Originally released in 2011 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows; "L.A. Noire" is being remastered for the current generation consoles, including the Nintendo Switch. This is great news for owners of the Japanese company's current generation hybrid console, as Rockstar rarely port their products over to Nintendo.
If there is a buzzword that Nintendo loves it would be 'unique.' They offer something different from Sony and Microsoft, not only in terms of games but also in hardware. The Switch is a home console and a portable device and offers something that only can be found with Nintendo.
This comes with a few shortcomings.
Cartridges
Unlike the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch uses cartridges instead of discs. This might not seem like a huge issue, but it has resulted in games being priced higher on Nintendo's console. It is considerably more expensive to manufacture cartridge based games than ones on Blu-Rays, especially as "L.A. Noire" will most likely require something along the lines of 32 GBs.
Side-effects of the design choices made for the Switch are slowly beginning to reveal themselves. In the future, players will most likely need to purchase new memory cards to replace the basic 32 GB one which accompanies the console. The decision to go with cartridges has led to owners of the console needing to pay more for what could end up being a lesser experience.
The Switch does not possess the processing power of the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, so developers will need to take that into account when porting over to the console.
"L.A. Noire" is priced at $39.99 on Sony and Microsoft's systems and $49.99 for Nintendo's device.
A retrospective
Rockstar's announcement of "L.A. Noire's" upcoming re-release was a genuine and welcome surprise.
Kind of like a hybrid between a visual novel and an open world game, players steps into the shoes of Cole Phelps, a Los Angeles police officer. Throughout the story, players investigate cases and slowly work their way up in the department.
It offers a unique experience and one worth re-visiting. The graphics and facial work were, for its time, ground breaking and should not need too big an update to fit alongside newer games.
Over the years, there have been small hints of a possible sequel, but nothing concrete. If this remastered game performs well, it might lead to a follow-up game and the birth of a franchise.
