The ambitious LA Noire returns after more than six years with a remastering for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. In this analysis of LA Noire we delve into the aspects of each version, but we also review the new functions and what this work was and is so characteristic that to this day it remains without equal.
It’s really amazing how time goes by. Six years ago, when we were looking forward to LA Noire , surprised by its proposal and, above all, by its facial animations, we did not know which way the video game was going to take. To this day, LA Noire is a rare bird. One of those unique video games, because no one in their right mind would dedicate a monumental budget (when 50 million was a lot of millions) to a calm, elegant adventure, without much action and with an extremely expensive patented technology. Yes, time passes.
The MotionScan , facial capture method used by the game Rockstar and Team Bondi by that time, is surpassed today. Or not? The truth is that few games dare to dive even today into facial animation. Naughty Dog uses a hand-retouched facial capture mix, while the Hellblade formula is one of the most representative capture techniques; But even in these examples, and taking into account the lack of detail for the times of LA Noire’s MotionScan , the Rockstar game continues to deliver surprising results, with expressions and details in them very difficult to achieve today.
If you haven’t gotten close to the story of Detective Cole Phelps since its release, playing LA Noire now is an exercise in humility. Back then it was easy to think that this could well be the future of adventure and that many other games would learn a thing or two from its technology, its tone or its style, one that dosages rhythm, gunfights and care for the detail. But the industry has moved in other directions, turning this detective adventure into a unique video game. Only. With hardly any games that resemble it. Practically an exception to the rule.
LA Noire: Trailer
That is why, if you did not consider playing it in the past generation or the later version for computers, both the edition of LA Noire for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch , with their differences, are a good opportunity to see another way of making video games. Not perfect, as time makes more evident the errors in the development of some cases, its interrogation system or the little exploited open world, but its finesse when it comes to representing the bonanza and decadence of the late 1940s it’s really remarkable.
The work done with facial animation technology continues to surprise at times.
We are talking about a level of detail that borders on disease, when it comes to representing an incredibly faithful orography of Los Angeles from the 40s as well as investigating true cases of homicides of the time as inspiration. Cole Phelps’ career from police officer, through Traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Fire departments oozes excellent investigative and script work, even by today’s standards, punctuated perhaps by some book Deus Ex Machina, moments where the motivations of Phelps himself are not clear and that interrogation system that in some moments did not accurately reflect the player’s responses, to the point that in this remastering they have been retouched.
Thus, the classic reactions Truth or Lie Duda have been modified respectively by Poli Good , Bad Cop or Accuse . The truth is that although Accusar is somewhat more defined when presenting the evidence, between Poli Malo and Acusar there are still doubts when it comes to choosing the correct way to proceed. For the rest, the game is presented in its playable section as it was at its launch in 2011, with the inclusion of all DLCsthat appeared at the time, The Naked City, The Lapsus, Galvanized Nicholson and A Lot of Grass, which offers new cases to each of the departments through which we will pass, some more successful than others. Items that were already included as pre-order content, such as weapons and outfits, are also added.
Two versions: PS4 / XOne and SwitchLA Noire returns in two very different formats. The one corresponding to PlayStation4 and Xbox One is a full-fledged remastering , while the one for Nintendo Switch is adapted with the new changes, improving some aspects and keeping others from the original.
As for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it is a correct remastering, which can be enjoyed at 1080p on standard consoles and at 4K on the versions for PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. This time 60 frames are not reached per second, but many of the effects and modeling for the city of Los Angeles have been substantially improved. Much popping of the original version is eliminated, reaching better distances in the sections that we drive through the city, while the reflections and the lighting engine are much more achieved.
The city of Los Angeles was not used in its magnitude, but it was represented true to the time.
His finesse when it comes to representing the boom and bust of the late 40s is really remarkable.Rockstar has not stopped there, even going so far as to improve the behavior of the clouds , but above all by changing and improving some camera shots and applying high-resolution textures that allow to see in much more detail the great style of the time that is represented in its streets, costumes and lifestyle. The facial animations still look surprisingly good, although they no longer impress as much as they did six years ago, and only in close-ups will we begin to notice that the resolution of the faces seems somewhat blurry compared to the image quality and sharpness of the rest of the images. the scene.
As for the Switch version, Rockstar has done a good job moving the game to the Nintendo hybrid, opting to raise the resolution to 1080p when playing in Desktop mode, while the portable mode remains at the native resolution of the screen. of the machine. It is in this mode where we achieve the best results, the quality of the facial animations and the scale of the city being much more natural than in the Desktop mode.
Interrogations are still one of the funniest parts of the game, where our intuition is put to the test.
Connected to the television, we have detected some problems. The resolution is 1080p, yes, but the image quality suffers in the open spaces and moments that we travel the city with our patrol car, presenting a prominent aliasing and exaggerated popping in the distance. The resolution of the faces, in addition, suffers in some moments from a stretching of pixels, while we have detected drops in frames that, although they are not constant, can cloud some moment where we need more precision, such as chases and shootings. .
The textures and lighting effects are more similar to the tests we have done with the original version of the game on Xbox 360 and PS3. Although some improvements have been made when the hardware has allowed it, at other times the game remains unchanged compared to the original version. In short, although both modes are valid, our experience has been much more satisfactory playing on the Switch’s own screen than on the television.
The facial animations still look surprisingly good, although they don’t impress as much as 6 years agoThe Switch version also incorporates some additions such as the gyroscope , which when disconnecting the Joy-Con from the console, allow us to perform some gestures or rotate the camera, but which seem uninspired and are still more than a curiosity. Something more useful can be the touch controls when exploring some environments and achieving clues or HD vibration when examining them.
All in all, LA Noire is a great experience that everyone should enjoy at least once. If you already did it at the time, there are not many excuses to do it either, unless you want to see how the game has matured or review the story with the downloadable content. When choosing a version, it will be important to define if you are going to play on your television or prefer the portable factor. Many of LA Noire’s cases are quick and feel perfect for a device like the Switch, while the PS4 and Xbox One TV experience ensures greater stability and image quality. An easier decision for sure than choosing between Good, Bad or Accusing Cop, since they all have their rewards.
“Excellent”
LA Noire
LA Noire was a very different title from the rest and it still is. The two versions that Rockstar has remastered are more than correct, defining new resolutions, high-quality textures and making some improvements to the game’s own mechanics. That of PS4 and Xbox One bets on the image quality of the remastered, while that of Switch, somewhat more humble technically, looks at a good level and has the advantage of portability, which feels like a glove to the game in many of their cases.
- Good remastering, with improvements in all versions
- It is still a one-of-a-kind game that everyone should try
- The facial animations, despite the time, still work
- The script, as well as Cole Phelps’ own build, has some ups and downs
- The interrogation system, despite being fascinating, still does not accurately represent the player’s intentions on some occasions
- The city is not used as an open world
