L.A. Noire

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1212 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 848 out of 1212
  2. Mixed: 259 out of 1212
  3. Negative: 105 out of 1212
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  1. Gazmando
    May 23, 2011
    5
    Having been reserved about this game, and now having had a chance to play it, my reservations were justified. So far I have found the game boring, linear, and nothing more than a glorified point and click move from A to B game. The facial animations are a truly amazing feat unlike any I have seen in a game prior, they don't hide the flaws of the game. Aside from those facial animations,Having been reserved about this game, and now having had a chance to play it, my reservations were justified. So far I have found the game boring, linear, and nothing more than a glorified point and click move from A to B game. The facial animations are a truly amazing feat unlike any I have seen in a game prior, they don't hide the flaws of the game. Aside from those facial animations, everything else has been very average. I wouldn't call it a bad game, just very very average. I would recommend renting before buying.… Expand
  2. Jblack0928
    May 27, 2011
    7
    Allow me to be the one to say, this game is not for everyone. The story is relatively linear and the story moves slower than any other rockstar game go date. I found myself questioning if inshould have rented brink instead on many occasions. After about 6 hours of gameplay and still not having Played brink I can safely say this game is ok. On one hand I truly felt like a criminalAllow me to be the one to say, this game is not for everyone. The story is relatively linear and the story moves slower than any other rockstar game go date. I found myself questioning if inshould have rented brink instead on many occasions. After about 6 hours of gameplay and still not having Played brink I can safely say this game is ok. On one hand I truly felt like a criminal investigator, asking my wife to quiet down because I was on a case. On the other I literaly fell asleep during a long period of dialogue. The facial animations are a neat distraction but do they make the game? Let me leave on this note, I no longer purchase video games but I am an avid renter of the art. It is games like this that make me glad to adhere to this standard, I do not regret the playthrough but i would not need this game in my library.… Expand
  3. Duke_Nukem
    Nov 28, 2016
    7
    I went into this game with high expectations (I know that is a dangerous thing to do) and unfortunatelly it didn't deliver. Sure the graphics are very nice and the facial animation technique is great, but how about the most important thing in a game: the gameplay?

    While there is a nice openworld representation of 1940's L.A., there is really nothing to do in this liveless city. You    I went into this game with high expectations (I know that is a dangerous thing to do) and unfortunatelly it didn't deliver. Sure the graphics are very nice and the facial animation technique is great, but how about the most important thing in a game: the gameplay?

    While there is a nice openworld representation of 1940's L.A., there is really nothing to do in this liveless city. You don't have a house, there are no interesting side quests or mini-games, no crimes to solve. You can drive aimlessly around the city, that's about it. The driving is just fine btw and the cars look nice, it reminded me a lot of that other game called Mafia 2.

    There is no multiplayer or co-op, so what about the story mode? Well it's pretty linear and it gets old very fast: wander around a crime scene untill your controller starts vibrating, giving you a hit that there is a clue to be looked at. You can't leave the crime scene untill you found every clue. Then you and your partner drive to a suspect or witness to ask them a few questions which are listed in your little notebook. You have to look at their facial expression to decide if they are telling the truth.

    The system of 'true, doubt, lie' is not very efficient in my opinion: when you choose doubt your character will be yelling at the suspect but when you choose lie he will be more gentle in his approach, i don't get that! Also it doesn't really matter if you mess up during the interrogations because every time you make a mistake you have to repeat the whole thing untill you do what the game wants you to do. So you can just ask any question and make any decision, untill you found the one that the game wants you to pick.

    There are a few instances where you have to catch a criminal on the streets. Just hold R2 to run after him and shoot or arrest him when you are in close range. You don't have to push any buttons to jump over fences or roofs, the game does that for you! And there are a few shootouts too, just hide behind a car or a wall, use the handy auto-aim system to shoot a few criminals, and that's it!

    This game had so much potential but the action is simply too boring and there is no replay value in this game, no multiplayer and no interesting open world with side quests or random events. You can't talk to people on the streets, you can't use your weapon at will either.

