LA Noire's coming to PC, and it's graphically better than ever. But Cole Phelps is still a hard man to like...
The other day we trekked out to the local Rockstar offices for a little session of LA Noire. “Huh?” I hear you say. “Didn’t you already play it, David?”
Why yes, dear reader, I have, but this time... I got to play it on PC. It’s coming to our beloved senior platform in November, in a lovely package that includes all the so-far released DLC as well. If you’ve been really curious about the game but not wanting to sully yourself by picking up a controller, this could be the option for you.
So how is it?
Well, Cole Phelps is still a jerk – that’s a universal constant not unlike the speed of light or stupidity of the Westboro Baptist Church. However, the game is a legitimately much more compelling experience on PC.
For one thing, it looks really, really good. We even got to play it in 3D, which I normally think is a bit of a dinky experience at best; in LA Noire, however, it really adds a lot to the game, probably because it’s not so focused on action and gunplay as a lot of other titles I’ve seen in 3D. The sense of exploring locations and crime scenes is much more immersive, and the actual technical execution of the technology is the best we’ve seen.
I don’t really play much DLC as a rule (note to self: PLAY THE DAMN MASS EFFECT 2 DLC BEFORE ME3 COMES OUT). The hands-on session showed off the Nicholson Electroplate case, so it was a nice fresh experience. The game itself offers little difference to the console version, but the PC controls certainly make shootouts a lot easier. Foot chases are still a bit hit-and-miss, but driving – for a PC-centric gamer like me, at least – felt much better.
I still suck at it though.
It’s bit of a mixed bag, LA Noire on PC. It still has all the flaws that made us less than impressed with the initial release, but it’s certainly a better experience on the PC. It looks great, and with a full range of graphical options, it should scale well for any decent system. And we like the 3D, too, which is pretty damned rare.
I don’t think it’s an essential buy, but if you’re a PC gamer and feel you’ve been missing out, it’s going to be good chance to see what the fuss is about. For now, check out some screens of the game, in all its PC glory.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012