Topic: LA Noire (Read 12031 times)

KvP · « **on:** 11 Nov 2010, 18:30 »

After so many years of nothing at all, they released the first trailer to the game. The developer has claimed to have "defeated the uncanny valley" or some such nonsense. That said, the facial mocapping is quite good.

It's said to be a departure from GTA/RDD style gaming - fewer firefights, more focus on non-linear investigation (Heavy Rain seems to be a reference point). There are a few ways they could go with this - (A.) Despite the hype the game is a slight variation on the R* formula and everyone will love it, (B.) The game is actually different but negative feedback causes them to shift focus back to combat, or (C.) the game will be a modest success and considered a noble failure.

We'll see how it shakes out!

Tom · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Nov 2010, 19:46 »

I'm going to go with (A.). R* games are like the Chucks of videogames.

SirJuggles · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 00:26 »

Quote from: KvP on 11 Nov 2010, 18:30

"defeated the uncanny valley"

I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt for that statement, then 0:18 came up in the preview and I just started laughing.

That being said, that preview does a good job of getting me interested.

look out! Ninjas! · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 04:28 »

It's definitely on this side of the valley; not realistic enough to fall into it. What I want is some damn gameplay footage, that was all cutscene and it's probably what they spent the last two years on.

est · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 05:12 »

I don't know about that. My problem with the uncanny valley is that the movements (and a lot of the time in games - the lighting) look un-natural when the rest of the character looks close to photorealistic and it throws it all off. I think they've done two things here, moved the photorealism back just a little bit, then mentioned, amp up the mocap detail instead so that the facial movements look about as realistic as the face textures do. It's about getting the right balance, I think, and they've come closer than anything else I've seen.

Tom · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 11:29 »

I'm pretty sure that Aaron Staton (Ken Cosgrove, Mad Men) is the main character. This is a good thing.

KvP · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 11:56 »

He is.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 14:42 »

Totally not believing this game actually exists until someone can actually go into a store and buy it.

That someone will not be me, because even if this game comes out the Rockstar formula does not interest me and never has. I will brood in my frozen mountain cave as game critics shower absurdly hyperbolic praise upon it like every Rockstar game before it, and silently plot for the end.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 15:56 »

Hey guy.

What if those critics are right about this one?

Alex C · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 16:17 »

It's not really a matter of whether the critics are right or not. It's a matter of whether we want the same things. When it comes to video games, I really don't think I want the same things as the people who play Rockstar games apparently want. I'm the guy that still kinda likes it when a game turns out to be Nintendo hard and thematically I prefer games like Torment over games that are snarky and feature a lot of swearing while riffing on pop culture. Rockstar games definitely are a bit self aware and have a tongue firmly in cheek, but I still find them kind of ugly and crass even if their heart is in the right place in a fucked up way (as with Bully.)

Basically, it'll probably require a Herculean effort and a rejiggering of someone's expectations of what constitutes a good game (either mine or theirs) before Rockstar produces the sort of game I'd enjoy. That, and I've decided I just don't really like crime dramas. That's sort of a problem considering that this game appears to be Rockstar's love letter to American crime drama.

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 16:32 »

but isn't Rockstar only publishing this? Maybe supervising in some capacity? Isn't it being developed by some other other company?

I thought I read that somewhere, but this time period/style is so unattractive to me that I haven't really looked into it much. Impressive faces though.

KvP · « **Reply #11 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 17:23 »

It's basically the Mafia to LA Confidential's Godfather.

Hopefully it's not as mind-numbing as Mafia 2 turned out to be.

look out! Ninjas! · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 17:34 »

Quote from: Scandanavian War Machine on 12 Nov 2010, 16:32

but isn't Rockstar only publishing this? Maybe supervising in some capacity? Isn't it being developed by some other other company?

I thought I read that somewhere, but this time period/style is so unattractive to me that I haven't really looked into it much. Impressive faces though.

It's being developed by Team Bondi, which is headed up by the guy who lead The Getaway way back on the PS2.

Johnny C · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 21:06 »

Quote from: KvP on 12 Nov 2010, 17:23

It's basically the Mafia to LA Confidential's Godfather.

i'm so confused by this

KvP · « **Reply #14 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 21:33 »

It's doing its best to hone to the look and feel of a film.

Johnny C · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 21:59 »

did you mean to say it's to l.a. confidential what mafia was to the godfather?

