L.A. Noire

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 998 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 717 out of 998
  2. Mixed: 207 out of 998
  3. Negative: 74 out of 998
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  1. Generalizor
    Nov 26, 2011
    8
    While it lacked some replay value and interesting side missions, it were a very nice story with an interesting anti-hero and play style. And the facial expressions are awsome.
  2. Kamodo2
    Nov 23, 2011
    6
    OVERVIEW: I was very excited for this game, as the new genre appealed to me. Although it delivered on that part, the various other problems makes it difficult to play.

    PROS: The style and feel of 1940's LA is spot on; and that is helped by the great graphics. The great graphics also deliver a new facial system which I really enjoyed. It basically takes the actors face and puts it into    OVERVIEW: I was very excited for this game, as the new genre appealed to me. Although it delivered on that part, the various other problems makes it difficult to play.

    PROS: The style and feel of 1940's LA is spot on; and that is helped by the great graphics. The great graphics also deliver a new facial system which I really enjoyed. It basically takes the actors face and puts it into game, which is crucial for the lie detection system that Rockstar put into the game. The part about the gameplay that I enjoyed was the detective stuff. Searching for clues, interrogating people, etc. The story was also brilliantly told, except it was shown through the very last part of the game.

    CONS: Like I just said, the great story is the last of many small stories told through various cases. Each case equals a story except for the last few cases which are connected and tell a bigger story. The game comes on 3 disks, so that is a lot of random cases that I didn't fine entertaining. The none detective gameplay involves car chases, shootings, foot pursuits, etc. This was relatively bland and got very repetitive. The only thing to do besides the main cases was answering to radio calls, which consisted of the above styles of gameplay. LA Noire was also very consistent with other Rockstar games, which for me is a bad thing.

    GRAPHICS: 9 out of 10; Great visuals and cool new facial animations made it look very realistic. STORYLINE: 7 out of 10; The ending was great, but the ending began halfway through disk three.
    GAMEPLAY: 5 out of 10; Detective gameplay was unique but the rest was very repetitive and uncreative.
    LASTING APPEAL: 4 out of 10; The same thing for three disks gets pretty boring. Again, only the end made me want to keep playing.
    OVERALL: 6 out of 10

    CONCLUSION: LA Noire was a great idea that just failed to deliver on the typical video game aspects. It is hard to get past this and envy the great style and feel for the game.    … Expand
  3. Athandel
    Nov 21, 2011
    8
    Interesting, unique, and yet lacking enough polish to give this game a higher score. Some of the missions had enough movie-going quality to warrant the title, while others were rehashed tropes of video games in the past. This game started to wear out its welcome after 30 or so hours.
  4. Redfelcon
    Nov 21, 2011
    7
    When you get past the innovation and face expressions what you have is an average game that reminds me of the repetitive game play that was once assassins creed. It was fun half way in after that I could care less. I know its a detective story and its not GTA however picking A, B or C in the end is still A,B or C.
  5. Keeny
    Nov 17, 2011
    3
    Never in my life have I felt the impulse to return a video game within the first hour of playing it. Where do I start? Yes, the facial rendering technology is amazing. Yes, I realize that L.A. Noire is more a refined, interactive story than a fast-paced video game. I bought the game knowing all these things. However, upon execution, it never lived up to the hype. The "last straw" of myNever in my life have I felt the impulse to return a video game within the first hour of playing it. Where do I start? Yes, the facial rendering technology is amazing. Yes, I realize that L.A. Noire is more a refined, interactive story than a fast-paced video game. I bought the game knowing all these things. However, upon execution, it never lived up to the hype. The "last straw" of my experience was the sluggishness of the controls. They felt slow, burdened, as if the lead character was walking through jelly. All of this is coupled with a repetitive set of investigations that failed to leave any lasting impression. At the end of the day L.A. Noire was a real disappointment.… Expand
  6. asylumspadez
    Nov 15, 2011
    8
    Impressive and unique but fails to live up to the potential. A short campaign, lame collectables, and repetitive objectives take away from LA Noire's value but its rather addicting and will keep you coming back for more.
  7. Mask3r
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    When i was playing this game, it was like a 30h film. I've enjoyed too much with this game and its amazing history. 10/10 perfect game, you must buy it if you like SP amazing games.
  8. ghSwag
    Nov 10, 2011
    8
    All the cases are thought out, and Homicide desk is **** brilliant, with first class writing and exceptional dramaturgy. The game has a strong gallery of characters, motion capture that is out of this world and an excellent soundtrack.

