REVIEW - L.A. Noire (Xbox 360, PS3)

In 1997 a game was released by a little known company by the name of DMA Design that generated controversy unheard of at that time in the video game industry.  The game's name was Grand Theft Auto and the company went on to become Rockstar North, part of the developers who have co-developed L.A. Noire. (Rockstar/Team Bondi)

When one looks at Grand Theft Auto (or GTA as it has become known over its many instalments), and then looks at L.A. Noire, it is tempting to feel like Rockstar have done a 180 degree turn.  For in GTA, you played the ultimate criminal, roaming around a city looking for trouble; either of one's own making or through missions assigned to you by criminal head honchos.  In L.A. Noire, you play Detective Cole Phelps and it is your job to track down and catch those criminals of the kind that were so celebrated in the GTA games - you are the ultimate cop.

Cole Phelps - a.k.a. You

That isn't to say that L.A. Noire takes place in the GTA world; instead it is set in 1940's Los Angeles.  Phelps has just come back from the war having done his duty as a marine serving in Japan, and is still fresh from the horrors experienced in that war.  He finds himself a new job as a cop, and quickly works his way up through the ranks as a detective in various departments.  Phelps' story is of a man trying to keep pure in what can often be a very seedy police department.

Linear Noire

In terms of gameplay, if you are expecting gameplay as open world as GTA or Red Dead Redemption, then you are going to be very disappointed - L.A. Noire at first gives the impression of being very open, but it is in fact extremely linear.  Linearity is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is important to be clear that this is not GTA: Detective.  Although there are a number of side quests to get on with - including 40 street crime cases and a whole range of landmarks and secret cars to be discovered - the majority of the game is set in a typically linear mission format.

Crime scenes are varied, but examining can be repetitive.

A mission will usually start out with a small cut scene explaining the case, and then an introduction to the case from your boss.  You will then make your way to the crime scene, and encounter what is probably the weakest part of the game.  The "investigation" sequences involves Phelps talking to the various people examining the crime scene (coroner etc) and then searching for clues.  Unfortunately this process becomes tedious very quickly, as it ultimately involves walking around the scene indiscriminately, waiting for the "You've found a clue" noise to chime.  The idea of searching for clues is by no means a bad one, it just isn't particularly well implemented.  It becomes a lengthy process of scouring every inch of ground, as opposed to genuinely searching for clues.  The game livens things up at various points by the inclusion of minigames, such as having to break a secret lock on a trombone case, but by and large it is just walking around and pressing the action button whenever one hears a noise.

Often at the crime scene (as well as in other areas as well), the player will be called upon to interview either a suspect, a witness, or a general person of interest.  It is here where the game really comes into its own and stands out.  For L.A. Noire uses MotionScan technology in order to map the faces of the actors involved in filming, and then transposes them onto the faces of the characters.  It means the faces of characters in the game are hyper-realistic, so much so that it's a little creepy when you first see it.  This technology is used not only to enhance the game, but also in the interview segments of the game.  These segments involve Phelps and his colleague asking certain questions to the person of interest.  As the person is answering, the camera will show a close up view of their face, and from a combination of their answers, their facial expressions and the evidence that you have collected up until that point, you as Detective Phelps must work out with each answer if they are telling the truth, if they are making doubtful statements, or if they are flat out lying.  If you make the latter accusation, you must support that by showing the corresponding evidence that proves them wrong.

He looked down!  He must have murdered someone!

For the most part the system works extremely well.  The difficulty is set at a steady level, so every new interview is tricky and takes some thinking, without it being utterly impossible.  I for one seemed to be stuck on getting around three out of four answers right on each interview - there always seemed to be one that stumped me.  The facial recognition is so accurate that you must look very carefully at the person of interest to look for tells; so they might avert their eyes, twitch a little bit or even swallow hard.  All these things are visible on the screen, and provide those glorious "Aha" moments when you spot the tell.  Unfortunately it doesn't work perfectly.  When for instance you choose the "doubt" option, the game doesn't specify precisely what it is you are "doubting" meaning you can end up accusing someone of something entirely different to what you intended.  So in an early scene I doubted a woman's statement that her husband had recently purchased new glasses (as I had seen that he had quite old ones at the crime scene), so I pressed the doubt button and then watched in horror as Phelps went on to accuse her of being complicit in the crime!  Such a feature can lead to some infuriating moments, especially when the game ranks up the difficulty.

