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. MegaHollow
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Starting from now, we have a new generation of cinematic & detective games. L.A. Noire is not a game for everyone, it's true. In some ways, this is a weird game for Rockstar & their fans, but it's a genuine masterpiece. Viva, Rockstar and Team Bondi, well done!
  2. Parafira
    May 17, 2011
    10
    This game is Great!!! This games has cars, races, guns, chases, but it is not only about this. It is about using your brain. If you like just shooting and crashing everything you see, this is not for you, here you need to think. Graphics is very good, facial animation is AMAZING!
  3. TheWarzoneXL
    May 17, 2011
    10
    L.A. Noire is a fantastic game. It's story, presentation and gameplay are all solid. The new motion scan tech is definitely the best part of the game. What it does is bring real life facial animation to L.A. Noire's character using 32 HD cameras. L.A. Noire also has the most meticulously recreated version of Los Angeles to ever appear in a video game.
  4. Giar
    May 17, 2011
    10
    This game oozes atmosphere. It throws in enough of the GTA engine to feel like your in control but still has enough point & click elements. It has more depth than GTA or RDR but isnt as blatant in regard to action or free roaming. The characters are believable and likeable ( unlike some earlier rockstar games) . The game is not restrictive in your progress. You can go steaming through aThis game oozes atmosphere. It throws in enough of the GTA engine to feel like your in control but still has enough point & click elements. It has more depth than GTA or RDR but isnt as blatant in regard to action or free roaming. The characters are believable and likeable ( unlike some earlier rockstar games) . The game is not restrictive in your progress. You can go steaming through a case pretty quick and finish it or be precise in every action you take. This in turn will lead you inevitably to a different conclusion. Each new mission however isn't always connection to your previous progress which can be vexing. Overall it's a fantastic achievment in video gaming. An interactive movie that genuinly keeps you involved and has you gripped from start to finish. It's not GTA or RDR and doesnt try to be. Superb.… Expand
  5. chippyr
    May 17, 2011
    10
    First off. If you are expecting GTA 5 than please spare yourself the pain and don't play it. So far I am 13 hours in and have only shot 36 people.This game is not about shooting up LA it is a game about intense investigation. This is my 2nd favorite game I have EVER played. I was honestly shocked when I saw the scores that this game got. It is the most immersive game I have ever playedFirst off. If you are expecting GTA 5 than please spare yourself the pain and don't play it. So far I am 13 hours in and have only shot 36 people.This game is not about shooting up LA it is a game about intense investigation. This is my 2nd favorite game I have EVER played. I was honestly shocked when I saw the scores that this game got. It is the most immersive game I have ever played (except possibly bioshock). The new face technology is flat out amazing. You can really see every movement in the characters faces. If you are looking for a game that requires REAL thought, and doesn't require you to mindlessly kill people this is the only place to look. Amazing game through and through. Also I think the car physics are fine. Everyone needs to keep in mind that these are 1940's cars, not a lamborghini.… Expand
  6. ThinkPplThink
    May 17, 2011
    10
    This game doesn't deserve 8 negative ratings.

    You don't have to shoot or beat the sh!t out of people for a game to be fun. If you don't wanna think in a game and are looking for a game that just brainlessly shoots other sh!ts to win, go play MW or something and stay away from this. Thank you. Shortly put, it's fun and innovative, and great graphic, great story, great voice acting.    This game doesn't deserve 8 negative ratings.

    You don't have to shoot or beat the sh!t out of people for a game to be fun.

    If you don't wanna think in a game and are looking for a game that just brainlessly shoots other sh!ts to win, go play MW or something and stay away from this. Thank you.

    Shortly put, it's fun and innovative, and great graphic, great story, great voice acting. Replay value is slim to none, however, but you finish this game fully in around 20 hours.    … Expand
  7. Gorshun
    May 17, 2011
    10
    This game is truly amazing. Rockstar and Bondi have completely redefined storytelling in gaming with this masterpiece. True, you don't get to go around killing everyone at your leisure, but that's not what this game is all about. It's about being a detective. And boy, does it ever do it well.
  8. Burning_Lettuce
    May 17, 2011
    9
    A revolution in gaming. Feels like youre in a move the entire game. Instead of guns and bullets, you use wits and instinct. Amazing graphics and hollywood level voice acting. Well done Rockstar.
  9. truewordshurt
    May 17, 2011
    5
    Played it thru in 13 hours. Driving and gameplay is horrible. No replay value. The interriogatins are fun, and some of the cases are interesting and challenging others quite boring. I think Red Dead Redemption and GTA 4 are much better games. Also graphic-wise. The faces of the characters look like in a movie kind of, but it doesn´t quite support the gameplay in any way. IPlayed it thru in 13 hours. Driving and gameplay is horrible. No replay value. The interriogatins are fun, and some of the cases are interesting and challenging others quite boring. I think Red Dead Redemption and GTA 4 are much better games. Also graphic-wise. The faces of the characters look like in a movie kind of, but it doesn´t quite support the gameplay in any way. I hate the hype about this game and how they didn´t allow early reviews yet they did release 3 reviews early all with perfect scores. Those reviews didn´t even include actual gameplay photos. It was clearly the intention by Rockstar Games to trick the general public into believing the Cutscenes are actual Gameplay. How else can you explain a review of a game with not one In-Game Screenshot? For this I rate this game 5/10 while without the hype I would have given it 6 or 7. Rent it, it´s not worth to buy as nobody would play this again. It´s a good start for a new franchise but to make L.A. Noire 2 a better or even perfect game, Rockstar has a lot of work to do.… Expand
  10. brisbanesimon
    May 17, 2011
    0
    dont really like this game,it has really boring gameplay,yeh the graphics are good and the technology behind it is good,but at the end of the day if the game is not fun then its not worth my time and this game was certainly not fun
  11. StarkeyLove
    May 17, 2011
    10
    What a stunning achievement for gaming. When people tak about games as art this is the sort of thing they'll point to. Easily the most immersive experience I've had with a videogam. Bondi and Rockstar did a wonderful job at crafting the investigative elements into something addicting and surprisingly intelligent. And there's of course the revolutionary facial animation tech. The ability toWhat a stunning achievement for gaming. When people tak about games as art this is the sort of thing they'll point to. Easily the most immersive experience I've had with a videogam. Bondi and Rockstar did a wonderful job at crafting the investigative elements into something addicting and surprisingly intelligent. And there's of course the revolutionary facial animation tech. The ability to capture an actor's true performance gives the game's story and characters an incredible amount of believability and emotional weight.