    Sounds like a perfect 10, does it not? It would be, If not for the insanely frustrating ending that makes love to you from behind. And I'm not talking    All the cases are thought out, and Homicide desk is **** brilliant, with first class writing and exceptional dramaturgy. The game has a strong gallery of characters, motion capture that is out of this world and an excellent soundtrack.

    Sounds like a perfect 10, does it not?

    It would be, If not for the insanely frustrating ending that makes love to you from behind. And I'm not talking about the good kind of backdoor lovemaking that you want to try out with your girlfriend.

    You should still definitely buy the game and play it like it's golden ecstasy on fire, but - for the love of everything good and jolly in this world - don't rush it because you're expecting an epic conclusion at the end.    … Expand
  9. rotku
    Nov 3, 2011
    7
    Good story line and interesting characters make this game well worth playing and the detective type role offers an unusual game playing experience on the downside the chase felon, drive to point A, chase felon, drive to point B sections get a little repetitive but still worth a play through.
  10. Dufflad
    Oct 12, 2011
    9
    Easily one of the best games of all time. The fact that the crime is all based on real events adds a nice realism aspect. The gameplay is really fun. It got a lot of flac at launch for not being like Grand Theft Auto, but I think that's a good thing based on what we got instead. It's only real flaws are glitches found in any other Rockstar branded game.
  11. marv316
    Oct 7, 2011
    8
    Rockstar proves that they could make a very awesome yet addictive games beside GTA. and it paid by this game.. L.A Noire. since the first time i heard and watched the trailer of this game, i'm instantly became a fan. not just that i like a challenging and "thinking" game, but i also want to see the awesome graphic (especially the facial expression of the people) in this game and RockstarRockstar proves that they could make a very awesome yet addictive games beside GTA. and it paid by this game.. L.A Noire. since the first time i heard and watched the trailer of this game, i'm instantly became a fan. not just that i like a challenging and "thinking" game, but i also want to see the awesome graphic (especially the facial expression of the people) in this game and Rockstar made an amazing job on this one. the checking of crime scene and the investigating method looks very realistic that makes u wanna become a detective after playing this game. the environment looks so amazingly great (it is represent what 1950's look like in the real life) the voice acting was so awesome and i think if Hollywood considered to make a great detective movie or another video game movie, L.A Noire could be a good one. unfortunately, this game also has a negative point such as: repetitive mission and repetitive side mission (they just change the case story) but all of that can be forget, because the game also put an interesting storyline of the main character, Cole Phelps and Jack Kelso. so if u all a fan of Rockstar games product (especially GTA) and also a detective game fan, this game is a must have. and, if u just wanna play around and try around, this game is also quite good enough to play.… Expand
  12. Ixziga
    Sep 28, 2011
    6
    L.A. is the kind of game that I would expect to love for it's completely original concept and change of pace. Although the game certainly stands out among the popular crowd of massacre-fatigued shooters, it has a lot of shortcomings that gradually ruin the experience once the sense of novelty subsides. First of all, the game's engine is not impressive but what they manage to do with it is.L.A. is the kind of game that I would expect to love for it's completely original concept and change of pace. Although the game certainly stands out among the popular crowd of massacre-fatigued shooters, it has a lot of shortcomings that gradually ruin the experience once the sense of novelty subsides. First of all, the game's engine is not impressive but what they manage to do with it is. The facial animations are unlike anything in any other game and are so realistic that I can often recognize real actors/actresses as characters in the game. The one downside is that the amount of information in these animations pushes the game to use 3 discs for the XBox 360. The game's scale is certainly not equivalent to a standard game on 3 discs. At first the game totally captures the player's attention. Being a detective and actually using reasoning skills in a video game is an impressive new experience that I think needs to be further developed in the future. Unfortunately, there's one major problem with the concept: how can make a game that fits the player's ability to reason? Everyone has their own logic, and although these different reasons may be sound and true and come to the same conclusion, L.A. Niore's gameplay struggles with the problem of a linear game trying to fit a dynamic player's thoughts. Interrogations with suspects consists of analyzing the suspect's verbal and body language and deciding whether to believe, doubt, or accuse the suspect of lying. Believing and doubting are vague enough to allow for multiple ways of thinking, however the game handles accusations of dishonesty poorly IMO because it requires you to present a piece of evidence as proof that the suspect is lying. The problem is that this allows for one and only one method of thinking. Just as an example, in one investigation I found a stash of military grade morphine in the suspect's possession. When he denied it, I accused him of lying and presented the stash as evidence. Makes sense right? Sure it makes sense, but the game is programmed to accept one piece of evidence specifically, and that piece of evidence wasn't the right piece of evidence. What WAS the correct piece of evidence was another suspects accusation. Yes, they both come to the same conclusion, he's lying. However, the game only allows for one method of thinking in order to solve cases. There's a system of "intuition" points that are essentially life-lines when you come into these situations, however these one-time uses only partially solve the problem. Also, later on in the game as your cases demand you travel to more locations, it actually becomes necessary for you to visit these locations in a specific order to be able to get the right pieces of evidence by time you need them. However, there's no way to know which one you need to go to first so whether or not you get a 5-star rating will come to depend on luck. Lastly, there's no save system, which could have helped a lot to solve these issues, but as it stands the only way to load game is to restart an entire investigation which will take hours. Another problem with the game is FILLER. This game has more filler content than anything I've ever played. In