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[L.A Noire] - Phelps, you didn't use spoiler tags! You're a loose cannon!
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I mean I know he said it all along - that BD was still out there and possibly responsible for all these killings. But it still felt weird and a bit wrong to beat about the bush like that for five whole cases.
Also - why did my suspects, after being pressed and after enough successful questioning, act like they fucking did it, when they fucking didn't?
[EDIT
And why did they all have blood stained shirts, shoes and tire irons in their houses and apartments?
I mean seriously. Is that ever explained?
Anyway, I am on to Vice and I have high hopes. I still love the game... I was just a little disappointed by Homicide. It was the desk I was looking forward to the most.
Weird. I had this happen to me a couple of times, but holding down Y and asking him to drive broke him out of his endless investigating loop and got him to come over. I've never had him refuse to drive.
He keeps doing it even after you quit and resume later?
Aaaaand it was thrown back at me. Bullshit!
PSN: hellisforheroes
Tumblr: BrainSpoon
The 'big reveal' wasn't really all that shocking either -- I'd already guessed it was coming, but it didn't have much of an effect on me because they never show his family. I heard them mentioned one time in the entire game. As far as I care, Cole didn't have a family or a wife.
Vice sucked. Roy's a dick.
Playing as Jack was kind of cool, but they didn't really show him enough to make it fantastic. It was just okay.
The whole war back story and showing everyone regularly seemed pretty forced, like they kind of thought "shit, we need to make some big story that ties everyone and everything together" and it just didn't work out well. Really would have liked it more if Phelps just kept to his detective work and it didn't end up involving these other people as much. Homicide was the best part, I think.
On top of that, there's a lot of bad animation and frustrating sequences that were pretty forced. Suddenly, you need to balance on stuff! Figure out this poem with a landscape where you can't see shit for icons because it's all black and white and the icons are small! Chase after this car that does impossible turns around corners and completely disobeys the world's physics! A lot of stupid little things that feel like they're pulling the wool over your eyes. Instead of playing the games' strengths, they tried too many other things -- this game didn't belong in an open world to me.
I don't know, I can't really put my complaints in a coherent manner but I got pretty upset at this game a few times
Ran down to the local Gamestop and traded it in for 45$. Yes. 8-)
This is what I've been saying. In that situation (which I won't spoil) that piece of evidence wasn't going to shock the suspect into realizing you know more than he thought you knew. He could still believe that evidence was consistent with his story.
You need to pick another piece of evidence that shows you know something he expects you don't know, which makes his story implausible. Or if there is no such evidence, pick "doubt" if you don't want to pick "truth."
(edit) To put it another way, you are trying to manipulate the subject into telling the truth, not win a debate judged by an impartial observer. All that matters is whether the subject is moved by what you're confronting them with.
XBL Michael Spencer || Wii 6007 6812 1605 7315 || PSN MichaelSpencerJr || Steam Michael_Spencer || Ham NOØK
QRZ || My last known GPS coordinates: FindU or APRS.fi (Car antenna feed line busted -- no ham radio for me X__X )
I wouldn't mind if there was an Automata case file DLC to work with somewhere down the line. Maybe 5 or so cases.
I had that. Never tried the force-them-to-drive solution, I just proceeded to the end of the mission. I missed some in-car dialogue and there were glitches in the investigations but it came out mostly ok.
猿も木から落ちる
Agreed, but it didn't make the moment any less annoying/jarring
PSN: hellisforheroes
Tumblr: BrainSpoon
Which is why it could only be a few cases.
XBL Michael Spencer || Wii 6007 6812 1605 7315 || PSN MichaelSpencerJr || Steam Michael_Spencer || Ham NOØK
QRZ || My last known GPS coordinates: FindU or APRS.fi (Car antenna feed line busted -- no ham radio for me X__X )
What I did that made sense.
The guy then confesses that his brother beat the shit out of him because of how poorly he treats his wife.
Many people think you select LIE when you have evidence that convinces you that the person is lying. LIE is not for starting a discussion about a piece of evidence that you both know that you have.
You actually want to select LIE when you have evidence that convinces the other person that you know more than they thought you knew and you can see right through their lie.
XBL Michael Spencer || Wii 6007 6812 1605 7315 || PSN MichaelSpencerJr || Steam Michael_Spencer || Ham NOØK
QRZ || My last known GPS coordinates: FindU or APRS.fi (Car antenna feed line busted -- no ham radio for me X__X )
Its also pretty clear when you call out a lie and its clearly not, you can backout then.