    It's just an interactive movie without any free choices, you just have to do what the game developers want you to do to come to the right conclusions and wrap up the case. Different conclusions do not affect the games outcome, there is only one outcome anyway so there is no real thinking needed. Just trial and error over and over again untill you find the solution and on to the next case, to do the same thing again.    … Expand
  4. Goppfather
    Oct 24, 2011
    7
    Solid game. As many Rockstar games go, some absolutely amazing gaming features, right next to terrible flaws. I personally think its a great storyline, the acting is really good, and the characters are engaging. The detail of the City of LA is remarkable, but I would expect nothing less from Rockstar. As with Red Dead, I found myself wandering around just looking at the remarkableSolid game. As many Rockstar games go, some absolutely amazing gaming features, right next to terrible flaws. I personally think its a great storyline, the acting is really good, and the characters are engaging. The detail of the City of LA is remarkable, but I would expect nothing less from Rockstar. As with Red Dead, I found myself wandering around just looking at the remarkable details.
    The gameplay itself was fun, although a little tedious and grinding. But again, its a Rockstar game, so I expected that. I do agree that some of the investigative clue finding becomes very easy although they did a great job on the interrogations. I found the interogations to get more complicated as the cases progressed. My main complaint as with all Rockstar games are the CLUNKY controls. I really wish they would come up with a new system.
    For fans of mystery or Rockstar, the game will be enjoyed, but for those who haven't liked sandbox, Rockstar games in the past, you won't like this one any better.    … Expand
  5. TheJLC
    Nov 10, 2011
    7
    Fun game, with a very interesting plot. The setting of the game feels very new and appropriate. However, it lacks in re-playability. Once you complete the storyline a few times, you will find yourself wanting more, but won't be able to find it.
  6. leonhardtalv
    Jan 28, 2014
    7
    Interesting game, but way too linear for me. It doesn't really matter if you completed the case collecting all the clues and you are accurate at the interviews. A couple of cases can change depending on that, but it doesn't affect the plot at all, and you keep advancing without any problem. I think it is a game intended to be re played until perfection, but following a walk-through guideInteresting game, but way too linear for me. It doesn't really matter if you completed the case collecting all the clues and you are accurate at the interviews. A couple of cases can change depending on that, but it doesn't affect the plot at all, and you keep advancing without any problem. I think it is a game intended to be re played until perfection, but following a walk-through guide or repeating the arbitrary interviews until I get them right doesn't seem so appealing to me.… Expand
  7. moothemagiccow
    Jun 22, 2016
    6
    The game is uneven: immersive, addictive and a lot of fun in parts, but awkward and unresponsive in others. It's made of disparate pieces: cutscenes, looking for clues, interrogations, and a variety of action mini-games. The story is compelling. Searching for clues and interrogating witnesses are enjoyable. The mini-games are where the game falls apart.
    Every twenty minutes or so, you'll    The game is uneven: immersive, addictive and a lot of fun in parts, but awkward and unresponsive in others. It's made of disparate pieces: cutscenes, looking for clues, interrogations, and a variety of action mini-games. The story is compelling. Searching for clues and interrogating witnesses are enjoyable. The mini-games are where the game falls apart.
    Every twenty minutes or so, you'll be asked to box, chase a suspect, shoot at somebody, or perform an array of less-common tasks - sneaking up on someone, balancing on a collapsing platform, etc. If these made up the totality of the game, it would probably be fine. But you only find yourself doing the same task every few hours - you never get a chance to learn them and improve. I forgot the shooting controls after the first sequence, and forgot the boxing controls later on. Some of the buttons are shown on-screen, but there's no manual in the options section, and I downloaded the game, so I don't have a paper manual.
    Most mini-games aren't related to the main gameplay at all. Unlike car chases, which build on the driving you do in-game,
    Oddly enough, the developers understand this. If you fail three times at any task, you can press a button and skip the entire mini-game. You can also skip driving (steering and braking in low speed traffic, with analog sticks, was a pain for me) by holding a button. The odd part is that repeating or skipping the action really kills the immersion. The game tries incredibly hard to be realistic (your partner will ask what's taking so long if you leave the controller for a minute) and unless you perform perfectly, this breaks the illusion they spent so much time building.    … Expand
  8. Davidm4
    Jun 26, 2011
    6
    Although the facial animations and the recreation of 1940's L.A is impressive, the game play isn't. Finding clues consists of tapping the "x" button to find interactive objects and wait for the game to tell you which ones are clues. You can then check your notebook to see if you have seen every clue (if the location is crossed out you have found everything). The chase sequences consist ofAlthough the facial animations and the recreation of 1940's L.A is impressive, the game play isn't. Finding clues consists of tapping the "x" button to find interactive objects and wait for the game to tell you which ones are clues. You can then check your notebook to see if you have seen every clue (if the location is crossed out you have found everything). The chase sequences consist of holding the sprint button until you are within a certain range to hit "x" for a tap tackle or shoot your weapon if it is available. The fight sequences can be won by mashing x and square without any thought. The interrogations are the most interesting part and I enjoyed using the clues to back up my accusations, but on quite a few occasions I was confused about the context of the questions (what I was accusing them of or what I thought was the truth or what I was doubting). I enjoyed the decisions of who to convict for a case, but in each of the desks the story would conclude that your decisions didn't really matter. You feel like your input as a player doesn't matter when you realise that you could get every question wrong and convict the "wrong" person and still receive the same conclusion in the end.… Expand
  9. Rickin10
    May 22, 2011
    6
