Review: LA Noire by Rockstar Games

Detail:

Name: LA Noire

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar Games

Type: 3rd person Adventure

Version: Playstation

Reviewed by Earl Davis

Description:

L.A. Noire is a gritty, single player detective game set on the infamous streets and in the smoke-filled back rooms of post-war Los Angeles. Designed and developed with a nod to the classic film noire movie genre, L.A. Noire blends crystal clear graphics that bring the iconic look and feel of the era to life, with a combination of innovative technology and unique gameplay that allow you to solve crimes through interrogations and investigation. Additional features include: five LAPD based crime desks to work, the ability to analyze the case as well as suspects for clues, an accurate block-by-block recreation of eight sq miles of 1947 Los Angeles, multiple difficulty settings and more.

Review:

Cole Phelps winces at the morning sunlight, tugging gently at the brim of his hat, hoping to give some small relief to his eyes. The well-worn grip of his snub nosed .38 digs into the thick scar between his ribs; a gift from a Jap soldier in the war. Off in the distance, the grinning teeth of the HOLLYWOODLAND sign offer a welcome and a warning to the denizens of Angel City. This is a world of booze and blood, of bullets and broads.

This is LA Noire.

Rockstar has written a love letter to the hardboiled detective and all of his fans. No, this is more than that. It’s the love letter given before dinner, followed with drinks, and dancing before culminating in an orgasmic reach around that may have the neighbors calling the police.

Players are dropped into the role of Cole Phelps, a war hero of the Pacific campaign, who is now a Los Angeles police officer. Eschewing the standard tutorial structure, Rockstar chose to begin the game with Cole and his partner being dispatched directly to a crime scene. There are a few helpful information pop-ups, but for the most part education comes (the way it should for any great detective) from the mean streets.

After solving several crimes, the player advances upward in the LAPD moving from Patrolman to the plain clothes detective division. That’s where things really start to get interesting. At each “desk” or subdivision of the detective unit, Cole is assigned a new partner. The dialog and interaction with each partner constitutes some of the most fascinating elements of the game. Views on history, politics, race, marriage are all addressed in great detail. The team at Rockstar walked a tight rope with several of those conversations between maintaining historical accuracy while not offending modern sensitivities.

Far and away, the best part of LA Noire is the actual police work. Cole must scour crime scene identifying and recording relevant clues. Then as the cases proceed, suspects are interrogated. During this phase, the detective must not only choose the line of questioning, he must decide whether or not to accept the response as truthful or call the subject out on their lie. Visual clues and case notes help guide the player in making the choice. Incorrect choices have severe consequences and will cause Cole to miss important clues or even fail to apprehend peripheral culprits in some cases.

However for all of its success, the game isn’t perfect. There is one design choice that had me screaming at my television and a few technical issues keep the game from achieving digital nirvana. The inclusion of the “follow that car” missions is unnecessary at best and downright infuriating at worst. Rockstar’s tester obviously reported the same thing because after failing these missions three times, players can skip that portion of the mission.

Technically, LA Noire suffers from the same issues that have plagued third person open world games (especially Rockstar’s) from the very beginning. Invisible artifacts or tiny debris from car wreckage can stop a speeding car dead in its tracks. This is especially true when driving through the LA River. Also, there is a delay when the player’s character breaks into a run from a standstill. It wouldn’t be a problem if the NPCs also had the same delay. Unfortunately, it means that fleeing suspect will always have a ridiculously large head start making some of the chases harder than they should be.

Gameplay:
Anyone who has ever played Grand Theft auto or any of its clones will be comfortable with the gameplay of LA Noire. The same mission based, open city gameplay is at work here. Cole can even “commandeer” nearly every vehicle in the game. LA Police Commandeering just doesn’t have the same ring as a title though. The only true innovation comes in the investigation portions of the game described above.

Visuals:
While in third person, street level mode, LA Noire does not appear to be a significant upgrade over Grand Theft Auto IV. At first, gamers may be a little underwhelmed. Fear not though, once the interrogations gear up, you will be blown away. Rockstar created a new form of face mapping and hired myriad of B and C List acting talent to film the question and response sequences. The level of facial detail and visual cues for lying are on a scale never seen in a video game. It is quite simply, stunning.

