L.A. Noire coddles rookies

Rockstar announces that L.A. Noire will allow casual players to skip challenging action sequences.

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As reported back in December, L.A. Noire was selected as the first videogame to be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. The festival was held last night, and in addition to showing off a previously unseen case from the game, Rockstar revealed that the game will include a system that lets casual players skip some of the more action-based sequences. (via MTV Multiplayer)

Art Director Rob Nelson explained that upon failing a particular action sequence two or three times, the player will be prompted with the option to skip over the sequence entirely. While variable difficulties had been largely absent in Rockstar games until Red Dead Redemption, this new system could help bring the world of L.A. Noire to a larger audience. "You can skip those action elements and still experience the bulk of the narrative," said Nelson.

Only twenty percent of L.A. Noire is estimated to be action-based, with the lion's share of the game dedicated to sleuthing and interrogating. Case and point: during the hour-long presentation, MTV reported that only about five minutes of the demonstration was devoted to action-based gameplay. If the buzz is to be believed, L.A. Noire will end up being spiritually closer to an adventure game (like Heavy Rain) more than it will be like another Grand Theft Auto.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 26, 2011 2:30 PM

    Jeff Mattas posted a new article, L.A. Noire coddles rookies.

    Rockstar announces that L.A. Noire will allow casual players to skip challenging action sequences.

    • reply
      April 26, 2011 2:31 PM

      They should just give you a win button to push.

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        April 26, 2011 2:32 PM

        Eh, I can see it. Casual players might want to play it for plot, seeing it as a long crime/mystery movie.

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        April 26, 2011 6:02 PM

        Honestly, I think I'd like the GTA games a lot more if they had this option.

        There's always some point in the game where a mission takes me a few tries and then I just stop playing and never pick it up again.

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      April 26, 2011 2:32 PM

      The game should punish you if you every use that feature. Like, just have the entire cast of characters start calling you a pussy and a coward.

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      April 26, 2011 2:33 PM

      Just skip casual players straight to the ending cut scene.

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      April 26, 2011 2:39 PM

      While I would never use that button it makes sense. There's no reason against having that option if the developers want it that way.

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      April 26, 2011 3:05 PM

      People may want to play all the detective stuff which is most of the game and suddenly your playing an action game which you may dislike playing or have a hard time doing and you make fun of those people?

      Cant wait till these complainers about options end up with arthritis and such and complain there isn't options for them.

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      April 26, 2011 3:20 PM

      Is there a game that has a 'movie' mode? That lets you see just the cutscenes back to back..

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      April 26, 2011 3:21 PM

      Just turn it into a QTE all the way through.

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      April 26, 2011 3:21 PM

      Fantastic idea which should be retrofitted into every GTA game.

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      April 26, 2011 3:25 PM

      If "challenging" means obnoxious flavor setpiece which doesn't fit in the game, then I'm all for it.

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      April 26, 2011 3:35 PM

      I like the "optional easy mode after 2 or 3 deaths" idea; that would've been awesome for the damned Dam level in Far Cry, which I only beat legitimately about once or twice, and otherwise either noclip'd to the next checkpoint trigger, or just didn't play the game past the Swamp level.

      If you're hardcore, just keep slogging away... wait, no, if you're truly hardcore, you won't need this option anyway, so stop whining.

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      April 26, 2011 4:28 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 26, 2011 4:36 PM

      wow, this is the direction games are going?

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      April 26, 2011 4:39 PM

      I think this is cool. Turns the game into an adventure game and might be more approachable to non-gamers (ie: my mom who BTW loved the tex murphy games).

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      April 26, 2011 4:49 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 26, 2011 5:12 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 26, 2011 5:27 PM

      I totally thought the game was going to be mostly action stuff with a couple of crappy detective scenes as a gimmick to sell the game. I actually want the game now.

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      April 26, 2011 6:01 PM

      AKA Baby Faggot Mode.

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      April 26, 2011 6:15 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 26, 2011 6:16 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 26, 2011 6:17 PM

      I would have used the button a few times in Portal 2... which I ultimately would have regretted. But just having the button available tempts the player too much.

      I never got through God of War 1... but regardless, after dying a few times against a particularly tough room with baddies, I got offered to reduce the difficulty to 'easy' and I eventually caved in.

      I think this is the better option... as opposed to just pushing the 'skip' button and potentially missing out on some plot points.

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        April 26, 2011 6:19 PM

        I loved this in Ninja Gaiden Black. They basically call you a girl if you never managed to pass a certain area and it would unlock Ninja Dog mode.


        ltagaki is the best.

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      April 26, 2011 6:19 PM

      fucking content tourism, harden the fuck up kids.

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      April 26, 2011 6:22 PM

      i like this since i seem to be 100% retarded at Rockstar games

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      April 26, 2011 6:45 PM

      V I T A C H A M B E R ' D. Actually, not really.

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      April 26, 2011 6:48 PM

      Why in the fuck are people up in arms about this? It's clearly not something that will even affect serious players and the attitude that people who don't play games often enough are somehow unworthy of this one is complete and total elitist bullshit.

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      April 26, 2011 9:06 PM

      Well this is a whole lot of complaining over nothing. If anything you hardcore folks should be pleased, since it means they won't have to water down the action to appeal to casual gamers, since they can just skip difficult sections. If you want a challenge, then just don't skip the section, it's that easy.

      Anyone complaining about this either has no self control or is just an outright idiot.

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