Storm Rider · « **Reply #16 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 23:03 »

Quote from: Ozymandias on 12 Nov 2010, 15:56

Hey guy.

What if those critics are right about this one?

Doubt it. Just a reminder that this game was originally announced in 2004 and was supposed to be a PS3 launch game.

KvP · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 Nov 2010, 23:24 »

Quote from: Johnny C on 12 Nov 2010, 21:59

did you mean to say it's to l.a. confidential what mafia was to the godfather?

Oh huh, yeah

Ozymandias · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 Nov 2010, 10:52 »

Yeah, Bryan, but you certainly can't tell that from this trailer.

Johnny C · « **Reply #19 on:** 14 Nov 2010, 13:16 »

Quote from: KvP on 12 Nov 2010, 23:24

Oh huh, yeah

ok i can probably get behind that statement then

Johnny C · « **Reply #20 on:** 15 Nov 2010, 10:46 »

yeah, i mean, rdr hit a lot of western notes in a really correct way. the idea that this game is less about combat and more about investigation is actually pretty exciting and i hope it turns out to be cool and interesting, but the feel and tone will go a long way towards making it palatable and if i trust anyone to nail the feel at the very least it's rockstar.

Blue Kitty · « **Reply #21 on:** 15 Nov 2010, 11:51 »

After watching the trailer I think it would be cool to play, but I have no idea how I would go about solving cases/how they would pull it off.

Avec · « **Reply #22 on:** 16 Nov 2010, 19:05 »

It also takes out the replay value, which is the one thing a lot of rock star games have going for them.

Blyss · « **Reply #23 on:** 18 Nov 2010, 08:03 »

This looks like a lot of fun. I like murder mysteries. I like Rockstar games usually. I like the setting.

Win for me.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #24 on:** 18 Nov 2010, 12:03 »

Big ol' article of Kotaku impressions of the game in progress

The comparison to Mafia 2 sound pretty apt, though they also favorably compare it to Phoenix Wright which is even better.

Boro_Bandito · « **Reply #25 on:** 17 Dec 2010, 11:08 »

Those faces look pretty amazing.

Edit: But looking at that now, it kinda makes the rest of it look bad because its a little too good/creepy, and like, the clothes and environment are about the same level as GTA IV.

est · « **Reply #26 on:** 17 Dec 2010, 16:57 »

I'm still tentatively excited about this. After watching that video I am at least really excited about the process they are using to capture the facial anims, and hope that more people start using something like it in the future. Anything that helps animation look more fluid and lifelike gets a big tick in my book.

ackblom12 · « **Reply #27 on:** 17 Dec 2010, 17:08 »

Holy shit those facial animations are incredible.

snalin · « **Reply #28 on:** 18 Dec 2010, 03:35 »

This looks amazing. I'll buy this.

Tom · « **Reply #29 on:** 16 May 2011, 18:29 »

So, reviews are in. The game is a apparently a rough diamond, ala Alpha Protocol without the bugs and some critics have a silly mad-on for Heavy Rain (srsly, I don't get this game).

Method of Madness · « **Reply #30 on:** 16 May 2011, 22:10 »

My copy should be shipping tomorrow (technically today, even), huzzah!

johnny5 · « **Reply #31 on:** 17 May 2011, 00:31 »

alright i got it! it was pretty crowded at the store

It's Tuesday night; I have no date, a two liter bottle of Shasta, and my all-Rush mix tape... let's rock!

SirDudley · « **Reply #32 on:** 17 May 2011, 13:49 »

A notice to anyone in the USA that wants to stream this game.

Take 2 Interactive and Rockstar are being major assholes and slamming DMCA's on people who stream the game at the moment. Even if you stream as little as the damn INSTALLATION SCREEN, you will get slapped with a DMCA notice.

Why? It's not out in Europe yet. That's their reasoning.

Caleb · « **Reply #33 on:** 17 May 2011, 14:04 »

I gotta pick up my copy after work.

Blyss · « **Reply #34 on:** 18 May 2011, 08:14 »

I'm going to get my copy tonight after I get off of work too. And this just made me laugh this morning:

Cire27 · « **Reply #35 on:** 18 May 2011, 08:59 »

Every time I see Buckley's work I mentally cringe.

maxusy3k · « **Reply #36 on:** 18 May 2011, 13:29 »

I went into the supermarket near my workplace at lunch and asked if they were getting any copies in. The woman pointed to a massive stack of them behind the counter.

