LA Noire - I knew this port was trouble the moment she walked into my Switch

...but I couldn't resist the allure of a finely crafted Rockstar game.[/noir]



Rockstar are making their Switch debut - not with GTA, or Red Dead Redemption but with LA Noire. It's a detective story set in 40s LA in which you play as a LA detective, searching crime scenes, shooting baddies and driving about the city. The game's probably best remembered for its interrogation scenes in which you have to closely monitor a suspect's facial mannerisms or nervous tics to see if they're lying to you or telling the truth.

I played it on PC a few years ago and I heartily recommend it. I'm actually considering double dipping on Switch as it's a pretty damn fun game, all told, and I've forgotten about most of the story beats with time. I'm interested to see how they incorporate the HD Rumble into the game as they've said they're planning to use the Switch's key features to its fullest. I hope that it's related to the interrogation scenes, although I expect it'll inevitably end up being something to do with driving or shooting.

Thoughts, troops? Anybody keen? Or are you all just waiting to see if this is the first sign of Rockstar supporting the Switch with their heavy hitters?

JayMoyles wrote:

The game's probably best remembered for its interrogation scenes in which you have to closely monitor a suspect's facial mannerisms or nervous tics to see if they're lying to you or telling the truth.

Here comes Justice!

Yeah, I'm up for a bit of this. The interrogation bits sound like a mix between Amazing Advocate and the social interaction elements of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which I adored. I remember its original release and thought it'd be fun to play one day. Soon is that day. Ya wise guy.

Um. This is something I really want to support - y'know, Rockstar on Switch and that - but couldn't care less about as far as the game is concerned. Same would apply to GTA, or RDR, or anything else Rockstar might bring. I hope it does well, but I won't be buying it.

They've said the game will use the Switches touchscreen whilst in handheld mode which hopefully select interrogation opens etc.

How come Balla? I don't know if you'd like the shooty bits, but the investigation parts - which constitutes most of the game, if I remember correctly - are a bit Ace Attorney, minus the courtroom bits natch.

I'm very surprised to hear that, Balla! To me this always seemed like the Western equivalent of Hotel Dusk or Ace Attorney.

I'm definitely interested. I never played elsewhere but have always been intrigued, and I'm dead keen to support a third party Switch release.

Yeah I'm interested in seeing how this one turns out as I never did play it on the other formats, I just hope Rockstar put the effort in as the rare times they've appeared on Nintendo systems before it hasn't been a good port.

The port on Switch is LA Noire + DLC which we had 6 years ago (might be a PC version though), touch-controls in handheld mode as well as motion controls, HD Rumble.

So it looks like they're putting in the work but seems like their won't be any technical upgrades unlike the PS4 and Xbox One (I guess PC as well).

I don't know how the game ran back in the day though.

JayMoyles wrote:

How come Balla? I don't know if you'd like the shooty bits, but the investigation parts - which constitutes most of the game, if I remember correctly - are a bit Ace Attorney, minus the courtroom bits natch.

Drunkalilly wrote:

I'm very surprised to hear that, Balla! To me this always seemed like the Western equivalent of Hotel Dusk or Ace Attorney.

True, maybe I haven't looked into it enough. But what I like about the AA games, apart from their kooky writing and characters, is their odd Japanese charm. The daft puns, the colourful graphics, the over-the-top courtroom action, and the sweet sweet melody-focussed music. It's almost a pastiche of lawyering, making the times it takes itself seriously all the more emphatic. There's no grit, no grime. The only blood is from the murders, there's no swearing, sub-Carry On-level innuendo rather than any full-on sex. It's all really sweet, despite its subject matter.

Hotel Dusk is closer in tone, but even then, it feels almost like a pastiche of noir games. I suspect that's because it's Japanese-developed. The charm's still there, in the soundtrack and the sketch-style graphics. And again: no sex, no swearing, little to no gore. Just a snarky yet sympathetic ex-detective, trudging around in his coat.

Maybe I've misjudged LA Noire, but I didn't get 'charm' from it. I'm sure it'll have the odd charming moment. Mostly, it seems to take itself seriously, and that's not really for me. Correct me if I'm wrong, gentlemen, please!

(Also removing the better part of AA's gameplay and replacing it with shooting is )

Im pretty excited for this to be honest!

Its the least "gta" of Rockstars recent games and the mission structure should suit handheld play really nicely.
For those put off by the GTA style games id say give this one a chance, its much more about solving cases and detective work than running around an open world!

Interested to see how these touch screen detective mechanics work too!

masofdas wrote:

The port on Switch is LA Noire + DLC which we had 6 years ago (might be a PC version though), touch-controls in handheld mode as well as motion controls, HD Rumble.

So it looks like they're putting in the work but seems like their won't be any technical upgrades unlike the PS4 and Xbox One (I guess PC as well).

I don't know how the game ran back in the day though.

I'm just going to have to see it running before I make up my mind on it.

Well I can tell you Jas that it has the £/$10 Cartridge Tax. I know this happens and for the likes of Rime, which is having a physical game but for their publishers that will be a big cost and they can't eat the lose but a Warner for instance eat that £10 on the likes of LEGO Ninjago and same goes for the other big players.

That I'm disappointed with Rockstar a company of their size isn't eating the lose but the game will be 10 less on the eShop which I'm little surprised about as the eShop is normally the RRP.

There's a 'Switch tax' opinion piece thing at the moment on Nintendo Life. I haven't read it because it'll probably bore the bejeezus out of me.

High dullness levels confirmed: it's over nine thousand boreatrons.

Boring yourself so that we don't have to: truly heroic.

All part of the service.

I've read the NLife piece after this also read a few other bits saying that why the LEGO games don't have an extra £10 is because Warner is buying in bulk or that their using a certain size and we did talk about that in LEGO City thread, that it had a big download install day one.

Basically it seems to be different strokes for different folks.

Balladeer wrote:

Maybe I've misjudged LA Noire, but I didn't get 'charm' from it.  I'm sure it'll have the odd charming moment.  Mostly, it seems to take itself seriously, and that's not really for me.  Correct me if I'm wrong, gentlemen, please!

It's been ages since I've played it so my memory of it isn't too hot, but I do remember some slightly sillier moments during the cases. As a whole, I mean yeah, it's a detective game so it's about investigation and interrogation, but that's fun. Piecing together clues, rumbling suspects, chasing down perps... I had a blast doing it all. Plus, Rockstar know how to craft a cracking story and LA Noire was no exception.

Maybe I've been too harsh on it then. I'll read the reviews when it comes out on Switch. Although you do have to take into account that I'm a massive weeb and will buy Japanese games over Western ones 90% of the time.

You're speaking to Mr. "Has Ditched WWE for Glorious New Japan Wrestling and Has Imported MHXX Even Though It's In Japanese" here.

I didn't know he was talking to me

JayMoyles wrote:

You're speaking to Mr. "Has Ditched WWE for Glorious New Japan Wrestling and Has Imported MHXX Even Though It's In Japanese" here.

AKA the weeb lord.

"King of Weebs, Shin Nihon JayMoyles".

I'm getting close to giving Jay a run for his Weeb title . . .