    If you consider yourself at all a fan of the art of good storytelling then it'd be a complete disservice to not play this game.    … Expand
  12. filmmaniac111
    May 17, 2011
    9
    This isn't a game where you go around killing people. You have to use your brain and be a detective. It's not perfect, but it's immersive and amazing.
  13. Rosenzweigjcb
    May 17, 2011
    4
    I'll start with the game mechanics. They basically ripped the whole feel of the game including driving, walking, brawls, shooting, etcetera from the GTA engine. While this is okay, they didn't add anything new in innovative gameplay. Unless you count having your camera locked in a specific action as your character does something (searching a dead body for evidence). The cases themselvesI'll start with the game mechanics. They basically ripped the whole feel of the game including driving, walking, brawls, shooting, etcetera from the GTA engine. While this is okay, they didn't add anything new in innovative gameplay. Unless you count having your camera locked in a specific action as your character does something (searching a dead body for evidence). The cases themselves simply aren't very tough. Having played 5 hours on my 360 and 3 hours on the PS3, I can safely assume that I am out of the tutorial section of the game and that this is the difficulty the cases have. You simply gather evidence, and at first I thought this was nice, there was some dummy evidence that was useless and only meant to throw you off, but it was all scripted. It's not like they just littered the scene with things you'd find at a crime scene or a house, they made everything you can pick up there for a reason. So instead of having to cycle through hundreds of pieces of evidence or objects that I could use to extract information out of people, I basically had maybe a dozen or so items that would appear in my notebook when questioning people. I was hoping for the ability to collect thousands of useless things with only a few being of any relevance to the case and leaving me to sit down and actually THINK which piece of evidence I should use for my situation, rather it be questioning a witness or interrogating someone. The consequences are pretty limited too... I know I'm nitpicking, but this is a serious issue. What happens when you fail a case? You get thrown back to the closest check point before you messed up and failed the case. I was hoping failing a case would simply never let you replay it again in that campaign, thus making people be cautious with their actions before making sudden moves. That or they could have at least have you start over again at the beginning of the case. The witnesses and suspects are way too obvious in their emotions. It basically rolls out like this: Is he innocent? Then he'll be rational when you ask him questions. Is he not innocent? Then he'll act hostile and irrational to the slightest question you ask him. There are times when this isn't the case, but it seemed like it was too easy. Intuition points... I am nit picking now, I admit it. They're basically hint cards, and there is nothing wrong with it, but it's just that... the game is so easy. If you have any critical thinking skills, then you won't need the intuition points hardly if at all. The graphics. I know this is the icing on the cake and not anything you should grade the game on (unless it's obviously bad), but the graphics are mediocre. It looks like a game from late 2006. The cut scenes were obsessive. I simply hate cut scenes in games. They remove gameplay and any interaction you have with the scene at all. They could have at least had it scripted, because it was completely unnecessary to take ALL control away from you without letting you at least experience through your controller. They need to stop this, period.

    The sounds were pretty good. There are times in the game where I noticed the sound engineering at work, and I applaud them for it. It's not the greatest in terms of sound engineering, but there is clearly talent in that sector.

    The environment however is lacking. It's very non responsive in general. The civilians don't look up at you when you're chasing a criminal, they don't even make any acknowledgement of you unless you near run them over.

    This is all I can think of for this review, so I'll draw this to an end. The game was certainly a change of heart for Rockstar (they co-developed it and published it, don't you dare tell me this wasn't heavily influenced by Rockstar) and they tried venturing out into unknown territory. I'll give them a "bravo" for going beyond the medium and not simply rehasing GTA over and over, like with GTA 1911, or other wise known as Red Dead Redemption. However, they did not deliver it very well. The cases are too easy, the gameplay mechanics seem very old and not very improved upon, and it just doesn't feel like it's own game. It feels more like an expansion pack or a developers mod for GTA IV. This game will receive 10/10s from many 14 year olds, I assure you, just because it's a Rockstar publication and co-development. I almost feel like giving it a 0 to counteract the perfect scores, but I will not. A 4 seems like an appropriate grade, albeit may be viewed as a bit harsh, for this game. There was so much potential with this game, but it simply failed to bring it out.    … Expand
  14. thesisko
    May 17, 2011
    1
    This isn't a game, it's a C-movie. There's barely any gameplay, and what's there is too easy and boring. If this is the direction gaming is going, I don't want to be there. If you want a game that relies on it's narrative play Planescape: Torment instead.
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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

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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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