May 2011
L.A. Noire
I have to admit, I don’t recall much about the story or characters of L.A. Noire. My recollection is that it felt disjointed in some way, and I never connected to the game for these particular elements. That said, I remember liking the game and playing it through to the end. It was a technological showpiece for Rockstar, using impressive motion capture tech which made the characters lifelike in an almost uncanny valley way. The voice acting and soundtrack were top notch, the city impressively designed. They captured the feel of the era so well, and not in the way GTA games do. This isn’t a caricature of Chicago, it’s a leveled and serious take. I hated the driving - this is a Rockstar game so no surprise - but enjoyed the investigation and questioning that took place. The feeling is being a detective was neat and a change of pace in an era of being the anti-hero. The stakes felt more real and serious. While I don’t think it lived up to the hype, it was a fun and interesting game and worth playing.
Shoutouts to Gatling Gears, Dirt 3, Bangai-O, Virtua Tennis 4, and Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. Not a terrific month overall, but every console needs a breather right?