the beginning when you are searching for a particular criminal, you are going to solve hours worth of cases before you make any progress whatsoever (it's hard to talk about without spoiling it). Sure the cases are interesting, but the game completely loses its sense of direction after hours of irrelevance. The open world has mixed results. It's only there as immersion and atmosphere and has nothing to do with gameplay or exploration (there are monuments you can find but that is so underdeveloped that I refuse to count that as exploration). Driving throughout the world will require that you follow the rules of the road which I just find to be more filler than fun, and any mistakes you make on the road (which I guarantee will happen because the AI drivers are atrocious) will be saved and remembered as property damages which will negatively affect your mission rating. There is, however, a way to bypass this and fast travel by telling your partner to drive instead of you. Finally, everything other than investigating is highly underdeveloped. The gunplay is absolutely terrible and boring, and car chases are linear and frustrating with unresponsive vehicle controls and terrible AI drivers. As with any rockstar-published title, there are plenty of serious and adult themes throughout the story, but unlike other titles, L.A. Noire only mentions them rather than further developing them. The game at its core experience is gold, but there are simply too many flaws standing between that golden experience and the player himself. It's easy to tell how much Rockstar Games struggled working with Team Bondi in the areas of the game that are pathetically underdeveloped, and a future title with a little more directional focus could take this concept to the stars.… Expand
  13. Ajcalderonmd
    Sep 26, 2011
    10
    Very impressive graphics specially the facial expressions, storyline is good just like heavy ran though a bit dragging at times, tension and excitement can be felt whle playing beig one with the character so to speak. Movemes were somewhat repetitive though adequately compensated by its graphics.
  14. Ali1247
    Sep 24, 2011
    8
    Alot of negative reviews on this one. People need to get it in their big fat skulls that this game is not I repeat not a sandbox game its obvious that the people who hated on this game are fans of the GTA games and Red Dead redemption and expected another one of those games out of it just because it had a R* logo on it. I can't believe how narrow minded people are nowadays that they can'tAlot of negative reviews on this one. People need to get it in their big fat skulls that this game is not I repeat not a sandbox game its obvious that the people who hated on this game are fans of the GTA games and Red Dead redemption and expected another one of those games out of it just because it had a R* logo on it. I can't believe how narrow minded people are nowadays that they can't distinguish between a developer and a publisher. R* is not the developer it is the publisher Team Bondi is the developer they are the same company that made the Getaway game series last gen. And all the people who are saying that you can't do alot of things in this game it is because it is not a Sandbox game. This game is detective, crime investigation and interactive movie kind of a game the only other game that can actually be compared to it is Heavy rain the only difference is that this game gives you more freedom. As a huge fan of the detective and crime investigation having watched all these kind of shows on TV I really liked this game. All the cases are fun and have a really good and well detailed background. The cases are divided into a number of different segments in some segments you have to find clues, some segments are foot and vehicle chase sequences, gun fighting segments and the best one of them all the interrogations. The interrogations are really well done you ask someone a question and you have to tell if they are telling the truth, lying to you (by using evidence) or you can doubt on them and you can do this while looking at all the evidence you found and noted in your diary these segments are all really fantastic specially for us detective fans and your interrogations will change the segments that will play out later on in the cases, the superb acting by the cast during interrogations also adds alot of them. The chase sequences are also fun and well done. The gun fighting in the game however can get repetitive and dull at times and is not nearly as epic and fun as you see in shooters and games like GTA and RDR but they are still satisfying. The cases can get repetitive though so I would not recommend doing more than 2 cases at the time so that you can get as much fun as you can out of this game. I am a little disappointed however that some cases are really waay to short and leave alot to be desired and I also just wish that there were more cases in the actual game. The game's story which is told through a series of flash back scenes telling you more about your main characters is also very well written and interesting. The game also looks fantastic quite possibly one of the best looking games on the 360 the facial animations are super realistic, the environments are just breath taking and the animations are also very well done. The voice acting/acting is also great and realistic specially during the interrogations. The game also has a bunch of sidequests but they are far less than you would see in a GTA game or a Sandbox game, there are 40 side missions while they are fun, some of them can get repetitive and most are too short. Along with that there are landmarks and vehicles to discover and unlock but this can get boring after a while. However another problem with the game is that it is on 3 discs on the 360 the problem is not that you have to get up mid game and swap discs the problem is that if one disc gets messed up you have to buy all 3 all over again and considering how high the price is that is a really big problem. Thats why I would recommend the Ps3 version as its only on one disc and has slightly better graphics. The music in this game really suits the time period the game is set in and also suites the environments. Overall I would say L.A Noire is a great game which could have been even better if it wasn't for a few flaws. If you are a fan of the detective genre, like games which are like interactive movies and are looking for a different and unique experience when you play a game than you should definitely get L.A Noire however if you are expecting a sandbox game like GTA or Red Dead than this game is not for you. 8.5/10… Expand
  15. Fireside
    Sep 24, 2011
    6
    A great man once said, "If you build it, they will come." And so it is with Rockstar: any game they put out will inevitably be purchased by me and every other 15-30 year old male who doesn't do the Buffalo Bill dance and coodle their unbearably annoying yip-yip dog.

