There’s no denying the amount of hype and expectations surrounding the upcoming launch of L.A. Noire, with some media outlets already awarding the game a perfect score. The information on the game so far has centered around the cinematic presentation and strong plot of the 1940’s crime drama backdrop, but it looks like the game may also be as much fun to fans of open-world adventure games. The latest trailer detailing the side quests available to players of L.A. Noire shows just how much freedom Cole Phelps will be given, and how much content is waiting to reward those willing to find it.
Make no mistake; the game is still a story-driven tale of one detective’s rise through the ranks of the L.A.P.D., full of tense interrogations delivered using cinematic techniques. But when a game is published by Rockstar, the company that brought us Grand Theft Auto, an expansive open world is expected by fans.
The latest from Rockstar Games was the award-winning western Red Dead Redemption, a game that released a player into a fully realized, autonomous world full of people and animals with a mind of their own. In case you’ve been watching the various trailers focusing on the facial animations of L.A. Noire and wondering when an influence from Red Dead would be seen, look no further.
We’ve seen a partial map of L.A. Noire’s world, and the developers claiming that the main campaign is looking to clock in at 25-30 hours long, we didn’t doubt the scope of the game’s story. But the latest IGN look at the game’s side quests shows that for players who enjoy exploring every nook and cranny of 1940’s Los Angeles, both vital information and a few collectibles are just waiting to be found.
Check out the latest ‘Side Quests’ trailer now:
Fans of previous Rockstar games who may have been a bit disappointed to hear that L.A. Noire’s difficulty had been somewhat lowered, giving players the chance to skip troublesome missions and return to the main story scenes. Hearing that those who love a good car chase or shoot-out are able to simply go out into the world and find it should come as a relief, especially for a game claiming to truly put a player into the shoes of an L.A. detective. According to the trailer, there are 40 unassigned cases to solve in the streets and businesses of L.A., from robberies to unsolved murders.
It also seems that exploration is going to be appealing to those more interested in the cases than their firearms, as newspapers found across the city ill offer vital backstory and information for specific cases. The addition is a potentially brilliant one, which could get those who pick up L.A. Noire for the cinematics engaging in more driving, shooting and exploration while searching for newspapers to advance the plot.
A Rockstar game just wouldn’t be complete without some expensive cars to track down, and it looks like Team Bondi is up to the task, offering several rare cars hidden among the city. The trailer mentions an experience system that allows players to find these cars, but whether that means they’ll show up on your mini map, or appear on your radar when close - think Burnout Paradise - isn’t clear. But from the brief clips of car chases seen in the trailers so far, the driving looks to bring yet another dose of vintage pulp drama.
Are you excited to hear just how large and dense the world of L.A. Noire is going to be? Are you the kind of player who seeks out every hidden item for 100% completion, or will you be picking up the game for its investigation and interrogation? Let us know in the comments!
Whether you’re into white-knuckle driving, coming to the rescue of innocent citizens, or getting to the bottom of a mystery, it looks like L.A. Noire will have something to offer when it’s released on May 17 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