A great part of the fun of this game is trying to identify exactly which movie or television show you recognize the game character from.

Audio (Voice):
The IMDB entry for LA Noire lists over 150 individual voice actors. Do I need to say more?

Audio (Music):
Rockstar is the king of “in game” entertainment and the title remains safely with them. The radio programs and music are 100% of the period. Even those who aren’t fans of big band swing or pre-television radio drama should appreciate the painstaking level of detail in these performances.

Plot/Story:
It’s dark, gritty, well-conceived and tied into the Black Dhalia murders. Anyone who spoils this plot should be punched in the throat.

Extras:
The PS3 version from Gamestop included two additional cases, “The Consul’s Car” and “The Naked City”. Both cases are mildly interesting but don’t add anything significant to the game beyond an extra chance to gain experience.

A third extra, a badge collection challenge is far more entertaining. The challenge itself is a pretty standard “roam the city and collect” challenge. Clues to the various locations are pure genius. Rockstar included a series of photo negatives that reveal the targets. It’s the perfect mini-game, hands down.

PS3 vs. XBOX360:
Historically, Rockstar games have run far better on the XBOX 360 than the PS3. With LA Noire, that streak is broken. The PS3 edition maintains a solid frame rate equivalent to the 360 edition. Plus the PS3 version is just prettier. Details are sharper, shadows are more defined and reflective surfaces fare far better on the PS3. When added with the fact that the PS3 edition comes on a single bluray versus three discs for the 360, I must declare the PS3 edition the winner in this showdown.

Grading:
LA Noire is a masterpiece. It’s not perfect but then again neither is the Venus de Milo. Purchase this game. Purchase it brand new and unwrapped because Rockstar deserves every cent.
5 out of 5 stars

Review: The Purging of Kadillus

Details:

The Purging of Kadillus

A Space Marines Battles Novel

Black Library Publishing

Reviewed by Earl Davis

Description:

Faced with an ork invasion of Piscina IV, the 3rd Company of the Dark Angels believes the threat to be minimal. As enemy numbers continue to increase, their commander, Captain Belial, insists that his Company are strong enough to resist. But Scout-Sergeant Naaman knows just how dangerous this foe can be, and when a renewed greenskin offensive takes the Dark Angels by surprise, the orks swarm towards Kadillus Harbour. Little do the Dark Angels know of the technological power available to the xenos, and the true scale of the threat they face. Belial, Naaman and their fellow Astartes fight a desperate siege at Kadillus, knowing that they must hold out until Imperial reinforcements arrive or the planet will be lost.

Review:

Fiction should be immersive. Period. There are no exceptions to this rule. The sweetness of Turkish Delight, the smell of salt and sailor funk from the deck of the Bounty, the stillness in the air as young Wart slides the blade from the anvil have been experienced by millions of readers. Successful fiction authors do not tell stories. They open doors.

The Purging of Kadillus is a door. When I knocked, Gav Thorpe answered with fresh baked cookies and a smile.

I have two pages of notes that I took while reading this novel. I started this review fully prepared to rave about the brilliant characters. I wanted to detail the finely crafted imagery and map out the bits and beats that Thorpe uses like a shiny lure to pull the little fishy (me) along, but that would be doing him a disservice. In his tale of the Dark Angels and their defense of the besieged world of Kadillus, Thorpe transcends the common and sometimes clichéd language of the standard book review.

Imagine a grown, thirty-year old man lying in bed reading. It’s dark because the daylight has long since faded and only a small lamp illuminates the room. A comforter is pulled over his head concealing him from the approaching Ork invasion force. He doesn’t dare move because movement means death and a death without tactical advantage serves neither the Lion nor the Emperor.

That’s how I found myself experiencing the purging of Kadillus and the best praise I can think of is to simply say: Thank you Gav Thorpe.

Rating:

Everyone who enjoys science fiction or war stories should be reading this novel. Kudos goes out to the Black Library for green lighting it. It deserves far greater exposure than it has received thus far.