    I don't regret my purchase for it's worth it if just for the facial animations and unique game play. But alas, as you might    A great man once said, "If you build it, they will come." And so it is with Rockstar: any game they put out will inevitably be purchased by me and every other 15-30 year old male who doesn't do the Buffalo Bill dance and coodle their unbearably annoying yip-yip dog.

    I don't regret my purchase for it's worth it if just for the facial animations and unique game play. But alas, as you might have already heard, this game can be dreadfully boring.    … Expand
  16. sdwillie
    Sep 23, 2011
    0
    I really wish I knew what happened to Rockstar, because GTA3 was as much fun as I've had playing a video game. it's also the last time I nad fun playing a game put out by Rockstar. Their 'games' are technically brilliant. The graphics are outstanding, the sounds are spot on they do a solid job creating environments and mood, but their games don't have the tiniest bit of fun in them.
  17. muzziklover
    Sep 15, 2011
    8
    A very unique take from Rockstar that focuses more on story than gameplay. The facial animation is pretty much the greatest achievement this game has ever put out and it will be an influence in future games and its implementation on interrogation is nothing short of genius. Though the story is very good, as it is a story based game, I did find the gameplay very repetitive and made theA very unique take from Rockstar that focuses more on story than gameplay. The facial animation is pretty much the greatest achievement this game has ever put out and it will be an influence in future games and its implementation on interrogation is nothing short of genius. Though the story is very good, as it is a story based game, I did find the gameplay very repetitive and made the story drag. Being a story based game, it does a very good job of making you feel like a detective and the game itself is aware of that; nothing more, nothing less but I do feel that they could have added more into the gameplay… Expand
  18. saffers
    Sep 10, 2011
    6
    sure at the beginning it is fun, but after a few missions it is just so repetitive. The facial expressions are great but sometimes the world seems so fake.
  19. X11
    Aug 28, 2011
    7
    Decent. Interesting premise. Competently done. Story was quite good at points. Rockstar voice-acting, better than most as usual. Not hoping for another in the series, however.
  20. Xphost
    Aug 25, 2011
    0
    terrible....just f**king terrible. absolute garbage. You either drive or shoot or question. A linear story tantamount to watching cardboard decay. Everyone loves to hate anything successful (i.e: halo and COD franchise) and yet lord this garbage over our head calling it innovative. Its not innovative, its just lazy and bland. It boils down to an interactive movie experience with aterrible....just f**king terrible. absolute garbage. You either drive or shoot or question. A linear story tantamount to watching cardboard decay. Everyone loves to hate anything successful (i.e: halo and COD franchise) and yet lord this garbage over our head calling it innovative. Its not innovative, its just lazy and bland. It boils down to an interactive movie experience with a disappointing ending, that will leave you wanting your time and money back.… Expand
  21. JuBe
    Aug 15, 2011
    6
    I kept hearing all the hype about this game, but I really couldn't get a grasp for it. I really wanted to see screenshots and in-game videos. Nevertheless, I decided to jump on board and buy a copy. Unfortunately, the game lives up to its hype, but nothing else. It's great for showcasing the facial expression technology, and from the attention to detail in recreating historic L.A. isI kept hearing all the hype about this game, but I really couldn't get a grasp for it. I really wanted to see screenshots and in-game videos. Nevertheless, I decided to jump on board and buy a copy. Unfortunately, the game lives up to its hype, but nothing else. It's great for showcasing the facial expression technology, and from the attention to detail in recreating historic L.A. is impressive, but it fails to entertain me. The investigations consist of a series of multiple choice decisions that you can re-do until you get it right. The game is wholly unfulfilling as there are too many tedious activities and not enough exciting rewards.… Expand
  22. YetiConfetti
    Aug 7, 2011
    8
