[Tap In]

also... exclusive new screens

http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archi...l-a-noire.aspx

[patsu]

Need to see close ups !

On cursory look, Heavy Rain actually looks more interesting despite its everyday/routine scenes.

[Tap In]

Originally Posted by patsu

Ah, I think it could work in LA Noire's context. For other action-oriented games (e.g. U2 has platforming and a lot of weapon animations -- like dropping/lobing grenade in different postures and angles) to use the similar tech, they may need to do a lot more work.

yea, we'll see where they take this as the gameplay is also described as GTA IV-ish in the article so there is plenty of action mixed in with the investigating.

[patsu]

Would be cool if they experiment with motion sensing control schemes, especially if the gameplay has a lot of control and story options. It'd be a shame if it's just limited shooting, run/walk and death animations.

Is this really an open world game like GTA ?

[obonicus]

It's the general problem of coverage of Rockstar games. They're very very good at self-promotion. I mean, they've got people pumped for Read Dead Redemption, meanwhile the Rockstar Wives story has insiders saying it's a huge mess.

[Laa-Yosh]

Yeah, but that game does look very good and has the western mood nailed down almost perfectly, hence people's interest in it. IMHO.

[obonicus]

Originally Posted by Laa-Yosh

Yeah, but that game does look very good and has the western mood nailed down almost perfectly, hence people's interest in it. IMHO.

Oh, sure. I was really surprised when people on Gamasutra started talking about what a wreck the project was, I in fact guessed a completely wrong project in the QoL thread. But all I know about is by handfuls of media released by R* and journalist impressions.

[Tap In]

Originally Posted by patsu

Is this really an open world game like GTA ?

that's what they said... GTA -ish open world but with a much more rigid main story where you follow the leads as a cop

[patsu]

... then for me, it's more interesting to see how much they have improved since GTA4.

[Tap In]

Originally Posted by patsu

... then for me, it's more interesting to see how much they have improved since GTA4.

i think the real improvement will be seen in Red Dead Redemption.

[Shifty Geezer]

Animation technology talk moved here.

[NathansFortune]

Originally Posted by obonicus

Oh, sure. I was really surprised when people on Gamasutra started talking about what a wreck the project was, I in fact guessed a completely wrong project in the QoL thread. But all I know about is by handfuls of media released by R* and journalist impressions.

Well since it started in 2003 as a launch title for PS3 I think Gamasutra have a point. Also the amount of money that has been pumped into this project is incredible, especially considering it is a new IP...

[Tap In]

trailer #1 (PS3/360)

[Laa-Yosh]

Isn't that several years old by now, and CG anyway?

[Tap In]

Originally Posted by Laa-Yosh

Isn't that several years old by now, and CG anyway?

woops

[Laa-Yosh]

New screens at Gamersyde...
http://www.gamersyde.com/news_l_a_no...s-9389_en.html

[Ruskie]

New trailer just arrived!Great facial animations,best i have seen to date

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9IH8fWOwS4

[Laa-Yosh]

Yes, the facial animation is simply unprecedented, very very good job there!

It looks like they've done a complete capture for color and normal maps for a lot of facial expressions, maybe even for all the spoken lines. Kinda like they project a video and a normal map of someone talking onto the geometry.


Unfortunately the skin shading is nonexistent (color map, normal map and a simple Phong highlight, seems like not even a specular intensity or specular color map)
And the lighting is simply terrible, looks like 80% constant ambient and 20% for a single directional light. There doesn't seem to be any shadows at all, not even when someone's inside a room or a car or stands under a street light.

Edit: I think it's the hardware that's not enough for the entire tech and a good quality renderer, so maybe we'll see something truly awesome on the next gen consoles from this facial capture system.

[PhilB]

Looks like they're going for LA confidential the game. Oh and god some of that voice acting was terrible... And yeah I agree the lighting looks kind of flat even with ssao.

[TEEDA]

few screencaps


http://i53.tinypic.com/35ioro9.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/xn5eh1.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/10i5ap1.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/2f06lwi.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/28chuys.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/51did5.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/f36ot0.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/aczner.jpg

[nightshade]

The cloth texture look as if they're from a game released in 2006.

[patsu]

Originally Posted by Laa-Yosh

Yes, the facial animation is simply unprecedented, very very good job there!

I concur !

[Laa-Yosh]

And what about the rest of my opinion?

Seriously, I can't understand this imbalance in their features, all the extra effort spent on the facial system is almost completely negated by the lack of attention for other visual elements...

[patsu]

Can't see them in the video. I can only tell the facial expression is superbly done.

[Shifty Geezer]

The lip syncing is superb! Best real-time virtual acting I've ever seen by a long chalk. Do we know if this is hard-baked from the English capture, or can they use alternative soundtracks and match up to those? Would be truly awesome if they could. Or if it is more dynamic and can be influence by the player, such as the player affecting an optional change of mood in an NPC.

As for the rest, my first impression was that they were going for a stylised look. Admittedly if they are, it's a very muted style! In the opening sections of the vid I felt the flat lighting was deliberate, although I was less comfortable with this opinion in later clips.