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. VeteranD13
    May 24, 2011
    7
    Wow this game is Amazing ON PS3,to bad for Xbox users 3 discs LMAO. Overall it's a must have game that harkens back to era of simpler times.Gunplay is it not as exciting as you would expect,but the story is where it shines,think of this game as more of an interactive story and treat it as such.
  2. Jihad_Unit
    May 17, 2011
    7
    Let me begin by saying that if you think this game is grand theft auto in the 1940's you should stay away. This game was probably a little over-hyped because it's published by Rockstar and we usually know what to expect from them. This game goes in a completely different direction. You CAN NOT go around and jack cars and beat up hookers. You actually have to act like a cop, which is goodLet me begin by saying that if you think this game is grand theft auto in the 1940's you should stay away. This game was probably a little over-hyped because it's published by Rockstar and we usually know what to expect from them. This game goes in a completely different direction. You CAN NOT go around and jack cars and beat up hookers. You actually have to act like a cop, which is good and bad. It's not quite as open as the grand theft auto games, but it is much more interesting and engaging. Some cases are boring, and some are great. The interviews and interrogations are pretty cool, but they kind of hold your hand through it. If you do something wrong and fail the case, you just go back to the last checkpoint. The facial animations are awesome, but not something I particularly care much about because it's a GAME. It is not a movie, which is what it feels like at times. I would usually be upset that the developers spent most of their money on crap like facial animations because I would think it would take away from the rest of the game. In this case, I don't notice anything. This is a very polished game. I'm giving it a 7 because it was over-hyped and the interviews and game videos leading up to the release were very misleading (trust me, I saw all of it). Please don't expect an action packed, high-octane thrill ride of a game. This game moves much slower. I expected this, but I wanted the investigations and clue system to be a little bit deeper. Overall, this game is a good buy. Unlike everyone else, I don't necessarily think it makes you feel like a detective, but it is certainly very fun and engaging. Definitely rent before you buy if you can. This game is good, but it's not for everyone.… Expand
  3. theguvnor
    May 19, 2011
    7
    I'm gonna give it to you guys straight: If you're looking for action (car chases, gunfights etc), then this game is not for you. While such action is present, it's not that great nor is it that fun. Aiming is clunky and imprecise, cover is equally as clunky and enemies have very little health compared to Cole, who is practically a tank. Driving isn't too bad. A little touchy andI'm gonna give it to you guys straight: If you're looking for action (car chases, gunfights etc), then this game is not for you. While such action is present, it's not that great nor is it that fun. Aiming is clunky and imprecise, cover is equally as clunky and enemies have very little health compared to Cole, who is practically a tank. Driving isn't too bad. A little touchy and unrealistic, but not too bad. Foot chases are always the exact same thing and it gets a little repetitive. All chases are heavily scripted, and the runner is always faster than Cole. It doesn't even really feel like you're chasing them, just following them until the scene ends. The action on a whole is pretty sub-par and just not very engaging.

    On the graphics front, it's not too bad. The face animation is unlike anything you've seen in a game before and is definitely this game's biggest accomplishment. Player animations are pretty smooth on a whole; Cole tends to make smooth transitions from walking, to running, to jumping over an obstacle, to climbing a drainpipe. However, there are a few sloppy animations, such as the snap to cover, in which it looks as though Cole is practically teleporting into the nearest cover. The graphics otherwise are pretty good, textures are great, as are the models; but everything looks a little blurry, and the framerate has trouble staying smooth in quite a few areas.

    Now, for where the game really shines: it's story, and playing as a detective. Each case feels unique (aside from the very predictable chases that ensue every time you find the culprit), and become increasingly challenging as Cole moves up the food chain. The player rarely feels at a loss, however, because with the careful spending of intuition points, the player can make it through the most difficult interrogations flawlessly. Clue finding feels rewarding when you stumble onto a clue amidst the junk, but is never too difficult. If the player is having a hard time finding clues, the player has the option to turn on some context sensitive sounds, such as a chime when you're near something that can be investigated, to help point them in the right direction. However, detective-work can become irritating for perfectionists, as the game will continue even if you fail to collect all clues in the area and correctly gauge each suspect. This can lead to the frequent need to load a save, which is all that much more annoying due to the fact that there is no "Load Checkpoint" option. The player is forced to quit to the main menu and hit resume game, which will put him back at the start of the last location he entered, forcing him to recollect all clues before getting back to the interrogation.

