L.A. Noire may have have car chases, shoot-outs and an open-world, but it has a lot more in common with a classic adventure game than Grand Theft Auto. That’s what makes the title unique, the gameplay is about gathering clues and observation, interrogating suspects and keeping track of information. But what should you know when starting L.A. Noire? That’s why Team Bondi’s Lead Designer Alex Carlyle has these 5 Essential Tips.
1) Be a Bookworm
“The Notebook is Phelps’ most useful weapon when solving crimes. The Notebook contains all of the information you will need to get through the game, where you need to go, who you have or have not questioned and what you have found. If you are in doubt about what you need to do, you will be able to review your Case Objectives and notes and work out what your next step will be.”
2) The Camera is Your Friend
“A nice little pro tip, whilst mid chase, either on foot or in a vehicle, holding the camera focus button… will aim the camera towards your quarry. This can come in very handy when scaling buildings and leaping over fences or weaving in and out of traffic.”
3) How Hard Do You Want Your Hardboiled?
“L.A. Noire allows you to tailor your game experience at any point during the game. A large part of what we worked on was accessibility, and to that end we have a few subtle underlying systems that assist the Player such as music indicating when all of the clues have been discovered, Player head tracking to clues or sounds that will suggest proximity to a clue. Many of these options can be turned off if you feel like giving yourself a bit more of a challenge. I personally like to play the game with the Clue Music hint On, but the Clue proximity hints Off.”
4) Use Your Intuition Wisely
“Resist the urge to use up all of your Intuition as soon as you get it! The Intuition system can be a very useful tool to help you get out of a jam when you just can’t find that vital piece of evidence, or are not completely sure whether the person you are interrogating is lying. Make sure you have enough to get you through those more challenging sections of the game.”
5) Look, Listen and Pay Attention
“Above all else, when playing LA Noire, you need to pay attention to what is around you, what you have found, and what the person you are questioning is saying and doing. Review your evidence, and make sure you know what it relates to, and then while interrogating someone from the game, look out for those tell tale signs that they are hiding something, pay attention to what they say, and you will catch them out1
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By Brent Butler
