walk very stiffly.

As for the rest of the game, it’s hard to get a feel for it after playing the tutorial levels, but the first real case in the game looks to be deep and immersive, which is really all I wanted out of this game. I can see it being a time sink; no way I can quickly go through a lead or two before work in the morning.

One additional thought: part of me wants to go all Niko Bellic and start rampaging through Downtown Los Angeles, just to see what would happen…

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Jen Sisco: I have a lot of hope for this game! As a fan of Rockstar and of the detective and noir genres, I was elated to hear about this game. My first criticism is that the new and highly inventive facial modeling makes everyone in the game look like old alcoholics. On the other hand, the ability to switch to black and white mode allows the player to become more entrenched in 1947 Los Angeles and brings out the nuances of the characters’ expressions.

The evidence collection and interrogations make for immersive gameplay. This game literally steals hours from your life – the grit, the grime, the war hero and enough mentions of the Black Dahlia to make any historical crime enthusiast’s heart melt. I am sold! My main concern is how Rockstar will sell us an All-American Goody Two-Shoes character after their long run of hooligans with hearts of gold.

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George Collazo: My very first impression of L.A.

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Noire was the awesome packaging – I got the GameStop pre-order which came with actual film strips. When it came to the game itself, the first thing I noticed was the vast improvement with the controls. There was always a thing with Rockstar games where you end up running around in a circle for no apparent reason. With this game the controls felt a lot tighter and simplified. For instance, if you want to run up a fire escape you just hold up, instead of having to perform a corkscrew with your controller that usually ends up with your character falling off a roof and dying or failing the mission.

The story is also pretty intense. The main character being a cop seems to play on the criticism that Rockstar has gotten in the past, much the way that John Marston’s not sleeping with prostitutes seemed to be a response to the whole GTA: San Andreas Hot Coffee fiasco.

My only criticism is with the soundtrack. I will usually play MP3s from a Rockstar title for months, if not years after I have beaten the game. This has happened with Bully, Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, but for some reason (maybe my abiding hatred for jazz) I don’t feel this soundtrack will stay with me.

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