    Overall, the game's core elements (story and detective-work) feel pretty on (thanks in no small part to the impressive MotionScan technology), but is ultimately held back by the rest of the game; feeling half finished and underwhelming, as well as a few development oversights, such as the lack of a decent checkpoint system, forcing you to replay large sections of the game should you screw up. To give a score, I think a 7/10 feels about right.    … Expand
  4. mustard_tiger
    May 24, 2011
    7
    Solid game but as much fun as watching paint dry. I read a review that actually said the game was too short and the length of games is always an issue for nerds but at every moment of the last quarter of this game I was wishing the game was over already. On the positive the faces are amazing, they really ad an emotional level to the characters that wasn't possible before. If you playSolid game but as much fun as watching paint dry. I read a review that actually said the game was too short and the length of games is always an issue for nerds but at every moment of the last quarter of this game I was wishing the game was over already. On the positive the faces are amazing, they really ad an emotional level to the characters that wasn't possible before. If you play with subtitles you are ruining the experience.… Expand
  5. bodean
    May 25, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. About 3/4th of the way through. Fun game, great concept. However it is a little repetitive. Chasing the suspect every other mission with the same outcome is kind of becoming common. Other than that, I would recommend the game.… Expand
  6. M1KE
    May 30, 2011
    7
    Initially impressive - and kudos to Rockstar and Team Bondi for doing something a little different - but soon a feeling of being too tightly directed takes hold. In one case, because I chose to follow a particular line of inquiry (not in the order the developers intended), I wasn't given the opportunity to go question someone else against whom I had evidence: the case just got closed andInitially impressive - and kudos to Rockstar and Team Bondi for doing something a little different - but soon a feeling of being too tightly directed takes hold. In one case, because I chose to follow a particular line of inquiry (not in the order the developers intended), I wasn't given the opportunity to go question someone else against whom I had evidence: the case just got closed and one perp got off without so much as a visit from me. The illusion of 'reality' given by the underlying story, the facial mo-cap and the real-world environment is shattered by you not having the freedom of choice you would have in that situation. In short: the novelty and tech raise your expectations, then fail to meet them. There is a similar tension between the need to solve crimes and the inability to pursue your own ideas of how and why those crimes took place. To get this right in a videogame is of course supremely difficult, but maybe less emphasis should have been put on restrictive story arcs and more on standalone cases that gave you a little more freedom to fail.

    The developers want you to experience 'the story' from beginning to end and this becomes too apparent about a third of the way in. It is still an enjoyable game and, as a gamer of long experience, I'm pleased to have something different and more mature in theme and execution to play, but it isn't the landmark some reviews would have you believe.There are odd visual glitches (eg, a taxi driver standing on his car instead of sitting inside it, a man laying in, rather than on, a mattress), and frame rate issues when things get busy. The switch between sandbox and cut scene, eg, when you arrive at the scene of an incident, can also be a little jarring, but overall it is a beautiful, evocative thing to look at and listen to.