4 out of 5 stars

Review: Hunt for Voldorius by Andy Hoare

Details:
Hunt for Voldorius
A Space Marines Battle Novel
Black Library Publishing
Reviewed by Earl Davis

Description:
Captain Kor'sarro Khan of the White Scars is petitioned by his Chapter Master to hunt down and destroy the daemon prince Voldorius, a warleader of the renegade Alpha Legion, thus ending his reign of terror across the stars. Hunting the beast doggedly for over a decade, Kor'sarro finally brings Voldorius to battle on Quintus, a world that has totally given itself over to the Alpha Legion. Together with their Raven Guard allies, the White Scars must fight an entire planet if they are to slay the daemon prince.

Review:
Reviewing genre fiction where there is a vocal and deeply entrenched fan base is something akin to walking through a minefield with snow shoes on. From one direction or another, the blast is coming and it’s probably going to be messy. Fortunately, genre fiction and more specifically franchise tie-ins have improved over the last two decades making the path a great deal less treacherous.

Unfortunately, there is still a mine or two left to be stepped on.

Novels in the Space Marines Battles series are snapshots in space time. They focus on a specific campaign involving specific companies within the Warhammer 40k universe. Think “Saving Private Ryan”, only instead of Tom Hanks the reader gets Kor’sarro Khan, leader of the White Scars. The strength inherent in this type of war tale lies in its intimacy. It offers a chance for the author to shine a spotlight on the grim reality of war. Readers are side by side with the combatants, tasting the dirt and blood in the air, despairing as a brother soldier flails in pain from a brutal wound and fighting with grim determination until the last gunshot fades to echo. It’s the closest we mere mortals can ever really get to marching forward under the shining light of the Emperor.

However, instead of a spotlight, Andy Hoare offers the reader a flashlight that seems to cut out at the most inopportune times.

In a character driven narrative, like Hunt for Voldorius, some weakness in plot is forgivable barring that the strength and dynamic of its main characters can pick up the slack. Kor’sarro Khan and his fellow White Scars fail in that regard. They are so one dimensional that “transparent” might be the best single word to describe them. Also, they are absent from a great portion of the novel in any real capacity. Kor’sarro himself feels more like a bookend than the protagonist of a war story. In fact, only one character feels like she has any depth at all. Malya L’nor , former leader of the Quintus resistance, is far and away the shining star of Hoare’s work. Presented with unspeakable choices and forced to make unthinkable sacrifices, Malya is the perfect example of the quality of work that Hoare is capable of producing. It is a shame that quality didn’t carry over to any other part of Hunt for Voldorius.

The failed characterizations as profound as they are though, pale in comparison to the real failing of this work; passive repetition and confounding technical choices. Entire sections of this “action” novel are written in a passive voice that ejects the reader from any sense of immersion in this fantasy world. No one in this story did anything but everyone “had done” something over and over and over again. I am at a loss to understand how those passages made it past an editor. This passive voice coupled with the author’s penchant for overly complex sentences in the middle of what should be a fast paced, assault sequence makes this a very frustrating read. Far too often, Hoare reaches for the lightning but pulls back only a handful of lightning bugs.

Rating:
Warhammer 40k completionists will buy this. Some may even cheer as specific tie-in aspects that they love appear, for example the appearance of the Raven Guard chapter. Everyone else should save their cash. There are far better novels in this series that will scratch the same itch.

2 out of 5 stars

Review: Blood Reaver by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Details:
Blood Reaver by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
A Night Lords Novel

Black Library Publishing

416 pages

Description:

Driven on by their hatred of the False Emperor, the Night Lords stalk the shadows of the galaxy, eternally seeking revenge for the death of their primarch. Their dark quest leads them to a fractious alliance with the Red Corsairs, united only by a common enemy. Together with this piratical band of renegades, they bring their ways of destruction to the fortress-monastery of the Marines Errant.

http://blacklibrary.com

Review:

To be fair I have been anticipating Blood Reaver for a long time. I read Soul Hunter and loved it. Best book of 2010. I had some reservations on whether ADB could top his previous novel in the series. They were totally unfounded.


Blood Reaver as a sequel or part of an ongoing series of novels, short stories, audio dramas works beautifully. Mr. Dembski-Bowden does a fantastic job with characterization. You can't help but dig the characters. They all have a distinct voice. I think it is fair to say that these stand up nicely as stand alone stories too. The author does a fine job in keeping the plot largely contained and anything referring to previous plots/ stories is nicely explained without violating the show vs. tell "rule". Really nicely done.


