L.A. Noire Countdown

Investigating The Road to L.A. Noire: Week #4

by exterminat

©2011 Nicholas Laborde

I would like to take this moment and say that I’m learning as much along this journey as I trust you are. Along the journey thus far I’ve discovered several brilliant new movies, some extraordinary TV shows and various unknown genres, along with some of the most enriching examples of the entertainment medium out there.

While my suggestions aren’t always on the exact same topic as L.A. Noire‘s style and tone, I do try to find things with striking similarity, but also at the same time, things that are just as entertaining in the crime-solving field.

You may recall how the first week’s iteration in this series of articles discussed The Untouchables, which starred Kevin Costner as he brought down Al Capone.

Our two topics this week is first off the great movie, JFK, afterwhich, we’ll discuss the technology behind L.A. Noire, Team Bondi‘s truly brilliant detective game.

Well, this week, Kevin Costner is back yet again as our hero. But this time, he’s not an FBI agent, or working for the CIA. In fact, he’s a District Attorney from New Orleans, Louisiana, named Jim Garrison.

His mission?

To unearth the terrible death of the then President of the United States that shocked the world, and in the end, perhaps prove that the CIA (and many other close-knit government organizations of the time) may well have arranged the John F. Kennedy assassination or events leading up to that fateful and disheartening event.

Secrecy is the Freedom Tyrants Dream of

To be quite frank, the Kennedy assassination is something people worldwide are familiar with, even if you live in any far-off distant foreign country.

But for those who aren’t informed, I’ll give you a quick recap. On November 22nd, 1963, the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who was to make a parade through Dallas, Texas, was shot and killed in perhaps one of the most public assassinations of American history.

As his car pulled into Dealey Plaza, [supposedly] three shots rang out from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, with the ‘final’ shot being a fatal headshot.

The perpetrator of the killing is Lee Harvey Oswald, and the general public for long periods of time strongly believed that Oswald killed Kennedy, regardless of the fact that the evidence was less than substantial.

To put it simply, it’s one of the largest conspiracies in American history.

A very informative documentary on this from the 80s is called The Garrison Tapes, and it is the basis of today’s movie, JFK.

Once again, this is NOT one for the kiddos, especially the director’s cut!

Jim Garrison (portrayed by Kevin Costner) is the District Attorney of New Orleans, Louisiana. (Finally, my home state gets some representation!)

Garrison believes that not only was Oswald an odd character for the assassination to be pinned to, but he thinks he can prove that someone else did it (particularly the CIA).

While not necessarily being a film noire, throughout the movie many investigations and interrogations occur, and bear a striking resemblance to how things in L.A. Noire will be.

Through a long series of events that eventually tears his family apart as a result of all the work and stress, Jim Garrison gives infallible proof that there were six shots fired at President Kennedy, and that there were multiple shooters, completely removing Oswald from the equation.

As he brought up based on the famous Zapruder Film (he was the first to view it outside of the government’s hold on it), Kennedy’s head got pushed backward and to the left. Which means, he was shot from the front, and to the right, entirely eliminating any possibility of Oswald being the killer.

The movie ends on a slightly disappointing note, but the director’s cut edition gives some very happy information at the end in the credits.

As a result of this film, the US government appealed to have a new way of making documents public, so that there could be less future speculation on events.

A lead suspect was eventually charged several years after where the film leaves off, and a Congressional investigation from 1976-79 found a “probable conspiracy” in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, recommending that the Justice Department investigate further.

To this date, they have not done anything else.

It is to be noted that Jim Garrison brought to bear the only public prosecution in the Kennedy killing.

I’m not a law student, but there is some sort of policy that government documents and information are declassified and made public after 75 years.

We may never know truly what happened on that fateful November day in Dealey Plaza, but know this: in 2038, the truth will come out on what really happened. [ED: unless information is 'misplaced' somehow...]

JFK is most definitely one of the most eye-opening films out there, and while some events were played up in typical Hollywood style, what they term, ‘creative licence’, nearly all the events depicted in the film were true-to-life.