    On the surface La Noire seemed intriguing; a detective game that combines investigation with combat , driving, and interrogation set in the seedy/glamorous setting of 40's LA. Despite its grand ambitions it fails on almost every level, because the whole thing is a mere illusion. The main crux of the game is - as it should be - about detecting. Scouring crime scenes for clues, talkingOn the surface La Noire seemed intriguing; a detective game that combines investigation with combat , driving, and interrogation set in the seedy/glamorous setting of 40's LA. Despite its grand ambitions it fails on almost every level, because the whole thing is a mere illusion. The main crux of the game is - as it should be - about detecting. Scouring crime scenes for clues, talking to witnesses, experts, and adding up the evidence. But all of this is very shallow and limited. Whilst the searching for clues is handled well, how you are able to use them in interrogation is frustrating, and in many instances plain illogical, reminding me of the old point 'n' click adventures, where rather than using logic and the clues in a 'real world' way, you had to second guess what the developers were thinking. There were many instances during the game that if it were for real, i would have shoved a slew of damning evidence in the face of a witness to intimidate and get them to spill, but the game will only allow you to ask a very narrow set of questions, where there is only one 'correct' answer. This renders much of the info stuffed in your notebook utterly useless. As a result interviews - whilst there is no denying the stunning nature of the facial tech - leave you feeling deeply unfulfilled, as do the end of many cases It gives you a whole beautiful city, but nothing to do in it (and no i wasn't expecting it to, nor wanting it to, be gta). The foot chases are simply a case of holding the sprint button and directing which way to run - you dont even have to press a button to time jumps. Also, in some chases you can't draw your weapon (because the game needs you to have the perp taken alive), whilst in others where the game wants you to kill them, it sets up a clunky cover-shoot scenario. And this really sums up the game. Where it should be a game of intellect and choices that have consequence, La Noire never takes off the handcuffs and lets you 'play'. You can't, for example, just go back to interview a suspect you've arrested, you have to wait until the game wants you to. You can't go back to re-interview people - again unless the game wants you to. You can't go and discuss things with forensic pathologist or your captain unless...you get the idea. Everything you do feels like you're being pushed - sometimes forced - down paths to arrive at the next cut scene or the 'correct' conclusion. This is never more clear than at the end of a case where you have gotten many of the questions 'wrong' but still automatically end up solving the case. For all it's faults the game is actually quite engrossing. It pulls no punches in crime scenes and the acting is generally superb. I can only hope that team bondi get another chance to deliver a game of more substance rather than this alluring fraud.… Expand
  10. EBGeer
    Jun 21, 2011
    5
    I'm not sure why this game is rated so incredibley. Yes there are some great things going on--but it seems pieced together in a way that doesn't make sense...the best way a friend put it is this---LA Snoire...yes SNORE...I have been trying and trying to get into this game but the interest is slow--the clue searching thrown together...just walk around and wait for your controller toI'm not sure why this game is rated so incredibley. Yes there are some great things going on--but it seems pieced together in a way that doesn't make sense...the best way a friend put it is this---LA Snoire...yes SNORE...I have been trying and trying to get into this game but the interest is slow--the clue searching thrown together...just walk around and wait for your controller to vibrate...the lead role is bi-polar--and you never know how truth, lie or doubt are goin to turn out--there is some great tech behind the facial features..and the open world is great..but the implementation of either of them is poor. There is no need for the open world...and when you read their faces you can doubt them or tell that they are lying but it has no effect because Cole Phelps is probably just going to flip out in a roid rage. I really really want to/wanted to like the game..but it's boring compared to many other games...yeah you have the occasional shoot out...yeah you can drive wherever---but they should have just made this a linear game...dropped the open world..and really told a real story. I know rockstar loves their open worlds..but in this case it just doesnt feel right. PS they spent so much time on facial features that they forgot to spend some time of the rest of the characters....its like real heads on plastic/unreal bodies. I will give it another whirl..but I'm not sure I am going to solve all the cases....I may just be sleeping"...SNoooiiiree"… Expand
  11. Bosniac
    Jun 10, 2011
    6
    I went into thinking that when I get my hands on LAN I would end up playing a mix of Grand Theft Auto 4, Mafia and Alfred **** films. I walked away less impressed than I was with the trailer. It's not that the game is bad, it's just not very interesting. Driving physics are poor. Not much to do in the City, or sidequests. It's repetetive. The detective work is limited, but good. The facialI went into thinking that when I get my hands on LAN I would end up playing a mix of Grand Theft Auto 4, Mafia and Alfred **** films. I walked away less impressed than I was with the trailer. It's not that the game is bad, it's just not very interesting. Driving physics are poor. Not much to do in the City, or sidequests. It's repetetive. The detective work is limited, but good. The facial animation is amazing. This game just fails to impress me. If it didn't have the awesome facial expressions and animations, this would have been the poor man's Mafia 2, or a GTA1950. I can't recomend this game.… Expand
  12. WTCC_Grunty
    Jul 7, 2011
    5
    What is it with game journalists on web sites these days? Every time some thing slightly different from the norm comes out they laud it with praise and give it near perfect review scores. Poor old games buyers rush out to buy what the press says it the best game ever invented and find an interesting concept for a game that lacks that something that journos seem to forget about - FUN!.What is it with game journalists on web sites these days? Every time some thing slightly different from the norm comes out they laud it with praise and give it near perfect review scores. Poor old games buyers rush out to buy what the press says it the best game ever invented and find an interesting concept for a game that lacks that something that journos seem to forget about - FUN!.