    For the first 10 hours or so, I was convinced that L. A. Noire was about to become my favorite game of all time. The amazing scripting, graphics, and thought-provoking gameplay mixed with intense chases and shootouts felt like the perfect combination of elements had finally melded together into one perfect videogame. Then the second half rolls around, another 10 hours or so, and suddenlyFor the first 10 hours or so, I was convinced that L. A. Noire was about to become my favorite game of all time. The amazing scripting, graphics, and thought-provoking gameplay mixed with intense chases and shootouts felt like the perfect combination of elements had finally melded together into one perfect videogame. Then the second half rolls around, another 10 hours or so, and suddenly I'm wondering if I'm even playing the same game. The storyline starts jumping erratically, as if they simply had no idea what direction to take the main character, which is worsened by the fact that your main character actually changes for the last few hours of the game (during which you are limited to campaign missions and unable to explore the surrounding areas). By the end, I found myself wishing that the actual conclusion to the campaign had been at the end of the second act, with the third act cut out all together. It doesn't necessarily ruin the game, but the second half also had me noticing repetition that I hadn't been noticing when first playing. The actual gameplay has little variety and the case investigations feel like the have no impact on the story, so as far as long-term entertainment goes this might not be the best investment. I still think it's worth playing though, if for nothing else then at least to see the amazing graphics at work (seriously, it's creepy sometimes). It certainly sated my desire for an L.A. Confidential-style videogame, and while not as straightforward or as action-packed as something like Mafia II or GTA IV it can still be intense and exciting. Just don't expect to put it on your Top 10 list.… Expand
  23. TechnologoDoom
    Aug 2, 2011
    7
    The first 2/3 of the game are one long tutorial that finally picks up the Noir beat for the final stretch. However, the best parts end up more watched than played. Its worth playing if you're interested in games in general, and it's not bad for new gamers looking to hone their skills. Is it amazing? No. It is interesting? Yes.
  24. DunleerUK
    Jul 31, 2011
    7
    L.A. Noire is a nice change of pace when compared to traditional sandbox third person shooters, games like GTA IV, Crackdown and Saints Row etc are all great games but have a much greater focus on explosions and OTT action. L.A. Noire has an engaging story, interesting characters and some great game mechanics not found in many other games. There's gun fights and car chases, street crimesL.A. Noire is a nice change of pace when compared to traditional sandbox third person shooters, games like GTA IV, Crackdown and Saints Row etc are all great games but have a much greater focus on explosions and OTT action. L.A. Noire has an engaging story, interesting characters and some great game mechanics not found in many other games. There's gun fights and car chases, street crimes that can be attended at any time (all of which can be skipped if desired) but the main focus of the game is the crime scene investigation and suspect interrogation. On the surface they are both very intruiging elements of gameplay but after a few hours of them, it is clear to see there isn't much depth and that proving a suspect is lying requires one piece of concrete evidence, which can be frustrating when you have multiple items that link them to the crime, but the game says "no, it has to be the correct ONE". The well detailed facial animations are the game's highlight and really help to sell each character, unfortunately everything else just seems ot have been pushed to the sidelines. Cover and shooting mechanics feel very sluggish and will lead to many a pointless death, car handling feels like you are trying to control a shopping cart weighed down with bowling balls and there really isn't anything to do in the large an oppulent recreation of L.A. The game does the atmosphere and the detective gameplay brilliantly, it's just a shame it doesn't do the other areas of the game as well. It's also a shame that the game is a product of Team Bondi's slave driving approach to development.… Expand
  25. blubseabass
    Jul 30, 2011
    7
    L.A. Noire is a nice innovative game. To keep it short:
    + Good story, for most of the game
    + Investigating is fun and original + Atmosphere, music and aesthetics are great + Action is ok + Allows you to skip parts after a few attempts to continue the story. Great idea! + Faces look terrific. + I really liked some of the main characters. - Investigation is seriously lacking. Most of the    L.A. Noire is a nice innovative game. To keep it short:
    + Good story, for most of the game
    + Investigating is fun and original
    + Atmosphere, music and aesthetics are great
    + Action is ok
    + Allows you to skip parts after a few attempts to continue the story. Great idea!
    + Faces look terrific.
    + I really liked some of the main characters.