    It seems churlish to give it a low score given the amount of effort that has clearly gone into the game. Without the huge 3-disc environment, the professional acting and the facial animation innovation it would be a 6. With it, it deserves a 7. With the gameplay challenges of the format overcome it would have been a 9. Let's hope the good bits turn up in other games in the future and that no one tries to do something similar, but with less effort and panache (yeah, we can hope...).    … Expand
  7. cass500
    Jun 8, 2011
    7
    About two thirds of the way through the game my save file got corrupted. I failed a chase and instead of starting the sequence over on respawn I was still in the middle of the chase, but no bad guy in sight and it won't fail again. On restart it resets back to the same broken place over and over. Since there is no save game other than the checkpoint that put me in the position of havingAbout two thirds of the way through the game my save file got corrupted. I failed a chase and instead of starting the sequence over on respawn I was still in the middle of the chase, but no bad guy in sight and it won't fail again. On restart it resets back to the same broken place over and over. Since there is no save game other than the checkpoint that put me in the position of having to restart the game from scratch or abandon the effort. I quickly realized I have no interest in doing it all again so I will probably trade the game in this weekend. There is nothing broken about the game (other than my corrupted file) - it's just repetitive, and not that interesting once you get over the novelty. I definately give Rockstar an "A" for effort both in trying a new game format and a new game setting but there has to be more to a game than novelty.… Expand
  8. Italicised
    Jun 1, 2011
    7
    I was really looking forward to this one, and have to admit I'm somewhat disappointed. It's not bad, it's just not great either. If you're looking for a really immersive and intriguing game then Heavy Rain on the PS3 is far better. Admittedly, LA Noire touches on new ideas that haven't been covered this well before - the detective work is actually quite interesting, but does get dull byI was really looking forward to this one, and have to admit I'm somewhat disappointed. It's not bad, it's just not great either. If you're looking for a really immersive and intriguing game then Heavy Rain on the PS3 is far better. Admittedly, LA Noire touches on new ideas that haven't been covered this well before - the detective work is actually quite interesting, but does get dull by the time you get to disc 2 (On Xbox). It's very repetitive, and seems lacking in the depth I expected from the game. However, that said, it's still good enough to keep playing but if you haven't got it already, I'd suggest waiting for the price to drop before forking out your hard-earned.… Expand
  9. Rhodesy
    Jun 7, 2011
    7
    It's a genuine step forward, and a great achievement. Some aspects are spot on, such as the clue hunting and elements of the story. Attempting to make more of an interactive film than a responsive video game is commendable, and hopefully this will pave the way for similar material. However, for no one reason I can specify, it's just not that engaging. The frame rate drops on the xbox don'tIt's a genuine step forward, and a great achievement. Some aspects are spot on, such as the clue hunting and elements of the story. Attempting to make more of an interactive film than a responsive video game is commendable, and hopefully this will pave the way for similar material. However, for no one reason I can specify, it's just not that engaging. The frame rate drops on the xbox don't help either… Expand
  10. RetroLancerLOL
    Jun 19, 2011
    7
    While i appreciate the effort that was put into the atmosphere, art direction and overall feel of L.A. Noire, i couldnt help but feel it fizzled out at around a 3rd of my way into the game. It lost my interest, and in todays gaming world, getting gamers to keep your game disc in there console is more important than ever. Unfortunately, despite great ideas and some interesting cases, TeamWhile i appreciate the effort that was put into the atmosphere, art direction and overall feel of L.A. Noire, i couldnt help but feel it fizzled out at around a 3rd of my way into the game. It lost my interest, and in todays gaming world, getting gamers to keep your game disc in there console is more important than ever. Unfortunately, despite great ideas and some interesting cases, Team Bondi and Rstar games failed to grasp this philosophy. 7/10… Expand
  11. 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.
  12. DaddyGamer15
    Jul 22, 2011
    7
    Awesome concept but by the end I just wanted it to be over. Theres only so many clues I can handle searching for. At the end of the day I still think its worth picking up though.
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. spadenx
    Dec 6, 2011
    7
    It starts off interesting and is good for a few hours but repetitive objectives, boring gameplay, and confusing interigation tactics leave this game's potential down for the count. It looks and sounds great and it very original and unique (something we havent seen for a while) but it gets so boring. It doesnt help that the plot to the game takes far too long to develope and it ends poorly as well.
  16. CoolDadTx
    Apr 9, 2012
    7
    I was so psyched for this game and it was a letdown. Rockstar has absolutely no clue how to finish a good story. The story started out great but quickly boiled down to stupid, illogical and finally just disappointing. They need to get rid of their writers because they suck at endings. The main character was whiny, wimpy and a moron. The face recognization was supposedly awesome but II was so psyched for this game and it was a letdown. Rockstar has absolutely no clue how to finish a good story. The story started out great but quickly boiled down to stupid, illogical and finally just disappointing. They need to get rid of their writers because they suck at endings. The main character was whiny, wimpy and a moron. The face recognization was supposedly awesome but I found it all but useless. Most of the time characters acted and looked the same irrelevant of whether they were lying or not. And if you got it wrong (and wanted 5 starts) you had to start over. I spent more time wasting away on replaying missions and sitting through the unskippable cutscenes just because the game illogically felt someone was lying. If the LAPD was so blind and stupid in that era that they couldn't recognize when they arrested the wrong person or when someone was lying then LA would have never survived. The entire "who's guilty and who's innocent" was nothing more than a writer's poor attempt at creating a believable story. There were only a handful of cases where the guilty party even made sense. It was so horribly bad.