    The city looks fine only very little happens, all the interviews are basically the same and the driving is poor and the shooting pathetic - Kane and Lynch 2 was much more fun.

    If you want something similar that is fun try the underrated Mafia2 instead, that is still far from perfect, but is fun which after all is what games are supposed to be about. Personally I'd rather play Saint's Row 2 and watch re-runs of Columbo.    … Expand
  13. Deathsdisciple
    May 31, 2011
    6
    I think i came into L.A. Noire expecting to much but i imagined a challenging detective game with great facial animation . Well I got the facial animation but I'm halfway through the game and can't tell any considerable ramp up in difficulty. Also in the interviews sometimes they change the rules between truth and doubt where the guy is telling the truth but in order to get the rightI think i came into L.A. Noire expecting to much but i imagined a challenging detective game with great facial animation . Well I got the facial animation but I'm halfway through the game and can't tell any considerable ramp up in difficulty. Also in the interviews sometimes they change the rules between truth and doubt where the guy is telling the truth but in order to get the right answer you have to doubt him which seems kinda cheap. The main character also seems to overreact in some situations when use doubt but then with the next time you ask a question it seems like that outburst never happened. The main thing i can praise this game is on facial animation which is the best at the moment in the industry. I would recommend this as a rent or those that simply like to see new technology used in game and I personally hope they do better with the next game.… Expand
  14. Infocynic
    May 20, 2011
    5
    + Voice acting, writing, animation, music, investigation aspects are appealing
    -- Lack of saving, clunky controls, generic side assignments, flawed interrogation logic, driving system
  15. bmart12
    May 29, 2011
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Like many other people, I really wanted to fall in love with this game. Even though it wasn't pure Rockstar, it showed promise. However, there are many flaws with this game that holds it back.

    Story - The story starts off quite nice. A war veteran (or hero) joins the ranks of the LAPD to continue giving back to the country and preventing wrongs or bringing justice to them. However, the story hits the brakes and comes to a screeching halt about halfway through on the homicide desk. There are five "cases" that deal with homicides but they are all the same. Every single case is virtually a repeat of the first. Not only is this frustrating in that it's repetitive and boring but also that the player is forced to knowingly put innocent people in jail despite the bigger criminal at hand. Then the last desk deals with arson, except only 40% of the story on that desk is actual arson. The user is forced to play as a different character to end the game after the twist that completely goes against what the user knows. There is no history or reasoning for the main character to commit adultery. What was meant to be surprising comes off as a skeptical way to keep the story moving. The story/case aspect is also incredibly linear - this is only one way to do anything. Street crimes and certain story scenes are pre-meditated. No matter how much you try to chase down a suspect, it will always adjust to end at Point A with a hostage. This is another negative against the game. For the long time in development, the story is incredibly disappointing.

    Gameplay - First off, the signature Rockstar controls of holding a button to sprint was a bad decision. Second, after an initial playthrough, all cut scenes should be skippable. Unfortunately this is not the case and what was already repetitive becomes agonizing on any replay. The street crimes are similar in fashion in that they are all virtually the same. The collectibles add replay value but in the end can only do so much.

    Graphics - While I'm sure many will disagree, especially those on the other console, the facial animations are the only truly impressive graphical aspect of this game. The rest are no better than Red Dead Redemption, from the weather effects, to the way the characters walk to the overall environment. That being said, there are some colorful and nice aspects of the open world but they are not groundbreaking in the slightest manner, just aesthetically pleasing.

    The game certainly has its flaws, but it does have appealing and enjoying aspects to it. It certainly deserves a play if you are into it but by no means does it deserve a purchase. What brings the game down the most is the combination of a repetitive gameplay aspect that discourages replay and a story that falls flat on its own face halfway through. Team Bondi had a good idea, but for the time they spent, they needed more variety in the gameplay and a better story. Instead we got a mediocre game with incredible faces. I prefer the former. Many media outlets praise the game, and while some do, it seems to be a hype effect more than anything else. The gameplay here isn't groundbreaking nor is the fact that it is an interactive narrative. These have been done before, and arguably better. The groundbreaking aspect here is the motion scan technology for the facial animations. However, this requires hours of an actor's time to put in and is an incredibly inefficient and costly way of animating faces. Personally, I feel it is not worth the time, especially since the bodies in comparison feel a bit robotic and look too different.    … Expand
  16. JDK04281980
    May 31, 2011
    5
    Great graphics, boring game play. Here's the game in a nut shell: Get new case, investigate crime scene, question people, follow leads, question more people, fin the culprit, chase, kill. Rinse and repeat.
  17. jqm78
    May 21, 2011
    6
    Yawwwwn!! Wow, what is this? L.A. Noire had so much potential, but ends up being a snore-fest. It makes me really miss Red Dead Redemption. The graphics are amazing, yes. Everything else though is Linear and boring. Not to mention that the controls are terribly sluggish and "clunky". I'm really disappointed. I guess for what it is, L.A. Noire is pretty good, just don't expect anythingYawwwwn!! Wow, what is this? L.A. Noire had so much potential, but ends up being a snore-fest. It makes me really miss Red Dead Redemption. The graphics are amazing, yes. Everything else though is Linear and boring. Not to mention that the controls are terribly sluggish and "clunky". I'm really disappointed. I guess for what it is, L.A. Noire is pretty good, just don't expect anything nearly as engaging and entertaining as Red Dead Redemption or GTA, for that matter. If anything, I hope that the graphics and the facial animation tech gets adopted for future games and if they make more of this game in the way of sequels, they come up with a way to keep me from falling asleep at the wheel (which I literally did a few times while playing this game!)… Expand
  18. Rory379
    May 22, 2011
    5
    There seems to be a pretty large split between gamers when it comes to what they think of the game. I gave the game a pretty low review in comparison to many others which would put me on the negative side of the fence. I noticed someone posted a comment stating anyone who gave a poor review didn't know what they were talking about, in the same comment he stated that the many outcomes ofThere seems to be a pretty large split between gamers when it comes to what they think of the game. I gave the game a pretty low review in comparison to many others which would put me on the negative side of the fence. I noticed someone posted a comment stating anyone who gave a poor review didn't know what they were talking about, in the same comment he stated that the many outcomes of the investigation was fascinating which, of course, is wrong because there is always only one outcome to the investigation: either you convict the guy, or someone else does.