猿も木から落ちる
PSN: hellisforheroes
Tumblr: BrainSpoon
I totally agree, but for the sake of clarity I still think it's important to say: it must be a direct contradiction of something the subject is lying about, where you suspect they are hoping or assuming you don't have the evidence that you have.
It's a direct contradiction, and they will be shocked to learn that you know about it. That's when to pick LIE.
XBL Michael Spencer || Wii 6007 6812 1605 7315 || PSN MichaelSpencerJr || Steam Michael_Spencer || Ham NOØK
QRZ || My last known GPS coordinates: FindU or APRS.fi (Car antenna feed line busted -- no ham radio for me X__X )
Captain: It did continue even after quitting and playing later.
It fixed itself after a couple of missions though, don't know what triggered it. He just got in the car at the station after a mission one time.
It was a little bit funny, because he would run after the car, across the whole city if necessary. But if I got out and went over to him, or if he caught up with me, he would just ignore me again and walk all the way back to the last location. Really weird.
The action and the break from repetitive cases to an honest crusade against corruption was exhilarating despite the ridiculous situations(a firefight in a posh suburb of Los Angeles?). It was satisfying because I wanted to blow the lid on the conspiracy and since Kelso's investigation didn't convince them, a hail of lead sure did. The asshole moment between Munro and Kelso was again sweet for me.
That said, the ending under scrutiny does not really hold up. Earlier threads about its credibility is spot on and the buildup being forced by either bad writing or lack of space is probably accurate in my opinion. Phelps being washed away by runoff instead of being outright killed is very anticlimactic and despite the coffin, I am very worried that Phelps could miraculously survive(I am nervous whenever someone dies off camera). It's probably just me.
Still I enjoyed the game overall. I would really like to see a sequel that trims the procedurals down a bit in favor of a hardboiled drama involving Jack Kelso. Probably won't happen but you never know.
I am already considering the Rockstar Pass for this game. It really has hooked into me and now that I got the story out of the way, I would like some more red meat.
Case itself was fun.
Yeah I got that too, actually.
But nobody ever explained the other items.
Especially...
ESPECIALLY...
Why did he have those?
Keep on playing to discover the underwhelming and disappointing answer to your question!
I'm in Vice now.
So I'm done.
Care to enlighten me?
Or do you mean I will eventually find out after having finished Homicide?
I've been driving around recklessly (thinking about how much of a cash drain I'm being on the city and not caring), trying to drive up things I can't drive up, making Phelps run off cliffs and into traffic, investigating spoons and forks for far too long, standing around in diners, hijacking cars and then getting straight out of them again...
If only you could control the windscreen wipers and turn signals on cars. I'll have to make do with turning the siren on and off in time with the radio music, I guess. If you time it just right it sounds kinda like a seal barking.
Oh yeah, and I solve the odd crime here and there. When I've got time.
It just seems to work better. The only thing missing is the metaphor-heavy voice over.
Still though... TWICE in the final shootout on the last Traffic case, a cop RUNS in front of me while I'm shooting the bad guys. And not at the beginning of the firefight either, no, I've got 2 guys left hiding behind a car, I'm also behind cover and the patrolman runs in front of MY position. He's not even in the middle of the kill area, he's RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
Also, running into Marv (though I guess he goes by Frank Morgan now) just made me wish for another Tex Murphy game...
Anyone want to clear this up for us?
Not only that, he's so fucking brilliant he managed to coordinate all the crimes so the suspects would have size whatever feet.
Yes, let's give kudos to Bondi for creating such a well thought mystery.
At first I was just confused and thought that I didn't like Homicide.
I really didn't like Homicide.
It's been kind of a disappointing series of events, since I fucking loved this game right up to about one third of the way into Homicide. Nothing felt right for the whole desk. I understand that they were trying to present this overarching storyline but it was like they couldn't make their minds up.
All of Homicide Desk in a nutshell [SPOILERS] -
Want proper closure or details? Tough shit.
Grats. Do Vice now.
I hope shit like that is left behind and Vice picks back up into being awesome again.
Heavy Rain got massacred for its plot holes, but LA Noire's are almost as glaring. Seriously though, the Elsa stuff is so hilariously unclear. No proper story should hinge its plot on a point so vague that a friend and I can sit and debate for minutes on end about what actually just happened.