There is plenty of follow-up reading if you’re interested, but one I’d recommend is The Man Who Knew Too Much which has an excellent tone, and has various real-world declassified documents within its pages showing ‘something’ was afoot in the halls of the US intelligence agencies.

So on with the game – L.A. Noire Uncovered Wk 4

L.A. Noire the game is perhaps one of the most least discussed games out there at the moment, yet it is heralding in some of the gaming world’s most technological advancements since multidirectional shading and mega-texturing.

I’m not sure why the media shys away from games that present new tech, or decide to venture down the road of an obscure genre, but it does seem that news on L.A. Noire, and coverage of the game in detail is very lacking. Especially considering it is due for release mid may, just six weeks away from now.

When you check out the detail in the game, not just the visual detail within each frame, or the amount of historically correct designs and architecture of L.A in the mid 30s – 40s, but the human detail being rendered to make ‘each character’ almost life-like in their actions and mannerisms, you start to see the advancements that will turn our past time into a true cinematic interplay.

Check the technical video out below, and you will see what I mean in that regard.

• L.A. Noire technical video – how things are done

Other game developers will certainly have to lift their game once L.A. Noire hits the shelves, as I’m more than certain that they (gamers) will start to demand similar, if not the same, level of character detail and behaviour in other games.

With just 24 3D cameras capturing every facial reaction of the actor playing the role of ‘each character’, little is left to the imagination when it comes to ‘facial expression and mannerisms’.

• L.A. Noire screenshot slideshow

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Giving the gamer a unique look at how his actions, or lack thereof, will have an impact on how the game plays out, and how the gamer will need to follow the lead of that character in order to get through the game.

L.A. Noire is not just some simple ‘by-the-number’ on the rails shooter; far from it in fact, which is perhaps why various media are steering away from doing features on it. Perhaps it’s just too difficult to explain. It’s NOT your everyday shooter. It’s not your everyday 3rd person adventure, it’s not your everyday GTA clone.

It’s a true detective game, where real detective skills will be required to get through each level. Perhaps its a game that may well be too advanced for the short attention spans of current generation gamers? I certainly hope not, for their sake. As they will certainly miss out on one of the best games to hit the shelves in 2011.

L.A. Noire is the culmination of over 6 years of constant work to develop a method in which to capture such fine facial ticks as frowns, slight smiles, sweating under pressure, and the twitching of the corner of a character mouth.

All tell-tale signs to a good detective or policeman that something is not right with the answers coming from their witness, or suspect.

The actors playing the parts of all the characters within the game, be that police or criminal or witness, are faces many of us have seen in movies, screenplays or TV series over the years.

Showing that many real actors these days can see a viable medium for their skills, that will not only allow their voices to portray the character, but their every facial expression.

Perhaps the gap in the “Uncanny Valley” has shrunk enough now to make game character almost believable – what are your thoughts on the matter, judging from the video? Let us know what you think L.A. Noire has in-store for you.

I really can’t wait for this title, and it’s most definitely a Game of The Year contender. Now if only Dear Ol’ Rockstar could arrange a review copy for us…

• OXCGN Anticimeter

Highly Anticipated

Previously on L.A. Noire Countdown:

• Week 7: Sin City
  
• Week 6: Max Payne
• Week 5: Media Blowout
• Week 4: JFK Assassination
• Week 3: Dark City
• Week 2: The CSI Effect
• Week 1: The Untouchables

©2011 Nicholas Laborde

xxxxxx

• L.A. Noire & JFK image gallery

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Filed under: 3rd Party Games, Console gaming, Editorial, Game Impressions, GameBanter, New Game Information, New Xbox 360 Games, PS3 News, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 3rd Party Games, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | "Rockstar games", Al Capone, Jim Garrison, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Kevin Costner, LA Noire, Lee Harvey Oswald, Los Angeles, Team Bondi, Texas School Book Depository, Trailer, United States