    The pros to this game: The facial recognition is very impressive!

    The vehicle handling is better than in GTAIV

    Interesting plot and good acting

    Well researched and feels like an authentic 40's experience



    Cons of this game:


    Absolutely zero return value after you've finished the game (15-20 hours worth)

    Irritating lag between opening the note book and selecting items from the notebook

    Flawed Map directions (You have to literally find out where you're going or ask your partner for help)

    You cannot buy weapons, clothes, cars or houses (This is what really disappointed me). You're supposed to feel fully engaged with the character but there is absolutely zero personalisation of the character. You have a selection of five outfits and if you don't like them then tough. Red Dead had about 15 outfits.

    Interrogating suspects can be vague (by this I mean you doubt someone for your own ideas only to have them dismissed by the character your play and therefore fail the interview)

    Very very linear storyline. In the Black Dahlia murders I had the temp barman pegged for it from the first murder, he was even mentioned twice by a barman in one of the other murders but the character brushed past questioning him further on the matter.

    The Newspaper's "Behind the scenes" articles can confuse more than they enlighten. I made the mistake of being too sure while questioning a suspect after watching one of the stories that tells you flat out that he's guilty (Ad Vice case).

    There is no real shooting in this game. Many people demonize other gamers for calling this a flaw, stating that they're unintelligent violence addicts and that there are other games to buy for mindless violence but I think they're missing the whole point of action in an action adventure game. By that I mean there is no real action. The shooting camera is also difficult and clumsy. In the human shield situations I first shot them in their pistol hands (it worked in Red Dead!) only for them to clutch their stomach and kill the hostage.

    What I really don't understand is that in GTAIV and Red Dead there are plenty of crimes that you can stop. They appear randomly and provide some sort of rewarding experience for your troubles. In L.A. Noire, a police game, you can only stop 40 crimes and that is the end of it.

    Finally, there is no multiplayer or online game play. In this day in age this is a huge let down. Of course you can ask, what would multiplayer entail? For start there could be online cases added every few months that can be cracked by you and a partner, there could be a "Cops and Robbers" type shoot out game or even better would be a sort of sandbox type Criminals try to commit crimes and Cops try to stop them sort of thing.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Overall I found this game very disappointing. I expected so much and got so little. This title has been in the works for 5 years and they've done nothing that hasn't been done better somewhere else. Red Dead Redemption actually holds up as a better crime fighter type game. Although the creators thought that immersing the player into the plot would make them feel more engaged with the title, it made me more distant. There's no point driving anywhere because all you do is cause damage to your car. For all the people who condemn the bad reviews, try and remember that it's a Playstation 3 game that we're talking about. There needs to be a certain amount of control and action to make it an enjoyable game. Most of the time this game just felt like work.    … Expand
  19. hotbread
    May 19, 2011
    6
    There's no doubt that visually this game is lovely, and that the subject material and basic storyline ideas are different and interesting. The problem comes with the actual gameplay, which is long-winded, repetitive and rather dull after the first couple of levels. These are some of my issues with LA Noire;
    1. the character movement is clunky and cumbersome, and often you have to keep    There's no doubt that visually this game is lovely, and that the subject material and basic storyline ideas are different and interesting. The problem comes with the actual gameplay, which is long-winded, repetitive and rather dull after the first couple of levels. These are some of my issues with LA Noire;
    1. the character movement is clunky and cumbersome, and often you have to keep moving the character backwards and forwards just trying to get into the right position to investigate a clue.
    2. there's a huge amount of lag between pressing buttons in certain investigation modes, and the character actually responding.
    3. you're supposed to interrogate suspects, basing your responses on their facial expressions, but these swing from being laughably obvious and silly to inscrutably stoney-faced, with no real middle-ground.

    The final straw for me is the completely linear gameplay, whereby even if you don't get everything you need from a suspect the plot takes you on another route to the same conclusion. There's no real option for failure, or experimentation. At least, not based on my six hours of playing so far.

