LA Noir is a rather interesting project. The game from Rockstar offers the user to try himself as a detective in Los Angeles. You have to not only search for evidence, interrogate suspects and participate in chases, but also make an extremely important and difficult choice about which of the detainees is accused of a crime.
A feature of the product is the use of Motion Scan technology, which allows to accurately transmit the facial expression of the character. In this regard, various actors were involved in the development. Cole Phelps (the main character) was played by Aaron Stayton.
It is important to note that the use of a motion capture system is an integral part of the gameplay. The player needs to determine whether he is moving in the right direction by his behavior and mood changes. But sometimes, this system can give out quite ridiculous situations.
Where do you have to start?
The game takes place in Los Angeles in 1947. You are a former military officer who served in the United States Marine Corps in Okinawa. Upon returning from the war as a hero, you become a patrolman in the police department.
And now, Cole Phelps will have to go a difficult way from the bottom to the proud title of a detective, in which he will encounter a corrupt system, meet old friends and see what life does with people. However, first things first.
Character character
In general, Cole Phelps can be described as obedient and correct. He used to follow orders precisely and carry out all the tasks carefully and to the end. The same trait has repeatedly played a cruel joke with him.
About youth
The future detective Cole Phelps was born in San Francisco in 1920. After school, he entered Stanford University. After graduating, he married, and two daughters were born to him. In order to get into the army, Phelps enrolled in an officer school.
At war
These are perhaps the darkest pages of his story. Despite the large number of rewards for courage and the respect of some for stealth, Cole Phelps was considered quite unlucky.
One such reason was the retreat during the battle for Sugarloaf. The decision was made because of the complete defeat of the battalion of the protagonist. Together with Phelps, his friend, Hank Merrill, was also retreating, who was very dissatisfied with this decision. Both comrades hid from the fire in a fox hole. And the next day in this place they found Cole soot and the remains of his friend, who died from a shell that flew into the shelter.
For the status of the only survivor of the battle, Phelps was promoted to first lieutenant and Silver Star - the third most honored award in the US Army. Nevertheless, the hero himself was well aware that this award was not merit, but cowardice, which he showed in a critical situation.
Toward the end of his military service, Cole was sent to clean up the Sugarloaf area along with other units. Because of his desire to strictly follow orders, he, along with his detachment, engaged in dense combing of caves and villages. As a result, he lagged behind the rest.
In an effort to catch up with those in front, the main character began to push his subordinates. But he was ambushed, as it seemed to him. Without wasting time, he gave one of the soldiers armed with a flamethrower an order to enter the cave and burn everyone who was there. However, it turned out that the cave was occupied by women and children hiding from hostilities. The most terrifying thing was that many of them did not die from the fire immediately, but remained dying in agony due to burns.
Virtually distraught from the deed, the fighters looked at the commander, who in a panic did not come up with anything more humane than to kill all the wounded. Because of this decision, one of his subordinates finally lost their nerves. As a result, a soldier named Courtney Sheldon fired a bullet to Phelps in the back.
To solve the situation, Jack Kelso arrived in time for the place. Taking command over himself, he ordered everyone to leave the cave and remain silent about what happened here.
Guard the order
After treatment at a military hospital, Cole Phelps returned to Los Angeles and went to serve in the police. Here the final disclosure of the character to the player takes place, as these are the main plot events.
Being a patrolman, he demonstrated all his brilliant skills and intuition. At this stage of the game, Cole Phelps completed the following tasks:
- uncovered the murder;
- prevented the bank robbers from escaping;
- arrested and knocked out a confession from a killer.
All this will not go unnoticed. As a result, the player receives a promotion.
Detective Phelps
The hero’s new job is the transport department, and his partner is Stefan Bekowski, a native of the Polish émigré family.
At the first meeting with his new partner, he stated the following:
Phelps heard about you. If you don’t press me hard and rake all the glory to yourself, you and I will get along.
As a result of careful work, Phelps earns his department a pretty good reputation for the media.
And, of course, all this does not go unnoticed. The player gets promoted again. In the game, this period is 6 months.
Murders are not news
Now our hero has to prove himself in the murder department. Here, his new partner is Finbarr Galloway, nicknamed Rusty.