    The vehicles were hard (and unrealistic) to control, the traffic AI was really bad and the driving sections made little sense. Never once couuld I (a detective in LAPD) catch someone who decided to drive away - businessman, student, whatever. Even worse was that traffic lights seemed coded to be red when you needed to go through them so you end up driving the entire time with your siren on. Even then half the time cars would pull out in front of you anyway.

    The story also went about 2 desks too long. After the homicide desk they should have stopped but instead they continued to bring down the story with the additional desks. The arson was perhaps the worst as you hardly ever played as the person you were playing the first 4 desks. Finally the save points were in bad places - just before unskippable cutscenes, after some point where you couldn't go back, etc.

    On the positive notes the combat seemed reasonable, the city was huge (a good thing since you end up driving all around it forever), the graphics were great and the acting wasn't too bad. The collectibles (especially since you couldn't easily track them) needed some work and it would have been nice if the collectibles were more than just a checkbox on your list. The city could also have been used better. As it stood I always had my partner drive just to get to the next part of the game.

    I was so excited about this game but by the time I was half way through the game I was ready for it to end and not really impressed. I've never really been that impressed with Rockstar's games and from now on I'm going to strongly evaluate whether I'll purchase them. They just don't have a good track record of creating good ending and games worth playing.    … Expand
  17. giantbiscuit
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    The interactive detective gameplay runs smoothly and becomes pretty addicting. But I think they could have gotten a bit more creative with the cases. The plots of each murder/case are supposed to tie into each other for the sake of the overall plot, but somehow that doesn't make the repetition any less painful.
  18. MercilessMonkey
    Feb 11, 2012
    7
    There are a lot of great things about this game, but there are a few big things holding it back. The graphics are gorgeous, and their new facial technology is pretty impressive. The story is pretty well done overall, and you can definitely put some time into the game. However, I thought a lot of the cases were too easy, while others turned out to be someone way out of left field. It wasThere are a lot of great things about this game, but there are a few big things holding it back. The graphics are gorgeous, and their new facial technology is pretty impressive. The story is pretty well done overall, and you can definitely put some time into the game. However, I thought a lot of the cases were too easy, while others turned out to be someone way out of left field. It was not very satisfying to solve a case with one real suspect, and annoying to get it wrong for insignificant seeming little details. The controls are pretty clunky on the ground, which makes any shooting parts not particularly enjoyable. Overall it's a fun game with a good story, but I think it could have been executed a lot better.… Expand
  19. Tubey
    Jul 3, 2012
    7
    Graphically, this is a tour de force of a game. But, as an actual game, it is mediocre, with repetitive gameplay which is surprisingly linear for a game that on the surface looks like a sandbox game from Rockstar. That said, it is innovative, the detective elements of the game draw you in and make you feel like you're playing the role of a detective in a very real way, the facialGraphically, this is a tour de force of a game. But, as an actual game, it is mediocre, with repetitive gameplay which is surprisingly linear for a game that on the surface looks like a sandbox game from Rockstar. That said, it is innovative, the detective elements of the game draw you in and make you feel like you're playing the role of a detective in a very real way, the facial recognition of lies etc, is an interesting concept - one they haven't really pulled off 100% (amusingly, faults are mostly due to the odd bad actor rather than the technology but it's still very good) but you have to commend the effort.