    LA Noire has received a huge amount of positive reviews, but I think it's one of those games that will split the audience down the middle. Overall I found myself enjoying the look of the game, but not really caring about the characters, and sadly not wanting to play anymore. I'll be trading it in straight away.    … Expand
  20. KarthXLR
    Sep 27, 2011
    5
    Team Bondi took a huge risk making this game, it really is unlike anything else on the market. And for the most part, what's good is REALLY good, such as the story, motion captured game models, graphics, and dialogue. I mean, it's very rare that you get a story written this well in any type of video game, and that's gotta be what they worked on the most. But at the same time, there's soTeam Bondi took a huge risk making this game, it really is unlike anything else on the market. And for the most part, what's good is REALLY good, such as the story, motion captured game models, graphics, and dialogue. I mean, it's very rare that you get a story written this well in any type of video game, and that's gotta be what they worked on the most. But at the same time, there's so much wrong with the game that I can't really recommend it. Some of the vocal performances are perfect, but others are so bad that I actually caught myself laughing a little. The cover mechanic is clunky to say the least, and the controls can lag severely at times. The driving segments of the game are torturous, just another reason why this game shouldn't have been open-world. Cars either don't turn much or flip a 180 by barely turning the wheel. Unlike the GTA games or Red Dead Redemption, you're forced to be the good guy, making it impossible to go on rampages. Many obstacles are made unbreakable, such as picket and chain-link fences and shrubberies (while street lights remain delicate, easily breakable towers of glass), making chases groan worthy and driving sections uninteresting. Hell, you can't even draw your gun unless the game says so. And that's another thing, this game has no freedom, despite being an sandbox game. There's next-to-nothing to do when not on mission aside from sight seeing, there's little replayability considering each case only has one-solution (even if you fail). Too bad, the game could have had lot's of options if you could take the cruel police route a la Bad Lieutenant. The games ending leaves much to be desired, and overall, I had a lot of frustrations with the game. That said, L.A. Noire was a great idea that simply didn't live up to the hype. Was it bad? No, and I hope it does well. Maybe another developer can give the noire genre the game it truly deserves.… Expand
  21. atr7
    May 27, 2011
    5
    This is not an open world game. It has open world elements but since every single one of them can be skipped or failed a couple of times before the game can skip them for you i can't see what is the purpose of them being there at all. I played 4-5 missions and i love the way that you have to base your reactions on the face-sync and basically the acting of the P.O.I.'s. Its the singleThis is not an open world game. It has open world elements but since every single one of them can be skipped or failed a couple of times before the game can skip them for you i can't see what is the purpose of them being there at all. I played 4-5 missions and i love the way that you have to base your reactions on the face-sync and basically the acting of the P.O.I.'s. Its the single fresh and truly great thing about this game. And that is why i gave it a 5. Everything else is just. Not present. You see a video of your character in boot camp for WWII and then you get a mission. And then you can tell your partner to drive you there. Oops no open world for you.
    And then the victim is dead and uncooperative, the perps (because if a single person in the 40's new what a P.O.I. is i will self immolate) are trying to **** with you and that is about it. Go solve a case, see video of boot camp, solve case etc. I hope it gets better because i just might forget about getting the driver treatment and going for the mission and just drive around town. As long as i don't kill anyone and i don't bust up the town... What is the point of driving around in a game if you are supposed to obey speed limits and not crushing cars. And that is why i didn't give the game more than 5.    … Expand
  22. Grim13
    Jun 9, 2011
    5
    This another game that falls into the "I wanted to like it more than I actually did" category for me. It's barely a "game" in the modern sense, being a lot closer to an oldschool point and click adventure, than a modern sandbox style game. Sure, there is the pretense of an open world there, there's just no substance to back that vision up. An entire city of nothing to do. The gameThis another game that falls into the "I wanted to like it more than I actually did" category for me. It's barely a "game" in the modern sense, being a lot closer to an oldschool point and click adventure, than a modern sandbox style game. Sure, there is the pretense of an open world there, there's just no substance to back that vision up. An entire city of nothing to do. The game shoehorning you down the specififc Case corridors with little variety or replay value. And that is this games biggest problem: there is very little wiggle room during the Cases with everything ending up tucked away nicely by the end REGARDLESS of how well you did. The facial animations are groundbreaking, sure, but run the gamut from completely obvious to frustatingly obscured. A neat offering that will hopefully be better implemented in the future. Once the novelty wears off the game is back to being a debilitatingly repetitve GTA clone. Sometimes, the game mechanics they've just taught you to use are arbitrarily turned off so that you can be forced to follow through to the developers desired outcome. There are chase sequences where sometimes you can pull your gun and fire into the air, when the game wants you to, and sequences where you push the button to implement the shoot in the air mechanic, and nothing happens... forcing you to catch the person fleeing in the game the way the game needs... forcing you to attempt to push the buttons during every chase to see if this chase is one where they intend to have you stop them by shooting the gun in the air, or, not have the button action responded to, and wait to see what qte comes up. That, to me, is shiite gameplay. Calling this a game feels a little off. It's about as much a game as the latest Quantic Dream offering. Feeling much closer to a interactive movie than a actual game. I don't know... what can I say? It's worth renting... that's about it.… Expand