The third main aspect of gameplay could be described as "action sequences."  These involve either a) car chases, b) cover based shooting, c) stealth sections or d) chases on foot.  These all work very well.  The stealth sections can be a little bit slippery at times, but the cover system works well and keeps the flow of action very smooth and breaks up the slowness of the rest of the game with some good old fashioned action.  The driving sections aren't perfect, and despite the cries of your colleague to get close so he can shoot out the tires, there is always a scripted sequence waiting at the end of the chase, so as long as you don't lose the "perp" (that's right, I'm using the official lingo now!), there is no need to risk your neck as he will eventually drive into a tram, or flip the vehicle or whatever.  Once you click this is the case, it ruins the frantic pace of the chases, but they are still fun nonetheless.

It is times like this where the linearity of the game comes through and it is a little disappointing.  Even if you bungle an interview, the game will still find a way to give you a route to the next part of the case.  If you completely screw up the case, you might get a dressing down from a superior and a low rating, but the next mission will pop up faithfully.  In that sense you can't "lose" at L.A. Noire and that's a shame.  It would have been nice if you were able to bungle up an interview, and then have to go searching for a completely new line of inquiry, or if the case remained unsolved and it mattered.  Instead, you can be assured that you will get to the end of a case eventually, and L.A. Noire loses some of its power as a result.

Additionally, there is little else to do in the L.A. Noire world except for follow the story, which is a shame because the city is rendered so beautifully, and the world is so atmospheric - complete with smooth jazz music and genuine radio shows from the 1940s on the radio.  When I first went driving about in 1940's L.A. I was in love and wanted to explore more; but apart from collecting cars and spotting landmarks, there is nothing else to do except for drive from destination A to destination B.  There are no mini games or side challenges (except for the 40 street crime cases mentioned earlier) like in Red Dead Redemption, or areas to go and get completely lost in aside from the main quest.  This wouldn't be so grating if Rockstar and Team Bondi hadn't done such a great job in creating a world that any player would really want to explore.  The game's heavily plot-based, linear narrative is understandable giving the subject matter (cops can't just go wandering off in the same way a cowboy can) but it is a little frustrating at times.

It's a Dirty Job...

From a Catholic perspective, L.A. Noire is understandably a big improvement from the morally offensive Grand Theft Auto series, in the sense that this time you play a cop who is looking for justice, as opposed to a villain looking for trouble.  Additionally, Phelps' struggle to keep clean in what is an extremely corrupt police outfit is an intriguing one, and raises some interesting questions related to the moral principle of justice and its application in reality.  Without giving away any plot spoilers, there are also strong themes of forgiveness, and it will be discovered that Phelps himself is on his own quest for redemption.  Although there is little sign that Phelps ever turns towards God for this redemption - preferring to adopt the Pelagian approach of redeeming himself - there are other characters (notably a slightly stereotypical Irish Inspector) that are deeply religious and make gratifying Christian statements, resulting in a much deeper religious message than is present in many video games of this ilk.  It is also the first game I can remember in which the subject of adultery is generally seen by all characters as a very bad and destructive thing in which to be engaged.

Beneath the lights lies a murky underworld.

Killing in this game is by and large kept to a relative minimum.  While the player will be required to fight off gangsters and gun wielding criminals, some of the street missions and certain criminals can be stopped by firing a warning shot, or by tackling them to the ground.  Additionally deaths of innocents are severely penalized, and the game treats the death of innocent people as a tragedy, and this provides a primary motive for Phelps in his quest for justice.  The full consequences of criminal activity are also shown in L.A. Noire, with scenes that involve Phelps informing affected relatives, colleagues and even children.  By doing this, there is no way that L.A. Noire can be said to be glamorizing violence.

Yet such a game still involves extremely adult themes, with themes of murder, drug use, rape, violent assault, domestic abuse, euthanasia, sexual activity involving minors, adultery and prostitution all making significant appearances in L.A. Noire, meaning that this game is definitely for adults only.  Additionally the game's grittiness is communicated with a few bloody crime scenes, including one very bloody interior, some graphic scenes of war crimes and a few relatively close shots of naked corpses.  Although such details are justified by the story, it is something that Catholic gamers will wish to consider before purchasing.  Also the game contains an extremely heavy amount of rough, crass and crude language, as well as significant profanity and various racist terms.  Just because the main character might be clean shaven, it should not be assumed that the game is as well!