    It's not going to be something you play again when you finish it, but I'd describe it as the perfect rental title. You'll finish it in a week, and feel pretty good about it when you do. So, for me, I'll ignore the repetitiveness, the overall air of pretention and just how casual the game is overall and give it a decent score. In short, you just have to recognise it for what it is. 7/10.    … Expand
  20. dumle
    Jul 31, 2012
    7
    L.A. Noire is a hard game to judge. The game has an interesting story, good atmosphere, long campaign and above all else the game has some pretty new and interesting game mechanics that you probably have not seen before in an "AAA" game. Sadly the game is not without problems. A lot of the cases you are working on are quite similar, the driving mechanic is pretty bad, a lot of cases hasL.A. Noire is a hard game to judge. The game has an interesting story, good atmosphere, long campaign and above all else the game has some pretty new and interesting game mechanics that you probably have not seen before in an "AAA" game. Sadly the game is not without problems. A lot of the cases you are working on are quite similar, the driving mechanic is pretty bad, a lot of cases has a weird and unnatural progression combined with a lack of interactivity, the side missions are quite similar to each other, the interviewing mechanics could be improved and the biggest flaw of them all is that the game gets repetitive. No matter the case the gameplay structure stays the same. The game is a pony with a few tricks it keeps showing over and over again and quite frankly it gets kind of boring after a while. If you however like me play 1 or 2 cases every now and then you are probably going to have a blast. This game could have been fantastic, in the end its simply good. Hopefully some game in the future will fix be just that.… Expand
  21. Rem
    Oct 8, 2015
    7
    L.A. Noire, for its time, was a technical marvel, impressing the gaming community with its facial scan technology and almost uncanny recreation of the corrupt 1950s Los Angeles. Backing up its gameplay was the slew of detective work playing as Detective Cole Phelps, an incredibly flawed yet nuanced character that you spend your time doing interrogations, linking clues, and chasing/shootingL.A. Noire, for its time, was a technical marvel, impressing the gaming community with its facial scan technology and almost uncanny recreation of the corrupt 1950s Los Angeles. Backing up its gameplay was the slew of detective work playing as Detective Cole Phelps, an incredibly flawed yet nuanced character that you spend your time doing interrogations, linking clues, and chasing/shooting perps. Through almost 20 cases, you perform these tasks in tandem, which over the course of several cases is refreshing, but eventually loses steam towards the end over how monotonous it can be. The real treat lies in the immersion of the city, where every single detail is succinct down to the last hairbrush and the music is on point with 50s classics. Advertisements hint at the corruption in the city and the cars are incredibly faithful to the time. Another sticking point would have to be the script in which it evokes the true noir that many games fail to emulate what LA Noire delivers in spades. Of course this is also lent by the incredibly lifelike facial animations which in turn is not voice acting, but acting in a technical sense. While there exists an open world, it's devoid of anything to do for the most part aside from optional police missions and even then those are brief. For a game so bent in immersing you, LA Noire teases you with much but gives you little and sets you on a straight path towards its narrative conclusion, to which is kind of disappointing. Nonetheless, nobody can deny the amount of work went into this landmark achievement of technical and artistic design that is the corrupt city of Los Angeles.… Expand
  22. Barnes1987
    Mar 28, 2017
    7
    A decent game that showed a lot of potential before launch. When it did launch things didn't quite go to plan though. The game can get real boring real fast but is still worth a play through.
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. Dashery
    May 18, 2011
    6
    Perhaps it was high expectations going into LA Noire that let me down, but Rockstar Games' new cop thriller really misses the mark. I believe the Graphics of the game are one of the greatest let downs. Early ads for the game boasted about a new facial capture technology and how players would read faces, which would enhance interrogations, yet everyone makes the same face. If they're lyingPerhaps it was high expectations going into LA Noire that let me down, but Rockstar Games' new cop thriller really misses the mark. I believe the Graphics of the game are one of the greatest let downs. Early ads for the game boasted about a new facial capture technology and how players would read faces, which would enhance interrogations, yet everyone makes the same face. If they're lying they'll start to smile. "Oh officer, my husband's dead!? Smirk" if anything, they really detracted from the feel. As well, the faces look like sweaty face molds pulled over a mannequin's face: they're good, but there's something off about them. But this being said, the game looks good otherwise, capturing the City of LA in it's hey-day beautifully. Another disappointment are the driving mechanics. For a company like Rockstar to drop the ball here is a real crying shame. The cars feel like something that were tacked on last minute. They drive like boulders. Perhaps this is because they're 1940's models, but still, if you can make a Horse feel effortless (Red Dead series) I would expect the same here. Another step back from previous Rockstar games is the shooting. Shootouts are ever so awkward. I think you have unlimited ammo (the game doesn't tell you how much you have) and aiming is a pain, even with auto help on. And now on to the bread and butter of the game: crime scenes and clue finding. Clue finding is simple, look around a crime scene and press the A button until the music goes away. Interrogations function the same way, watch what face they're making (they only ever make 4 different faces) and press the corresponding button. Crimes are easy to solve and replay value is minimal, seeing as there are only so many crimes and once you solve it once, it's hard to go back and resolve. Overall, the gameplay detracts from the main experience. All of this being said, the game is still saved by it's plot and atmosphere. It truly puts you into the shoes of Cole Phelps, and the added backdrop of post war LA boosts this, something I wasn't expecting. However, the characters are fairly shallow, in a game that makes me feel like a Law & Order detective, I would expect to feel something for my partner, or even myself, but the game falls short. This being said, the game is only about cases.