  23. GooGooguru
    Jun 20, 2011
    6
    Boring thy name is LA Noire... The tech behind the game is awesome, The game world looks great. Some of the cases are great but overall i am having a hard time finishing this game as i can only stomach having to investigate the same case ie: the case of the generic dead girl so many times. it gets hard to stay invested in game once you become aware of how limited you are by the games setupBoring thy name is LA Noire... The tech behind the game is awesome, The game world looks great. Some of the cases are great but overall i am having a hard time finishing this game as i can only stomach having to investigate the same case ie: the case of the generic dead girl so many times. it gets hard to stay invested in game once you become aware of how limited you are by the games setup of the serial killer motif.. oh look we are going to put away another innocent man but its OK its all building up to finding the real killer.. it all begins to feel a bit pointless really. I want to love this game but i just cant… Expand
  24. Blu3_Scr33n
    Jun 17, 2011
    6
    L.A. Noire is simply not fun. The primary gameplay mechanic, interrogation, is confusing and frustrating. Most of the time I found myself just guessing whether the person was lying or not instead of working it out through logic and tells. In a lot of the sequences you have to call a person on a lie, but you don't know what you're accusing them of until you say they're lying and then backL.A. Noire is simply not fun. The primary gameplay mechanic, interrogation, is confusing and frustrating. Most of the time I found myself just guessing whether the person was lying or not instead of working it out through logic and tells. In a lot of the sequences you have to call a person on a lie, but you don't know what you're accusing them of until you say they're lying and then back down. The other primary mechanic is the crime scene investigation, which involves walking around an area until your controller shakes, and that's it. While this prevents annoying "pixel hunting", it also prevents the player from having to figure things out for themselves. Most of the rest of the game is just plain bad. The driving is unresponsive and annoying with civilian cars often stopping in the middle of the road for no reason and pedestrians crossing wherever they feel like. The confusing map didn't help- for some reason there are giant letters on the minimap which prevent me from seeing upcoming streets, and the distances between missions was just outrageous. I usually just had my partner drive, which sadly meant I missed out on the police dispatches, short side quests which were usually more fun than the actual cases. Some points in the game you'll get into shootouts, which are unsatisfying and stiff. The cover system doesn't work very well at all and I wish the shooting was just left out of the game. Now there were two things I really did enjoy. The chase sequences, which were thrilling and very cool (though overused quite a bit), and the story, which was engaging and rich. However neither of these are worth buying the game over because you have to sit through everything else. I gave this game the score that I did because the story is very interesting and the Mafia 2 approach to open world games is not done nearly enough in games. I didn't enjoy this game, but the ideas are sound and I can easily see a more refined L.A. Noire 2 being a huge improvement.… Expand
  25. FinnGames
    Aug 5, 2013
    7
    First of all I loved the concept. L.A. Noire was definitely something I hadn't seen in gaming before. Motion capture was absolutely awesome and at the first couple of desks it was great in interrogations, too. However towards end of the game it became much harder to read suspects facial expressions. Maybe (and probably) I was just bad but honestly it was just one big tragicomic fiasco. MyFirst of all I loved the concept. L.A. Noire was definitely something I hadn't seen in gaming before. Motion capture was absolutely awesome and at the first couple of desks it was great in interrogations, too. However towards end of the game it became much harder to read suspects facial expressions. Maybe (and probably) I was just bad but honestly it was just one big tragicomic fiasco. My boss gave me so much negative feedback that if I was a detective in 1940's LA he probably would've just shot me. And I'm not even exaggerating. At the ending he said after every case I did something wrong. The game was pretty repetitive and boring as well without any replay value. Complete it once put it to shelf. Overall I enjoyed the game at very beginning but it became, honestly, boring after couple of first cases.… Expand
  26. DavidHoltzer
    May 9, 2019
    7
    The positive side of the game is the graphics, voice acting, characters, story, puzzles solving and the investigation/interrogation is interesting for a while.The negative side of the game is the investigation/interrogation gets tedious after a while and the game has to offer the half decent chase sections and the clunky shooting segments.They made the game way too long and it'll becomeThe positive side of the game is the graphics, voice acting, characters, story, puzzles solving and the investigation/interrogation is interesting for a while.The negative side of the game is the investigation/interrogation gets tedious after a while and the game has to offer the half decent chase sections and the clunky shooting segments.They made the game way too long and it'll become very boring, instead of making it more various and fixing its issues i mentioned.… Expand
  27. Captiosus
    May 17, 2011
    6
    As a longtime fan of the old Police Quest series back on PC years ago, I anxiously awaited L.A. Noire. So, what is L.A. Noire? Simply put, it's a beautiful, story driven, game that involves investigating and some action sequences. The real nitty-gritty behind L.A. Noire is the open world investigations, not the action like the GTA series or even Red Dead Redemption. The problem, however,As a longtime fan of the old Police Quest series back on PC years ago, I anxiously awaited L.A. Noire. So, what is L.A. Noire? Simply put, it's a beautiful, story driven, game that involves investigating and some action sequences. The real nitty-gritty behind L.A. Noire is the open world investigations, not the action like the GTA series or even Red Dead Redemption. The problem, however, is that none of these traits are particularly new. Many games this generation are beautifully crafted and rendered and have well fleshed out stories. The investigation aspect of the game, while novel, isn't new either, as I previously alluded to; Anyone