    - Investigation is seriously lacking. Most of the time it's trial and error, and error means the clue is gone forever. Knowing when to press (try to get more by intimidating) or to reveal a lie (by presenting evidence) can be very confusing and frustrating. The faces don't always help, since sometimes the "lying motion"only kicks in after 15 seconds. Phoenix Wright got this way, WAY better.
    - The story is sometimes extremely poorly told. With the plethora of characters in the game, the story writers should have done a better job keeping the spotlights right and the designers should have given an option to review past characters. Also, some of the climaxes just don't make sense, because of the addition of action gameplay. Some scenes are just ruined because random mobsters show up for no apparent reason other then to be your cannon fodder. I found the ending very unsatisfying as well.
    - Interface and restrictions are clunky sometimes, especially during the action scenes and chases.
    - Some cases are very poor. The biggest flaw of them is that they often don't leave the solving part to the player. I literally thought at some cases: This is **** neither of this suspects did it, and still I have to press charges against one. That's maybe the stupidest thing a game designer designing a game where the investigation skills of a player are tested can do. It's like saying to a soccer striker:"yeah you can run down with the ball, but God forbid you to take a shot at the goal!" It made me feel stupid, it made Cole look stupid and it made the whole cheering crowd look stupid. Again, Phoenix Wright got this WAY better.
    - (small) Some minor annoying bugs. (X360, My personal worst bug was the playing of the boss music during a tragic cutscene...)

    All with all, L.A. Noire did a bold and good job, especially on the aesthetics department. The story department had it's high ups and low downs, and the gameplay department should have put some more effort in making stuff more clear to the player. I hope they learn from their design errors and take the time to make the successor of L.A. Noire a more complete and potent experience.    … Expand
  26. DelTorro
    Jul 30, 2011
    7
    You cannot really think of this as a video game. Its more like an interactive film.

    Although the story telling, acting and atmosphere are amazing, I found the crucial interrogation system to be deeply flawed. If I got a question wrong I would quit out to the menu and reload from the same point, otherwise I miss out on the plot which is VERY irritating. I think they could have explored    You cannot really think of this as a video game. Its more like an interactive film.

