Likewise, the game provides environmental clues to help with the investigation. Music plays in the background until you have collected all the clues at a crime scene, at which time it ends with a flourish. Also, when you examine an object, the controller vibrates when you uncover the significant part of it. Phelps seems to be able to intuit when an item is insignificant.
You can turn these help features off, which theoretically makes the game more difficult.
The interrogations are more difficult than clue-gathering. Each time a suspect makes a statement, you are presented with three choices: lie, doubt, or truth. If you accuse someone of lying, you have to back up your assertion with a piece of evidence from your notebook. Many of the people have pretty obvious facial tics that indicate they are not being truthful, but I often found it difficult to determine whether “lie” or “doubt” was the appropriate response.
However, there seems to be no consequence for messing up an interrogation. I’m guessing you would have to get every question wrong in order to fail a case, and then the only repercussion is having to play it through again.
The investigations are punctuated by minimalist action sequences, usually involving Phelps chasing a suspect on foot or in a car, duking it out or even shooting it out with particularly belligerent criminals. Your choice of weapons is limited, and you do not gain advantages as you gain levels, making these sequences somewhat repetitive over the course of such a long game.
The game renders 1947 Los Angeles, its residents, automobiles, and buildings in the kind of loving detail I’ve come to expect from Rockstar. It captures the place and the era convincingly, and makes you want to explore.
Unfortunately, there’s not much to find. Yes, there are a handful of collectibles, including some truly awesome vintage sports cars, but there is little meaningful for Phelps to do outside of the main mission. That’s a shame, given the complexity of the sandbox Rockstar has built here.
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