In terms of length, the game packs a solid punch of approximately 20-25 hours.  The award system of cases offers limited replayability, as do the collectible cars, but generally the story mode will keep you occupied for a long time.  The story does drag a little in the middle, and I found myself repeating a lot of the same types of cases.  A little more variety would have helped to make this a perfect title.

Conclusion


From a technical perspective, L.A. Noire brings a lot to the table.  The dynamic way in which MotionScan is implemented offers something fresh, and for the most part works very well.  Solving cases will take the player to a variety of different environments, and there are some very memorable characters mixed in.  The story isn't the best in videogame history, and could probably have done with some editing, but on the whole it serves its purpose admirably, and it kept me interested enough to want to play to the end.  The action-packed breaks via the street crime cases and occasional action sequences are well implemented and provide a much needed respite from what can often be a very slow game.  Ultimately, L.A. Noire is a drastically new type of game, and while it certainly doesn't get everything right, it gets enough right and is enjoyable enough for this to be a very commendable release from a technical perspective.

From a Catholic perspective, it is good to see Rockstar allowing you to play as a character that doesn't break the law every five seconds, but this doesn't necessarily make this a game suitable for all by any stretch of the imagination.  Although L.A. Noire contains some solid messages about justice and redemption, and also includes some explicitly Christian moments, it is also an extremely gritty game that tackles a great deal of adult issues and is therefore certainly not suitable for children and adolescents.  Although difficult scenes are not handled in a perverse or exploitative way, some of them are disturbing enough to make this one that Catholic gamers must tread carefully before buying.  This game contains scenes of disturbing war crimes, drug use, bloody crime scenes, scenes of naked corpses, images of charred remains, moderate gun violence, significant rough, crass and crude language as well as profanity, some racist terms, implied euthanasia, an implied under-age sexual encounter and some clinical descriptions of rape, murder, domestic abuse and prostitution.

The technical rating for this title is 8/10

The Catholic rating for this title is L -- Limited adult audiences.  Contains problematic content that many adults would find troubling.

REVIEW - Portal 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

In 2007 Valve Entertainment released one of the best deals in video game history with their release of The Orange Box.  Said package was sold at the price of a single game and contained Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2 Episode 1, Half-Life 2 Episode 2, and a small puzzle/platform game named Portal.  Portal received little media attention in the build up to the release of Orange Box, with most assuming that it was little more than an expanded tech demo thrown in as a little extra; and to an extent that was true.

Portal could be completed within about 4 or 5 hours, and was essentially a set of separate rooms, each involving a puzzle as to how to get from the entrance to the exit by using a "portal gun" that could project two separate portals onto walls, that then allowed the player to move between the two.  Initially this merely involved using the portal to move from one platform to another by aiming the portals at separate walls, but later would involve puzzles involving gravity (whereby portals would need to be set up to fling the player across the rooms) and also using them to move various objects around in order to solve the increasingly complicated puzzles.  It doesn't sound much on paper (hence why it didn't receive a great deal of attention before release), but with fiendishly addictive puzzles, and some hilarious dark humor courtesy of the increasingly evil robot in charge of the experiments - the infamous GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System) - who taunted the player throughout the game, as well as an incredible ending, it quickly became the sleeper hit of 2007, and developed its own cult following complete with plushy toys and fan made apparatus.  A sequel was inevitable.

Hello Again...

Portal 2 (Valve) has been released as a game in its own right, and is therefore a significantly longer, vaster piece of work than its short, simple predecessor.  Yet at the same time, as it is trying to justify a $60 price tag on its own, and also has significantly higher expectations than Portal.  While Portal was judged as a glorified tech demo bundled into an already healthy package of games, Portal 2 is a proper game that must be treated as one.

The puzzles are back, and they're a lot more complex!