who remembers the old Police Quest series on PC years ago will immediately know how to play L.A. Noire, if not feel like it's a knockoff. --- L.A. Noire is a lot like a person you think is hot and want to get to know, only to find out when you get to know them that there's little long term substance. The game itself is terribly short, with very few side quests to speak of. There's zero replay value to it because once you've finished the story, well, you've finished the story. There's no way to go about completing the story a different way for a different result, a la Heavy Rain or even Fable 2 or Fable 3. Once you've finished the game, all there is to do is find newspapers, cars and locations, which barely qualifies as legitimate replay value. The fighting, shooting and driving sequences are, for all intents and purposes, directly copied from the GTA franchise/engine. I remember hearing people complain that Red Dead Redemption, compared to the GTA franchise, was too short and I can't imagine those folks will be happy, at all, with L.A. Noire which is substantially shorter than either. Essentially, the game consists of: follow the path, investigate (which is made trivial by audio and controller queues), interrogate and repeat along a fairly linear path until the game ends. --- In short, it's worth a play, but I really don't believe it's worth $60 because after you've finished it, you're not going to touch it again unless VERY compelling, decent-length DLC comes out for it. I would strongly encourage people to rent it first before deciding to put down $60 on a game you MAY get 10-12 hours on and then not touch again. I give them a 3/5 (6/10) for effort, but as far as games go, this one simply doesn't live up to its own hype, and will ultimately be forgotten about within a month after everyone has beaten it and has no reason to pick it up again.… Expand
  28. pandateddybear
    May 20, 2011
    5
    Great mrs but other then that game is very linear if you skip side quests you won't be using any weapons but just look at the dialogs.. Great rent but not worth 40£!
  29. MachoHombre
    May 18, 2011
    5
    It's slightly more boring than watching an episode of CSI, Law and Order, NCIS, Bones, or any of those cliché-laden cop dramas that make up TV nowadays.
  30. Stijn_Smet
    Sep 23, 2011
    7
    I finally got around to playing this game. And it just isn't as good as the professional reviews make it out to be. The user review score is much closer to the truth on this one. Yes, the game looks stunning, the facial animations are suberb and the voice acting is outstanding. And yes, the setup - a detective game that focuses on wit and cunning, rather than violence - was very promising.I finally got around to playing this game. And it just isn't as good as the professional reviews make it out to be. The user review score is much closer to the truth on this one. Yes, the game looks stunning, the facial animations are suberb and the voice acting is outstanding. And yes, the setup - a detective game that focuses on wit and cunning, rather than violence - was very promising. Was. Because it doesn't deliver on that promise to me. The gameplay is too simple and repetitive for that: 1) find clues (read: click X on everything you think might be a useful item and wait for the game to tell you whether it is or not); 2) talk to several people to get more clues; 3) talk to the person you know the game will make you accuse and get a confession or decisive proof. Step 1) gets boring really quickly. And steps 2) and 3) are often overly confusing. On many occasions things just didn't make any sense and I could not believe the person was not telling the truth while he had no reason to lie or he was obviously lying but somehow the game wouldn't let me use what I believed to be clear evidence of that (also when I had found all clues). There's also no way to get any forensic evidence checked at some point because the game doesn't want you to find certain things out. Because that would destroy the storyline it's forcing you down. And it's precisely this forcing and linearity that disappointed me. It rendered even the interviews (that were frustrating to begin with as it was) boring quite quickly. I just started examining if the suspect would keep looking straight at me or not. If he didn't (and I didn't have any relevant evidence): doubt. If he did: truth. Simple. Always the same. Boring. Really unfortunate, because I had high hopes for this one. I will keep playing and will at least start the next act, but if the game keeps frustrating me like this... (example: you cannot run across a large piece of wood, instead you have to inch your way across as when walking a chain/rope; another example: you have to chase a suspect underground, get lost and the way forward is hidden around a corner where you don't think to look because there's a closed gate in front of you and you think you have to somehow open it; example: you have to find hidden messages in sights in the city but you haven't discovered all sights so you have to drive around until the game tells you were some are instead of finding them yourself; I could go on). And ultimately, that is the test that shows whether a game is great or not. One that offers you only enjoyment and no frustration is great. One that frustrates you often and makes you wonder why you're still playing is not. L.A. Noire falls in the latter category.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS3 Game of 2011
8
#8 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
3
#3 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 78 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 78
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 78
  3. Negative: 0 out of 78
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 19, 2011
    90
    At first L.A. Noire seems a bit too easy, then it gets interesting and reading people's reactions makes for some of the best gaming this year. The atmosphere is spot on and the late 40's LA really feels like an authentic, living place. [June 2011]
  2. Armchair Empire
    Aug 16, 2011
    75
    Team Bondi created a technical masterpiece with L.A. Noire. The problem is that they didn't create an artistic or even entertaining masterpiece.
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  3. Absolute Games
    Jul 26, 2011
    66
    Look past the glitz of technical achievements, richly designed sets, ostensibly interactive environments, and you will see the real L.A. Noire – a vapid adventure with a hole-ridden plot, a boring unsympathetic hero, and rough stitches in places where content should be.
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