    Although the story telling, acting and atmosphere are amazing, I found the crucial interrogation system to be deeply flawed. If I got a question wrong I would quit out to the menu and reload from the same point, otherwise I miss out on the plot which is VERY irritating. I think they could have explored the morality aspect a bit more, it would be interesting if you weren't such a clean cut cop. If you had the ability to take bribes, plant evidence or force confessions with violence I think it would have made the game more interesting because even though Cole Phelps does everything by the book, the player should be able to make their own decisions. Instead, I felt like a passenger following him around.    … Expand
  27. Redfordsto
    Jul 26, 2011
    8
    The story is excellent. It's also extremely linear. There's exploration, action, and drama. It's a fun adventure in the shoes of a starchy and hard-nosed detective. The rendering of classic LA is fantastic. You can spend hours just driving around looking for landmarks and hidden film cans. But a large portion is trying to solve cases. The cases are challenging enough, but they also aren'tThe story is excellent. It's also extremely linear. There's exploration, action, and drama. It's a fun adventure in the shoes of a starchy and hard-nosed detective. The rendering of classic LA is fantastic. You can spend hours just driving around looking for landmarks and hidden film cans. But a large portion is trying to solve cases. The cases are challenging enough, but they also aren't as rewarding as you would think. Most of the murder cases don't actually get solve which is annoying. All in all. For the story and for the representation of Los Angeles post WWII, it's worth picking up.… Expand
  28. Interloper
    Jul 24, 2011
    8
    There is a lot wrong and a lot right about L.A. Noire. First, the good.
    The newly introduced motion capture on the people that you meet throughout the game is pretty incredible, and is certainly a revolutionary step in gaming. The dialogue is well done, and well acted, some of it even made me chuckle from time to time. The city is beautiful and feels immersive, it's fun to simply drive in    There is a lot wrong and a lot right about L.A. Noire. First, the good.
    The newly introduced motion capture on the people that you meet throughout the game is pretty incredible, and is certainly a revolutionary step in gaming. The dialogue is well done, and well acted, some of it even made me chuckle from time to time. The city is beautiful and feels immersive, it's fun to simply drive in one of the many incredible cars that are available to be driven around LA. The graphics are very good, which only strengthens the new face motion capture for a truly wonderful experience when walking around, searching for clues and talking to people.
    Unfortunately, this game gets tedious quite fast though. You will feel like you are doing the same thing over and over after every case, and there is a particular desk which has way too many similar cases. After about 2/3 of the game, it will feel more like a drag because the story is also rather forgettable and tedious. Your view of the main protagonist changes significantly and personally, I do not think that he should've been cast in such a bad light closer to 3/4 of the game. The last desk was especially boring, which also took a very strange turn rather abruptly and was also hindered by an attrocious ending. Regarding the actual gameplay, there are certainly some issues with the questioning. Because some actors overact, and some underact, you are sometimes left with quite an unfair judgement of deciding whether someone is lying or telling the truth. Also when presenting evidence to support your accusation, there are many times when picking something would've actually made sense in the context of the case, but did not hold true because there was no flexibility in presenting your evidence and the structure was rather linear, as is most of the game.
    Nevertheless, it is a decent game, and definitely one that needs to be tried out by everybody - though it is by no means FOR everybody to enjoy. Those who are expecting a GTA style game - look elsewhere. It is a mostly enjoyable, although quite linear experience, and feels more like a movie than a game. I would give the first half of the game a 9 and the second a 7, so overall I feel it deserves an 8.    … Expand
  29. aqurban
    Jul 24, 2011
    9
    I especially loved this game for it's sense of novelty and sheer innovation, but the repetitive sequencing is regenerated like oxygen, you really can't stop breathing in, but at the same time you get used to it and think "i'll die someday and that's it" (what?) The things Rockstar promised to showcase through the game were not exactly what we've expected, except it was more than what we'veI especially loved this game for it's sense of novelty and sheer innovation, but the repetitive sequencing is regenerated like oxygen, you really can't stop breathing in, but at the same time you get used to it and think "i'll die someday and that's it" (what?) The things Rockstar promised to showcase through the game were not exactly what we've expected, except it was more than what we've actually imagined it to be, the graphics are purely next-gen and still above that ratio even though it's a bit representative to what Rockstar games have accomplished over the past few years. The games sandbox is quite appealing and it's resemblance to the 40's L.A. is what seems to have achieved Team-Bondi's goals for the game. The narrative is eerie along the unexpected twists and creative direction, how your choices affect your reputation as a detective, and how aggressive or persuasive you are is an amazing element that really brought the genre to life, and not forgetting the mind blowing motion-scan technology that really replicated the intensity, fear, anxiety or the suspicious looks of actors into what made L.A Noire a game that really redefined the detective game genre and blew our minds. (mine at least)… Expand
  30. Acebulf
    Jul 23, 2011
    9
    This is absolutely an amazing game, I am playing it for the 3rd time and it is as much fun as the first, especially since my interviews don't go the same way and different suspects are picked up. Definite must-buy, another classic by Rockstar.
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
9
#9 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
7
#7 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 83 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 78 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 83
  3. Negative: 0 out of 83
  1. 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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  2. Play.tm
    Jul 13, 2011
    75
    In attempting to ape the triumphs of another medium, it overlooks the triumphs of its own. The result is disappointing game, but an impressive interactive experience.
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  3. CD-Action
    Jul 1, 2011
    85
    L.A. Noire is a new breed of adventure game. It's quality and scale completely eclipse even the most important achievements in this genre and I strongly recommend it as the best interactive detective story of all time. [June 2011, p.52]
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