Within minutes of starting the game, the player will discover that Valve have taken this responsibility seriously and have raised the bar considerably.  Instead of beginning simply in test chamber 1 as in the original game, Portal 2 begins with a dramatic introduction where, after discovering that the player's character (known as Chell) has been left in hibernation mode in the Aperture Science Facility for a long, long time, a dramatic escape from the area ensues accompanied by robot companion "Wheatley" (voiced by British comedian Stephen Merchant).  Although (like Portal) Portal 2 is slow paced through most of the game, frantic moments will occasionally pierce the slightly relaxing bubble of the game to great effect, pushing the plot forward and making one feel like one is playing a game, as opposed to just a set of puzzles.

Of course, Portal's puzzles have never been "just a set of puzzles" and that remains the case in the latest release.  Portal 2 brings in plenty of new mechanics, and often gels them together to create some very complex puzzles, and yet it does it in a way that isn't overwhelming.  Every mechanic starts with the basics, and then slowly grows puzzle after puzzle; so that eventually the player will find themselves faced with switches, catapults, paints, light bridges, boxes and moving platforms, but will not feel overwhelmed.  Starting off with such a large puzzle, and slowly working one's way through it over the course of twenty minutes is one of the most satisfying experiences that any game currently available can offer.

It is therefore correct to say that there is a lot more variety in this game, just as there needed to be.  Not only is there variety in the puzzles that one faces, but also in the environments in which these puzzles take place.  There are three different areas in which the testing takes place, but the story will also have the players trying to solve various puzzles outside of the testing chambers as Chell tries to escape from captivity and find her freedom in the real world.  Even within the chambers, the game is plot driven and there is a sense of constantly trying to look for ways out and how to outfox the omnipresent computer presences that are keeping Chell captive.

If anyone asks...and no-one's gonna ask...

Portal 2 is set in the future, with Aperture Science in disrepair

It is these computer characters that bring life to Portal 2.  In additional to the sinister GLaDOS (whose role twists and turns throughout the game) there is the grumpy voice recording of Aperture Industries CEO Cave Johnson, and then there is Wheatley -- the dim spherical robot who acts as a companion for Chell on the journey through the test chambers -- who might just be the greatest NPC of all time.  Not only does Wheatley act as a key character in the plot, his bumblings and japes provide yet more humor to an already very funny game as the player tackles the various tricky puzzles that the game contains.

Strangely, considering the fact that he is a machine, Wheatley provides a greatly needed human aspect to the game.  Between the silent Chell and the mechanical GLaDOS, the wide-eyed little robot bumbling around and screaming in terror at mundane things like falling on the floor, offers a new perspective to the world of Aperture Industries.  The contrast provided between fighting for your life one moment, and then in the next having Wheatley casually refer to "smelly humans", realize his faux pas and then spend the next few minutes assuring you of his love for humans ("Humans?  Love 'em!") is a valuable one that injects energy into a game that can sometimes drag.

The Gospel according to Wheatley

Wheatley may also please Catholic gamers with one or two lines indicating that the little robot might in fact be a Christian; notably when he turns on an enormous series of lights and declares, "Let there by light!" and then clarifies, "That's God...I was quoting God there..." - so even in the dreary apocalyptic future that Portal 2 paints, we can know that there is at least one Christian who takes a relatively literal interpretation of Genesis; even if it is a robot!

Apart from that, Portal 2 provides a vision of a world without humans and without God, and it isn't pleasant. Whilst the game is fun, one would certainly not want to be alive in the world of Portal!  As one delves deeper into the history of Aperture Science, the player discovers the destructive origins of the company that sought to create Utopia by treating subjects like lab rats.  Similar to the Bioshock series, Portal 2 shows the destructive havoc that is caused when certain people try to play God, create utopias, and strip the humanity away from their fellow citizens.  In this, Portal 2 offers a sound (if implicit) pro-human and pro-Christian message, showing that a respect for the dignity of each human being must provide a line not to be crossed by scientific developments.

This is Wheatley - you will love him!

Additionally Portal 2 is mostly free of objectionable content for any age, although young children may find the complex puzzles a bit too taxing.  The only difficulties parents might find are two or three crass terms, and also two moments where the computer system mocks Chell for being adopted.  Although the insults come from the game's main villain (and therefore cannot said to be a view endorsed by the game), the computer's declaration that Chell was abandoned by her mother and that that this was because Chell was an unloveable failure of a human being, may make the game unsuitable for young children who are themselves adopted.  The game explicitly rejects such a view of adoption, with loveable Wheatley later re-using the cliche of "Actually...some of my best friends are orphans..." after being caught making an insensitive statement, but it still may provide upsetting moments for some.