    In the end, if you like to watch Law & Order, you'll enjoy this video-game, however if you're looking for the next Rockstar hit, this is not it.    … Expand
  26. 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
  27. Deresolution
    May 25, 2011
    6
    Now, I would first like to say that I am NOT a mainstream gamer. Sure, I play Halo: Reach online every now and then, but for the most part, I would prefer a more unique experience, such as the Mass Effect series, Dragon Age: Origins, and the Dead Space series. So, when I read in GameInformer about a game called L.A. Noire, I got genuinely excited. Heck, I had only a penny left after I hadNow, I would first like to say that I am NOT a mainstream gamer. Sure, I play Halo: Reach online every now and then, but for the most part, I would prefer a more unique experience, such as the Mass Effect series, Dragon Age: Origins, and the Dead Space series. So, when I read in GameInformer about a game called L.A. Noire, I got genuinely excited. Heck, I had only a penny left after I had bought it. This game made me effectively go broke. It wasn't worth it.

    Now, the gameplay is interesting, I will say that. You scour a crime scene looking for clues, and then interview any suspects that you have. To get suspects, you may sometimes have to chase them, on foot or in vehicle. These sequences are meant to change the pace of gameplay, which, while I admire the effort, become tiresome when they happen. Also, the game has been lauded for its facial capture technology, which allows fully accurate capture of the actor's performance. The animations are solid as many of the actors give good performances, but the faces themselves seem rather low-grade in comparison. They don't look horrible, just not that good. That, or I just have a crappy T.V. The surrounding world that you inhabit is a very convincing recreation of the 1940s, from the housing to the cars to the clothes that people wore.

    Now, since you play as a detective, you happen to progress through different desks of the LAPD: Patrol, Traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Arson. In each of these stages you are assigned a partner, each of whom has their own personality. The only partner I can honestly say that I didn't like is Roy Earle of Vice. He is just an enormous douchebag. The others are fine. The character you play as, Cole Phelps, is a war hero of the Pacific campaign who has joined the LAPD to make the world a better place, and to potentially right some of the wrongs he committed in the war. He is a flawed character, eventually making a choice along the road that damages his once good name. Now, I have nothing against flawed characters, as I find that when done well, they can be the most interesting. But to be honest, I found Cole Phelps to be uninteresting and boring. Oh, and the "wrong choice" that I mentioned, yeah, I pretty much lost all sympathy in him after that. Then again, that may just be me.

    Now, while I will complement the innovation that some of the gameplay possessed, there is still one flaw in the experience: It often gets boring. It also doesn't help that the most interesting cases are the Homicide cases, which occur in the middle of the game. Perhaps it may have helped if they gave the gamer a little more in the way of choice, such as in a BioWare title, but the story itself is pretty linear, so it just makes me think that this would have been better off as a TV series. Now to be honest (and I am kind of ashamed to admit this), I didn't truly complete the game. I made it past the first case in the Arson desk, and just gave up afterwards. I looked up the ending on YouTube, and it was underwhelming. I mean, 20 hours and THAT'S all they give you? They do give you the opportunity to replay cases in an attempt to get a better rating, but honestly, I don't see the logic in playing a level in a mystery/detective game once you know what's going to happen.

    Now to be honest, this game isn't horrible. It's just not the kind of game I like. There is an audience out there for this game, of that there is no doubt. For now, however, I think I'm good with Xbox Live arcade titles instead. Or that Hunted: THe Demon's Forge game that comes out next week. Hopefully, I'll like that more. And if not, than I have to stop pre-ordering.    … Expand
  28. Keoki
    May 27, 2011
    6
    Not a bad game, but far away from being one of the Rockstar jewels that they use to create. The open world it's just limited to driving, leaving the game with a single predefined path making it so linear. The best feature in the game is the graphic part.
  29. RPGaddict
    Jun 4, 2011
    6
    If you are looking for a best facial animations in gaming history then you'll love LA Noire. However, if you're looking for a varied and involving experience you may be slightly let down like me. Heavy Rain is a much better game in terms of 'an interactive movie experience' as after the first half of LA Noire you'll be starting to wonder if there is more to the game than driving slowlyIf you are looking for a best facial animations in gaming history then you'll love LA Noire. However, if you're looking for a varied and involving experience you may be slightly let down like me. Heavy Rain is a much better game in terms of 'an interactive movie experience' as after the first half of LA Noire you'll be starting to wonder if there is more to the game than driving slowly from A to B and deciding whether people are being A - Truthful, B - Withholding or C - Lying judging by their over emphasised facial expressions. To begin with the gameplay is fascinating and the graphics will blow you away, but ultimately this is a shallow gaming experience which tries to be deeper than it is with overly long investigations and an insight into the character you play as. Cole Phelps is not your typical Rockstar-esque protagonist; he dreams of a perfect world and plays by the rules, so much so that you'll wish he could just pistol whip some suspects for a change as they surely did back in those days. Forced plot lines spoil what has gone before later in the game, but I won't give anything away.

