There’s something about a good story that can cross all sorts of cultural boundaries. The right mix of atmosphere, sound, and performance can—even with subtitles—evoke feelings that no matter where you’re from, you understand the message. While elements of L.A. Noire might be very western, that hasn’t stopped it’s incredible momentum.
One of the things we talked about on our L.A. Noire Roundtable, was how the game itself would spark conversation, emotion, and at the very least present new technology in a medium accessible to anyone—regardless of location. Although the game isn’t slated to release until July 7th, Famitsu (the quintessential gaming magazine in Japan) has given the game near perfect scores. The review team gave it a 10, 10, 10, and 9 placing it in an elite group of games to receive such numbers.
One of the comments in the review went so far as to say “This year [LA Noire] should be extremely noticed.” It looks like Rockstar Games Japan kept the feel of the game, yet stayed true to a solid localization which isn’t any easy task.
With a slew of talented developers in Japan able to sample the game very soon, it will be interesting to see how L.A. Noire affects their future. If you’d like to see a different perspective of a game you probably know well by now, watch the video below.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=I9J_8M29kbk#at=162[/youtube]
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