Portal 2 or Portal 1.5?

There is no doubt that Portal 2 is a superbly designed, well written, fun game - but does it provide value for money?  While the range of puzzles to be found in Portal 2 (both in the testing chambers and beyond) are vast and varied, one does sometimes feel that this is a game that is being stretched out in order to justify its full retail price. The single player campaign will stretch to 14 hours at the most, with veteran Portal players clearing the game in under eight hours, and a great deal of that is spent staring at walls wondering where to fire the next portal.  The co-operative campaign adds a few more hours to that if you have a friend willing to join you on a series of chambers, but apart from that there are no extra challenges or multiplayer modes on offer.

If I'm being polite I would say this game is "slim", if not I would say that this game is really not a full game at all, and has just been padded out in order to justify itself as a stand alone title.  While 2 is significantly better than the original game, it is nowhere near as tight as the first game, leaving the player navigating long stretches of industrial wreckage to get to the next set of chambers, or using a certain puzzle mechanic a few too many times so that it becomes dull.  While Portal may have used a style of puzzle four or five times, and then changed to a different style to keep the player fresh, Portal 2 will use that style nine or ten times; meaning that by the time the player has reached the 8th and 9th puzzles, one is beginning to feel the hand of repetition on one's shoulder.

The Co-op adds a few fun hours to what is a very short game.

An example of this is the gel mechanic introduced about half way through the game, which involves the player using various colored gels in order to achieve certain effects such as speed and bounce.  When I started the chambers, I thought it was an amazing idea and was looking forward to exploring it.  By the time I reached the end of that set of chambers, I was very bored and everytime a new paint chamber appeared, I could hear myself sigh with frustration.

This isn't necessary a terrible thing, as most games have elements of grind or repetition, but then most of those games can't be completed in a weekend.  If a game is going to be as short as Portal 2, then it needs to be fresh and original all the way through; yet if it wants to be allowed to have a bit of repetition and grind in it, then it should be a lot longer.  For instance, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Splinter Cell: Conviction are both about as long as Portal 2, but make up for it by having almost no repetition, constantly changing environments and almost zero boredom.  On the other hand, games like Red Dead Redemption and Final Fantasy XIII do have large chunks of grind, but then are easily twice as long as Portal 2.  It was on this combination of both shortness and grind that I felt was the big let down for Portal 2.


This is not to say Portal 2 is a bad game; not at all.  In fact it is an excellent game while it lasts, even with those areas that are a little dreary and repetitive.  For the most part, the puzzles are lots of fun and highly original, the characters are even more loveable than in the first game, and it once again ends superbly in a way that will leave you with a smile on your face.  Had this game been tightened up and edited by a few hours, and bundled with another Orange Box, it would be the perfect game.  As it stands, it is still a wonderful game, but one that cash-strapped fans might want to think carefully about before spending good money on purchasing.  A game that can be completed in a long weekend, has little else other than a single-player campaign and a co-op mode, and (due to its puzzle solving nature) is not particularly replayable, is one that has the potential to leave some gamers feeling a bit disappointed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Valve have almost succeeded in transferring the perfect tech demo of Portal to a perfect full game of Portal 2.  The puzzles are taxing and varied while avoiding frustration (for the most part), the characters are superb, and while the plot is typically slow, it is spiced up with a scattering of set pieces and stunning backdrops and environments.  This is no mere set of puzzles - it is a story of a woman's attempt to escape from captivity with puzzles weaved into the narrative, and in that sense Portal 2 is an excellent video game.  Unfortunately it is let down by dragging some aspects of the game out to the point of tedium, and then still falling short of value for money with a short campaign, a small co-op mode and almost zero replayability. Portal 2 is an excellent game, but one that struggles to justify a $60 price tag

From a Catholic perspective, Portal 2 provides the gamer with a vision of a future that has no respect for God or humanity, and it makes it clear that this new world is no Utopia.  The game's puzzle-based difficulty, a few crass terms, and some insensitive talk about adoption makes Portal 2 unsuitable for very young children.

The technical rating for this title is 8/10

The Catholic rating for this title is A-II -- adults and adolescents.