I told her she should definitely sell me one but she refused.

I even went back after work without my hat on and asked again but she totally recognised me and refused again.

Going to give it another shot tomorrow, otherwise will be grabbing this on Friday for sure. Pretty excited!

Blyss · « **Reply #37 on:** 18 May 2011, 14:04 »

Quote from: Cire27 on 18 May 2011, 08:59

Every time I see Buckley's work I mentally cringe.

Granted - but I still think some of it's funny. Not very often, but some.

LTK · « **Reply #38 on:** 18 May 2011, 14:23 »

Quote from: Boro_Bandito on 17 Dec 2010, 11:08

Those faces look pretty amazing.

Edit: But looking at that now, it kinda makes the rest of it look bad because its a little too good/creepy, and like, the clothes and environment are about the same level as GTA IV.

Amazing indeed, but I think I know what you mean about the body lagging behind the face, so to say. Even though they have the same level of graphical fidelity, the faces stand out by being much more plastic (as in movable) than the rest of the character. Really paying attention to it makes it look like the head is on a body that's busy doing something else, which it actually is because the face and motion aren't captured simultaneously. Still, it's a massive improvement over conventional facial animation (I'm gonna hate watching the Witcher 2 cutscenes after seeing these videos) and I think the only thing left to improve is the eyes. As you probably know, the eyes are what makes a person come alive, and since the actors have no way of seeing into the game world, their gaze will always be slightly off. If the direction of gaze can be manipulated independent of the rest of the facial expressions, we'll have animation as true to life as it can possibly get.

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #39 on:** 18 May 2011, 15:11 »

Lost Odyssey kind of did a really good job with facial animations and making the eyes seem actually alive instead of lifeless and creepy.

coupled with the great writing and decent VA, that was possibly the most emotionally invested into a game's characters i ever got. was definitely a surprise when i caught myself actually getting a little teared up during a cutscene.

satsugaikaze · « **Reply #40 on:** 18 May 2011, 17:41 »

Quote from: Scandanavian War Machine on 18 May 2011, 15:11

Lost Odyssey kind of did a really good job with facial animations and making the eyes seem actually alive instead of lifeless and creepy.

I honestly did not notice how good the facial animations were in Lost Odyssey
Mainly because I was spending half my time bawling my eyes out whenever a story or cutscene happened

CONVERSELY The facial animations are all I seem to notice for L.A Noire, mostly because it's the selling point of the game and without it they might as well have called it GTA 1960 Hot Pursuit.

Which is not to say that it would have been a bad game but there does seem to be a disconnect with the quality of the animations and the photorealism of the faces themselves.

It's a cut above the rest, but honestly in a few years it's possible people are just going to look back and go "eh, it was cool for its time."

SirJuggles · « **Reply #41 on:** 18 May 2011, 18:21 »

But now is its time! And they'll be right, it's pretty darn cool!

look out! Ninjas! · « **Reply #42 on:** 19 May 2011, 02:41 »

I still think Half Life 2 has the best faces, and going off trailers this doesn't look better.

Blyss · « **Reply #43 on:** 19 May 2011, 06:24 »

Got my copy last night. I get what some people are saying about the facial animations actually standing out over the rest of the animation in the game. To me, about 10 minutes in, I stopped noticing, because the voice acting, and the storytelling started to draw me in. I really like the story offering so far. Though, to be honest about it, I'm not a very good interrogator. My success rate has been good, but only as a whole. There was one case where my captain ripped my ass for missing a lot about the case. I genuinely felt bad. That said a lot to me. This game already made me feel something, and I've only been at it for a couple of hours.

I look forward to continuing tonight.

satsugaikaze · « **Reply #44 on:** 19 May 2011, 15:59 »

Quote from: SirJuggles on 18 May 2011, 18:21

But now is its time! And they'll be right, it's pretty darn cool!

I guess what I'm going to say that even the best-animated game won't age well if the core mechanics aren't enjoyable.

But it seems like L.A Noire will hold up regardless.

Johnny C · « **Reply #45 on:** 19 May 2011, 22:15 »

the core mechanics own if you ever played police quest or laura bow

maxusy3k · « **Reply #46 on:** 20 May 2011, 00:43 »

Working until 8 tonight, going to be the longest shift of my life.

Probably picking this up on my way to work. Really can't wait!

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Author Topic: LA Noire (Read 12031 times)

ackblom12