The plot is pretty tight. Everything comes together nicely. Almost too nicely. There were instances where I felt that the author loved his characters too much: they were just too good. They fight better, plan better, do all the right things. For the most part I was wrong. The characters DO get in trouble. ADB does an excellent job in giving the reader surprises without resorting the the lame swtcheroo, or last minute twist. Important characters do die.


The characters we all know and love are all there. Talos is of course stellar. Cyrion, Xarl, Uzas, Mercutian, Septimus, Octavia. The old crew, still present. New faces arrive on scene and become crucial. You can't help but feel for them. All of the characters get some attention, but most especially Uzas, which was surprising, and most excellent. The Exalted has an excellent part in this, and the expansion on him is most welcome. I was very happy with how he was fleshed out. Ruven as well. Some wonderful scenes with him. Overall, Aaron Dembski-Bowden makes wonderful characters we all admire/ hate, laugh/cry with. These aren't two-dimensional cardboard cut-out characters that are easily created and tossed away. These are lovingly crafted, detailed characters that the author puts through the wringer.


There are some juicy secrets illuminated in this novel. A little more of the curtain around the Eighth Legion pulled back. It's all good stuff. ADB is a horrible tease. You can't help but feel that Talos is fighting a losing battle: trying to restore the legion to former glories in some way. It is SO interesting to see how the night Lords aren't a Chaos Legion per se. They certainly are no Word Bearers, but you can see how so many of the Legion's finest have fallen from the original path as renegades, traitors. So many have been twisted in to something monsterous (as if being a post-human superman killing machine wasn't monsterous enough). So many are compromised by chaos in one way or another.Uzas is just an obvious example, but all of them are in some way compromised. You can't help but love Septimus and Octavia. Both now faced with this corruption daily, living with it...surviving in spite of it. Haven't I mentioned that the characters are awesome? Yeah, they really are.


I was discussing with a friend of mine about how Aaron Dembski-Bowden has a very unique writing style. In some ways it almost feels anachronistic. he writes so succinctly, direct, in your face. His descriptions feel very personal, real and in many cases fit today's language and nuance. Something young adults and adults in 2011 would easily recognize and understand, but in relationship to the "Grim Dark Future" are almost out of place. Almost. I can't explain why, but it works. Maybe it's just his style, and we forgive it because he writes everything else so beautifully. I don't know. I think if someone else tried it it wouldn't necessarily work, or work near as well. It's THE ADB STYLE, and like the Dan'verse, it is unique to the author. I think it is brilliant. It totally works. I think it is part of what makes ADB the rockstar he is today.


We get some fun glimpses in to the Red Corsiars, Marines Errant, their characters, and their vibe. Now I want to see more about the Red Corsairs and the Tyrant of Badab, Huron Blackheart. Fantastic character. I hate him.


Cover art by Jon Sullivan is of course excellent. Jon never fails to satisfy.

Rating:

Aaron Dembski-Bowden has proved again that he is a powerhouse of a writer. A damn fine tale of betrayal, regret and vengeance.
Ave Dominus Nox.

4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Review: Fall of Damnos by Nick Kyme

Details:
Fall of Damnos, Nick Kyme
A Space Marine Battles Novel

Black Library Publishing

416 pages

Advance Review Copy

Description:

When Damnos is hit by cataclysmic earthquakes, an ancient force is awakened. Deep beneath the earth, the necrons rise from their slumber to decimate the human populace. All appears lost until salvation comes from the heavens – the Ultramarines brave an orbital bombardment to deploy their forces on Damnos, led by two legendary warriors – Captain Cato Sicarius and Chief Librarian Tigurius.
They are the planet's last, great hope against the remorseless alien foes, but tensions within their ranks threaten to derail victory. As battle rages on Damnos, and the Ultramarines seek to defeat their soulless enemies, Tigurius receives a terrible vision – a vision telling of the death of a hero... http://blacklibrary.com

Review:

So we have Space Marines, Ultramarines no less versus Necrons. Second Company, Captain Sicarius and the poster boys of Games Workshop and Space Undead: two of the single most dreaded subjects of most 40k readers. If you're around online, on 40k forums you hear the constant bleating of how Space Marines are boring and how Ultramarines are the most boring of the boring. "Vanilla Marines" they call them. At the initial sight of this novel I can just foresee the "groan" of Space Marine haters the world over.