By the way, on the topic of his real name, this character has a rather big fad. At one of the cases, along with the main character, he stated the following:
You know what, Phelps, I don't care what you just got on the head. Do not call me Finbarr!
In a new position with an alcoholic partner and a lazy hero, the hero will have to uncover a series of brutal murders that are related to the case of the Black Orchid. After some time, the maniac began to leave chains of evidence, thus challenging the protagonist.
As a result, Phelps and his partner successfully escape the traps and get to the Temple of the Crown of Thorns of Christ, where they meet the killer. After his liquidation, Phelps was informed that this man was the half-brother of an important politician, and therefore his personality should remain secret.
After this, an increase follows again, as a result of which the already familiar Pole Stefan Bekowski, also promoted, becomes the new partner.
Department of Morals
This is the most difficult stage for the protagonist. Roy Earle, a rather corrupt detective, becomes the new partner.
In the course of their joint work, it turns out that in Los Angeles there is an underground battle between drug dealers. One of the parties to the conflict is the comrades of the protagonist from the 6th battalion of the Marine Corps.
As a result of work on the case, Phelps meets the German immigrant Elsa Lichtman, who works as a singer in a bar. After several months, they begin an affair that goes sideways to the hero.
It all happened when Cole almost knocked out a confession from the seller of illegal morphine. At the most important moment, his boss calls him and reports that Phelps' wife officially accused him of treason. For this reason, the hero is removed from business. And Mary refuses to let him go home.
This story appears on the front pages of newspapers, as a result of which the hero is demoted.
Disgraced cop in a fire case
Now the main character has to work in the arson department. Despised by everyone, he is appointed as the partner of Hershel Biggs, who, in a sense, becomes in defense of the new comrade, even despite his personal hostility.
This is well shown in the first case. When the heroes arrive at the scene, one of the patrol officers doubts whether to shake the outstretched hand of the scandalous policeman. At this point, Biggs says the following:
Come on, Branigan. Although it was mixed with mud, his hands were clean.
During the investigation, Phelps concludes that fires in residential buildings are extremely beneficial to one company. However, he was immediately informed that it was not worth climbing into this “swamp”, and the investigation was at an impasse.
But after some time, events take a new turn. The singer, with whom Phelps lived after the disclosure of betrayal, is kidnapped by a psychopath-arsonist.
In her search, Cole receives new evidence for his case, as well as an additional reason to arrest the kidnapper Elsa. And together with his partner he goes to the den of the maniac. There they are waiting for Jack Kelso, who had previously joined the work.
However, on the spot they are attacked by a police patrol sent by a corrupt elite.
Nevertheless, Jack and Phelps manages to find a kidnapper who turns out to be a crazy former subordinate of the protagonist who burned civilians in that ill-fated cave. As a result, detectives save the singer and kill the arsonist.
Inevitability
The ending of the game is very tragic. Heroes are trying to get out of the sewer tunnels through which a wall of water is rapidly moving. Biggs meeting everyone at the exit helps Elsa and Kelso get out. However, at the very last moment, a huge wave overtakes the hero. Realizing that there is no chance of salvation, Cole Phelps accepts his fate and only having time to utter
Goodbye...
turns out to be carried away by the stream. It was not possible to find his body.
The latter generated a lot of speculation that Cole Phelps is actually alive.
Quotes
- Ralph, if you want to quarrel with a person, talk to him about religion or politics, and in my case, about the war.
- We protect the law. But we cannot change people. Everyone at least sometimes wants to sin. Our business is to ensure that this does not end badly.
- But it’s you who address your wife with such requests.
- Another corpse and ring of Daidra Moller - perhaps the king will soon have to admit the fact that he is naked.
Um ... what?
Despite such a tragic end, perfectly immersing the situation in the atmosphere, the developers made one huge mistake, destroying literally everything that they had been cautious for so long and cautiously.
After the funeral scene of the protagonist, the player is invited to return to exploring the world. The screensaver ends and, together with Herschel Biggs, the main character of LA Noir Cole Phelps gets into the car!
Need to ask one single question, what prevented developers from leaving the gameplay to Jack Kelso?