A unique game with a fantastic story, production values, and very different gameplay.
In LA Noir, you primarily play as Cole Phelps, an ambitious, young WWII vet who joins the LAPD in an effort to fight against the cities crime. While there is no real overall story, the game tends to feel like a really well written series of films or a tv series. Certainly, it's a very interesting game to watch as much as it is to play. The voice acting is top notch and it really lets you get into the atmosphere of the game. Your traditional Noir elements are all in play, from the imperfect main protagonist, to the gray areas and corruption that blur the lines between what is right and wrong. Not everything is so obvious and sometimes you'll have to make tough choices and face tough consequences. Best of all is that this isn't just some cheesy Noir pulp. The game has a fantastic script to go with it's characters and production values. There are many times when you feel like you are watching a good film Noir.
But what would a game be if it didn't have the gameplay to back up everything else. And this game does. It's gameplay is far different from anything that's been played in a long while. Sure, you'll still get into shoot outs and have chases, both on foot and in vehicles. But the bulk of gameplay is spent finding clues at crimes scenes, interviewing witnesses, and interrogating suspects. In order to do well on cases, you'll have to search for as many clues as you can find. You'll also have to get information out of witnesses and suspects, and sometimes even get a confession and dole out a conviction. Getting info out of witnesses and suspects is tricky, requiring you to read the reactions of characters and present evidence to catch them in a possible lie. It goes above and beyond the usual figuring out the right response and actually tasks you with being strategic about how you handle these interviews. It creates for a fantastically created mystery game that acts almost like a point and click adventure, but in a sandbox world instead. The facial reactions and emotions of the characters are also of note, as they lend quite a bit to the game and make it feel real and alive, lending believability that really draws you in.
My only real complaints are that the game can get a bit repetitive. While it is a sandbox game of sorts, this is mostly in appearance. You usually have only one case going at a time, while the occassional street crime will pop up. You can cruise the city if you so choose to, but there is little point once you've finished taking in the sights. And street crimes tend to consist of short lived shootouts and chases, both on and off foot. There is little variety to the gameplay. It's not such a huge issue that what's here isn't fun, but it would have made for a more replayable game if there was something worth coming back to.
Rockstar has once again created a unique and off beat game, focusing on a genre that is very rarely touched. In fact, I can think of the last time a Noir game was as much fun and unique since the Max Payne series. LA Noir is definitely worth the time and money for the game, as you will be getting your hands on an experience like none other you can find today.