Add to this Necrons; space undead. Not exactly easy to get folks interested in. Neither of them really: Ultramarines OR Necrons.
Ultramarines and Space Undead, those characters can't be deep, compelling or sympathetic. Right?

Wrong. 
Nick Kyme proves everyone dead wrong.

I have to really hand it to Mr. Kyme. He's taken what could be a disaster of subject matter, the ultimate in boring subjects and breathes life in to in a way I would have never guessed.

First off, as some of the best authors of 40k fiction have already expressed, Space Marines are not boring. They can have depth to them. Hypno-indoctrinated superhumans they may be, but they still have all the failing of mere mortals: anger, jealousy and hunbris. The striving for glory is something that really shines within the Ultramarines and it is quickly shown to be a chink in the armour of the Second Company.

As Nick Kyme shows us, straight away we are thrust in to a world where the "perfectness" of the Ultramarines is tested. First off, there is trouble within the chapter and nowhere else is it as clear as within the Second Company. Internal squabbles and strife threaten to undermine the entire deployment. At the heart of this are several of Sicarius' Veteran Sergeants. We get to see the struggle through their eyes and we get a varied perspective on the internal politics of the Chapter as well as the fight against the Necrons. We see personality flaws clearly, mistakes made, hubris shown and dearly paid for. The Ultramarines Second Company certainly pays dearly in this campaign.

On the other side of the battle lines there are the Necrons. I've never seen such characterization of something so...dead before. Prior to this Necrons have been illustrated as typically undead, unfeeling and largely uninteresting antagonists. They awake and snuff out all life. They are no better than the Tyranids. A faceless enemy out to wipe out everything else. Blegh.

When I started reading the first paragraphs of Mr. Kyme telling the Necron side of the tale I was taken aback. My suspension of disbelief was shocked. I got a taste of what it must be like to be as ancient as the stars, hungering, needing, the pain of being lost, craving flesh and utter hatred of the living. It was awe inspiring. So many things I had never considered were laid bare. in-depth explaiantion through prose on how the various sects and divisions within the Necrontyr actually WORK. Warhammer 40k fans who play Necrons are going to geek out so hard on this their head is going to spin. Without a doubt this is *THE* definitive book for Necron fans. Absolutely required reading.

I've read all of Graham McNeill's Ultramarines novels telling the tales of Uriel Ventris and his 4th Company, and they are good. Mr. McNeill weaves a great yarn and has proven Ultramarines can be fun to read about. Now Nick Kyme is ascending to tell of the Glorious 2nd Company and it appears Mr. McNeill has a Challenge to the Throne of Macragge!

To be fair, The stories of McNeill's 4th Company and Kyme's 2nd Company are completely distinct. They stand nicely on their own as excellent examples of how Space Marines are interesting subjects, and how the "perfect" can be so flawed...human. The Ultramarines in Fall of Damnos are actually very different from Nick Kymes's previous work on the Salamanders Chapter, which is a testament to his versatility as a writer (I know I expected a bit of similarity, redundancy, re-hashing of the same-ol, same-ol. I was happily surprised in Mr. Kyme's ability to keep his work distinct...unique.)

The characters in Fall of Damnos are very rich. Even the venerable brothers encased in Dreadnought sarcophagi are compelling characters. Sicarius is played fairly close to the vest. I would have liked to see more in to his psyche. We get a view in to him and his command squad and I would like to see more of them, but maybe that is saved for later tales. Kyme started something very cool in Battle for Macragge, and it is played out nicely in this novel. (I'd say more but I don't want to spoil the plot/ key subplots)

Internally there is a planetary map, and a nice Order of Battle sheet which is quite useful in keeping track of who is who.

The cover art by Jon Sullivan is perfect (probably my favorite of his in this series). It clearly gives the appropriate feeling of creepy wrongness of the vile Necrons.

Rating:

This is a damn fine read! nick Kyme shows he can weave a tale and make Ultramarines, Necrons even Dreanoughts compelling as characters. HUZZAH!

Any shortcomings in the plot were negligible. I only wanted MORE of it. Nick Kyme has a firm grasp of what it means to tell a tale in the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium: characters die, and nobody is safe. Even the mighty are flawed and the smallest of characters can shine as brightly as a superhuman.

4.5 out of 5 Stars.