    In terms of gun action, it's a shame that there isn't more of this in LA Noire as the cover-shoot dynamic is as good as in the GTA games. These encounters become very similar / predictable the more the game goes on and things aren't varied by weapons as Cole generally only carries a pistol. Car chases add another side mission task, but I found these to be pre-determined so that the car you were chasing couldn't be caught until it inevitably ran off the road itself allowing you to make the arrest. Seriously, you can smash / shoot the crap out of the cars but it aint stopping until the game engine dictates it. Overall, I found the game to be far too linear and stiff with the over-arching story a little weak which is surprising considering Rockstar's strength in story telling. After the first half you'll desperately want something exciting to happen, but it just doesn't come and you'll still drive from A to B and repeat the same structure until the end. For a piece of graphical achievement I'd recommend this, but if you're looking for an interactive adventure that you keep you on the edge of your seat take a serious look at Heavy Rain.    … Expand
  30. m3xc
    Jul 18, 2012
    6
    This is a tricky game to write a review for due to the fact that this game is for an extremely select few. To give a bit of background: Noir is my favorite genre of film and fiction, I was practically raised on the stuff.

    The best summary I can give is this: The game play elements all play well but they are mediocre at best- the action and driving is standard and polished however does    This is a tricky game to write a review for due to the fact that this game is for an extremely select few. To give a bit of background: Noir is my favorite genre of film and fiction, I was practically raised on the stuff.

    The best summary I can give is this: The game play elements all play well but they are mediocre at best- the action and driving is standard and polished however does not stand out amongst games that hold a more consistent focus on third-person action (Max Payne 3) or driving (any GTA game). When I speak of driving elements in L.A. Noire, the driving is fun but because points are deducted if the player does anything that is logically contradicting to a police officer's duty- this makes sense- but any sort of vigilantism is nonexistent, which is peculiar given that the game is supposed to be about corruption and scandalous themes. Sure, the main character is a "goody two shoes" but it would be cool if there was a development where he becomes more of an antihero- this would make it classic noir.

    On the note of vigilantism, the game is initself a contribution to the noir genre - this brings up a minor complaint on my behalf that the game is spelled "noire" as if its trying to be avant garde or chic despite the fact that it could have easily been spelled "L.A. Noir" and perhaps would have looked better; many elements of noir are not present (focus on shadows, the hero being an anti hero), although the cliches of murder, crime etc are present. I suppose this is insignificant in the big picture though.

    The highlight and main focus on the game lies in the interrogation of suspects and witnesses, and it is in this regard that the game does get some major pros- the cons inherent are that, after a while, it can become extremely difficult to get the "correct" answers (being "lie," "truth," "doubt") and the major encouraging facet that how some of the missions unfold and how the plot is unveiled is based on the where, who, how and why's extracted from interrogations can be very clever.

    Though, for a perfectionist who wants to get down the "perfect" (or close to "perfect") accomplishment of tacit objectives in the missions, there is a requirement of having to restart the entire mission and some of the longer cutscenes cannot be skipped; as well the same interrogations must be done to lead one from one character to the next.

    The plot is good. People have compared it to L.A. Confidential, which is a fair comparison, though I would say that the film is much better and (perhaps ironic to the game) executed in a fashion more fitting to the noir genre.

    It's not that this game is bad, it's just not stellar or even very great, in the long run. Rent it or borrow it first from a friend but keep in mind the game becomes understandably formulaic. Regardless it should be praised for being unique- but being unique has never made a game a standalone classic or an absolute must have.    … Expand
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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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