Before I start my review of L.A. Noire, I should disclose that I have pretty high standards when it comes to video games. I would consider myself a core gamer: I've been playing video games since I was about 3 years old, cutting my gaming chops on classics like the original Super Mario Bros. I've attended midnight releases for several of my favorite series and purchased several titles on day one. I keep up on industry news with several major gaming outlets like IGN and Game Informer, and I like to think that I am pretty aware of what's going on in the gaming world. So by the time L.A. Noire came out at the beginning of the summer, I had pretty high expectations from all the hype that preceded its release.

Set in 1940s Los Angeles, L.A. Noire puts you in the role of war hero and rookie cop Cole Phelps as he ascends the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department while simultaneously exposing its seedy underbelly. Developer Team Bondi and publisher Rockstar Games successfully recreate the classic film noir aesthetic with all of the familiar tropes as Phelps takes on a series of assignments from several desks within the department, including traffic, vice, homicide and arson. Those familiar with previous games published by Rockstar, such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption, should feel right at home, as the gameplay mechanics during car chases and shootouts are nearly identical.

What sets L.A. Noire apart from those previous offerings, however, is its use of the brand-new MotionScan facial animation technology. By employing 32 cameras, each filming from its own angle, Team Bondi was able to intricately capture the expressions and emotions of the actors it employed, creating the most realistic facial animation seen in video games to date. Gamers will recognize many talented actors from several popular television series and movies. Aaron Staton, known for his role as Ken Cosgrove in the AMC hit Mad Men, plays the main character Cole Phelps and does a fantastic job portraying one of the most complicated and intriguing characters I've encountered in a game.

While the animation is amazing in its own right and helps make the characters seem believable, Team Bondi manages to incorporate the technology into the gameplay as well. Throughout the game, players will interrogate suspects and witnesses while attempting to sort truth from fiction by reading the characters' faces. If players wrongly accuse a witness of lying, the witness will shut down and refuse to answer their questions. This can lead to missing clues and wrongful arrests, making the interrogation sequences incredibly intense and immersive. I was truly impressed by Team Bondi's ability to take the new MotionScan technology and create an entirely new genre of detective games. It's rare when a game comes along that changes video game industry standards. I'm confident that many other developers will see the potential of this technology and use it in similar ways in the future.

While the range of fascinating and believable characters make the world seem truly real, Team Bondi also made a great effort to make the settings and locations as realistic as possible. Using over 110,000 aerial photos of Los Angeles from the era, the developer meticulously created a stunning replica of the city. Every street corner looks amazing, and gamers will be tempted to put their investigation aside to explore. Unfortunately, the experience isn't very rewarding. As great as the scenery looks, it feels completely lifeless. Unless a building is necessary for an investigation, it can't be entered, and citizens can't assign quests or interact with the player in any meaningful way. All of this is particularly disappointing since Rockstar's previous games have taken place in incredibly interactive, open-world environments that reward exploration.

Gamers familiar with Rockstar's previous work will also be frustrated by the gameplay. While the mechanics are nearly identical to their past games, the difficulty is startlingly underwhelming. I was able to breeze through the game without any difficulty and rarely had to repeat missions. Team Bondi even goes so far as to allow the gamer to skip every action sequence in the game in order to move to the next interrogation and advance the story. In a way, I can understand the decision: Team Bondi is clearly trying to make the game more accessible to less-experienced gamers who simply want to play through the story and find out what happens next. The interrogation sequences have nothing to do with traditional video game skills, and so L.A. Noire has an opportunity to bring in a new audience of gamers who may not be able to get through the more difficult action sequences of a game like Grand Theft Auto. Nonetheless, it would have been nice to see an option to increase the difficulty of the game for those who are more experienced. This has become quite standard in video games over the years, and it's baffling that it has been omitted here, especially given how easy the default is.

While L.A. Noire clearly has its faults, the gripping story and unbelievable new animation technology make it a must-play, especially given the lack of quality games this summer. I give the game an 8.5 out of 10.