Preview: LA Noire

Set to be released on May 17th, LA Noire is a crime drama game from Rockstar games, the makers of Grand Theft Auto. The game revolves around the story of a WWII vet who has gone into the LAPD at the conclusion of the war.

The game is set in the late 1940's, post-WWII, obviously, and will see the player advancing through the ranks of the police department, working at different desks with different types of cases. The player will begin as a patrolman and work his way up to the traffic desk, homicide desk, vice desk, and arson desk as the game progresses. With each new desk the player is assigned a new partner who helps show him the ropes and will assist in clue finding and in fighting.

The game features a realisitic crime scene feel which will force the player to think like a detective while trying to solve cases. At the end of each case the player is given a ranking and the option to go back and try to play out the case in a different way.

On top of cases that link into the main progression of the story, the player can respond to calls from dispatch that aren't strictly assigned to one desk. These act as side missions to offer variety and an escape from the main storyline, something that Rockstar is very good at.

The game, as its title suggests, takes a lot from the film noir genre. The style, feel, and overall grim set up of the game is taken directly from the classic film noir greats such as the Maltese Faclon. The setting of the game also allows for a noir feel as the time frame fits with when film noir was at the peak of its popularity.

To make everything feel more real, the developers have gone to great lengths to ensure that the geography, set pieces, and costumes in the world are all true to the era. Actual aerial photography from the 1940's of LA was used to create the city. Movie props and actual clothing from the time was used in creating all of the digital images that grace the screen when you play the game. The attention to detail is magnificent and is something that I am personally looking forward to when playing the game.

The game comes out on May 17th, a week from this coming Tuesday, and should be a big hit for Rockstar. Check back here for a full review towards the end of the month.