Mainly though, I was infuriated when I realized that all the newspapers were, in effect, spoiling the game for me. Who in the world thought I'd want to know that backstory hours before I got there myself? That's appalling storytelling, no matter how you view it.
The investigations/interrogations deserve their own paragraph in how badly they were handled. The differences between Doubt and Lie were horribly defined, as evidenced by the multitude of issues that folks have had with it. I would have definitely preferred Doubt to be closer to Phoenix Wright's Press where you can get additional info if used right, but can blow up in your face only in very specific scenarios like pressing a rape victim. They can replace the current doubt with more evidence on the list that can be used for the Lie option. The cases were very unsatisfying in how they ended in abrupt Law & Order style, except without the Order part so it's even worse. You realize pretty quick by the time Homicide nears its end that what you do doesn't matter to the story, which can ruin a game that attempts to be immersive. Same thing happened in Heavy Rain.
The story overall was extremely ham fisted noire, and definitely felt rushed. There WERE actually hints that his marriage wasn't perfect in how Phelps always avoided questions about family life, but he was always portrayed as someone trying to always do the right thing in his own flawed little way, and suddenly banging a German drug addict didn't quite fit the bill. That part definitely needed development, showing how they connected because they were drawn together by how each other were both damaged.
The writers apparently decided to use twist after twist to try and keep players guessing, but the way it was executed reminds me of David Cage and Indigo Prophecy. The Homicide twist was acceptable, even if not enjoyable in how it made several hours of your game time useless. The Vice twist was a plot contrivance created merely to move the plot along while kicking the player in the balls. The Arson twists basically removed all antagonists from the picture, meaning there's no more conflict. But if that's the case, what's the climax of the story? When Ira busted in to choke a bitch on Fontaine? When Peterson the Assistant DA shook hands with the Chief? With the conflict removed, the pacing goes to shit with a long ass falling action with no real dénouement.
Wiki writes:
"The comedy ends with a dénouement (a conclusion) in which the protagonist is better off than at the story's outset. The tragedy ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist is worse off than at the beginning of the narrative."
This became a tragedy ending in which the protagonist is better off than at the story's outset, having redeemed himself, but the people he left behind are fucked over and the indirect antagonists win.
The characters are extremely flawed for a noir setting as well. Phelps is flawed in the sense that he remains overly optimistic, enthusiastic and possibly even naive throughout the game, while a noir story would probably be better served if he became or started off more cynical and detached. Jack Kelso is the most flawed in the sense that HE HAS NO FLAWS. It's obvious why most people like him, he's a goddamn Mary Sue character. Even the little after credits blurb didn't make him out to be anything other than a practical loyal hardworking firm intelligent tough determined man.
What the game did do well was in the presentation. They really pulled off the face recording technology bits, and I would love to see how that technology progresses in later games and possibly back into movies. The setting just felt right with 1940's LA and nothing quite felt out of place. I'll give credit to the devs for being ambitious but they definitely need better direction to prevent their next game from falling apart. I'll also second those wanting an LA Noir 2 because these flaws, despite how terrible they are, can be fixed and once they're gone it would definitely be a great game.
Until then, I won't play it again.
Is Kelso in on the marine conspiracy? Well five hours ago I just watched him take on Mickey Cohen for Courtney.
Gee, who's behind the arson cases? Maybe Fontaine since I saw a cutscene 18 hours ago showing him with an arsonist.
The newspaper collectibles would have been great to include on a second playthrough, but as of now I'm telling friends of mine to actively skip all the newspaper cutscenes.
Anybody else with a PS3 can verify this? I'd like to finish this case. It was getting good.
Is it? Don't really care about the suits, but the cases would be nice.
3DS FC: 5129-0946-8305
PSN: DrSkullnumbers
If you want all the cases, its a hell of a deal. Even getting one for free from a pre-order I still saved $2 on the cases alone, and got the suits and stuff for free essentially.
Cases are $4 a pop, pass is $10.
i finished it without a hitch. I'm running on a slim model. The only thing after the arrest of Delgado is the end cutscene and your mission score, so if you continue to have problems, you should be able to find the ending on youtube and not miss anything.
Naked City is a blast though. A great central storyline with plenty of twists, it's also one of the longest cases in the game with plenty of interrogations. Plus it fleshes out Roy Earle a bit more, and contains a fun moment with some familiar faces. Definitely worth your time.
I also got the Rockstar pass.