For a game that's probably going to be the recipient of many Game of the Year awards, one man thinks differently regarding Rockstar's latest contribution to video games, L.A. Noire. Clint Hocking, who was most notably the creative director for Far Cry 2 and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is less than impressed, calling the 1940s detective game "derivative" and "narcissistic."
L.A. Noire has been received rather warmly by the gaming public and its various media outlets. Our own review will be forthcoming, check out our first impressions in the mean time to see what we think about the game.
Clint Hocking's thoughts were given as a response to Brian Moriarty, a game designer who's most known for supporting film critic Roger Ebert's position that games will never be art. Moriarty apparently doesn't think too highly of Team Bondi's latest crime drama, and it seems that he's not alone.
Hocking took to Twitter to broadcast his opinion regarding L.A. Noire and didn't sugar-coat his criticism one bit:
"1hr in. Moriarty was right re games as kitsch. Derivative, uninspired, narcissistic. Nothing original to say, & said badly. #LANoire"
The most obvious argument that many outraged fans will make is that speaking so insultingly about someone's work after seeing less than a tenth of it is more a sign of ignorance and assumption than intelligent criticism. Hocking's decision to lump L.A. Noire in with other video games designed specifically to be commercially successful can be opposed, but it's obvious that his mind is made up.
From the earliest available review to others that are coming to light, L.A. Noire is seemingly a triumph in many of its aspirations. The MotionScan technology that enables the game to mimic facial expressions to a disturbingly accurate degree is a wonder in and of itself. Rockstar is also discussing future potential for the revolutionary tech.
Whether or not people will agree with Hocking's opinion is up to each individual who has played the game, and the debate regarding games and their capability to become artwork will rage on. Aside from L.A. Noire, David Cage's Heavy Rain is also a subject of discussion relating to games and art, with just as many critics blasting the game for its unique style.
What do you think of Hockings statements? Are you happy to hear someone criticizing the game for its weaknesses, or would you rather someone see more of the game before offering an opinion? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.
L.A. Noire is available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
-
Follow me on Twitter TrungleFever
Source: OXM