Well, it had to happen eventually. After four solid months of wallet-draining delights, 2011’s stellar software onslaught finally appears to be losing steam as we enter the summer draught. That’s not to say the quality offerings have completely dried up; far from it, as there’s still been a steady stream of contenders battling it out for your hard-earned cash. Just don’t expect a repeat of the last few months. Fortunately, summer isn’t looking too bare compared to the past couple of years, with the likes of inFamous 2, Duke Nukem Forever, Alice: Madness Returns, White Knight Chronicles II and Deus Ex: Human Revolution just some of the big names who will be oiling themselves up and puffing out their chests for all to see in the next couple of months.
Right now however, our attention is fully focused on May’s offerings, which will no doubt be most remembered for accommodating the release of the once-perpetually delayed L.A. Noire. Yep, after more than six years under the knife at Aussie studio Team Bondi, the Rockstar-published crime caper finally debuted on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to near-universal acclaim. Beyond this, May also saw the launch of shooter Brink, the first of many Bethesda offerings in what promises to be the publisher’s most prolific year to date. Also scrapping it out for the contents of our wallets include off-road racer DiRT 3, and LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean among others.
This month, our choice shouldn’t really come as a surprise, nor was it a particularly difficult decision to make (unlike, say, January – try picking between Dead Space 2, Mass Effect 2 and LittleBigPlanet 2 without getting into a punch-up!). Yep, it’s L.A. Noire. Let’s be honest; it really wasn’t going to be anything else. Sure, getting trapped in development hell for six or seven years sent hype train almost barrelling off the tracks, but despite the near-insurmountable expectations most of us had, Team Bondi did a bang up job. From the meticulously-created facial expressions, compelling cases to the satisfying meat-and-potatoes of heated gun battles and car chases; the 1940s thriller packs one hell of a punch. Furthermore, with DLC in the pipeline, it looks like detective Cole Phelps won’t be hanging up his badge anytime soon.
Check out what our U.S. wordsmith Adam Dolge had to say about the Rockstar-published juggernaut in his review here. A little taster can be seen below.
“Push all the hype aside, forget about the incredible new technology, look away from the massive billboards and TV commercials, and go explore the corrupt streets in the city of angels. With its robust investigation and interrogation system, an authentic recreation of 1940s, and an incredible cast of characters, you’ll struggle to find a game that marries action, story, and drama better than L.A. Noire. There will always be a crowd that doesn’t like this style of game, perhaps because it’s too slow or because they want more intense action. L.A. Noire will not sway those gamers, but it is certainly a leap forward in attracting a whole new class of players. Sit back, get comfortable, grab some Scotch, and sport a fedora because you will be sucked into L.A. Noire, and it’ll keep you inside for a long, long time.”
Don’t agree with our choice? Let us know what title you would have slapped the award for Game of the Month – May 2011 on in the comments section below.