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. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 26, 2023
    8
    On the surface a 1940's version of GTA, but the meat of the game is actually in the investigations where you have to meticulously examine crime scenes for clues and interrogate suspects. The most realistic characters yet with genuine body language and facial expressions make for an atmospheric detective story with the odd hot pursuit and shoot out to break things up a bit. Very nicely doneOn the surface a 1940's version of GTA, but the meat of the game is actually in the investigations where you have to meticulously examine crime scenes for clues and interrogate suspects. The most realistic characters yet with genuine body language and facial expressions make for an atmospheric detective story with the odd hot pursuit and shoot out to break things up a bit. Very nicely done and different enough from the GTA formula to feel like quite an original game.… Expand
  2. george_bondo
    May 9, 2023
    9
    my favorite rockstar game after red dead redemption 2, i would like to continue this concept on a new generation more than gta 6, but i think everyone has heard about the game
  3. reiskorn
    Jan 8, 2023
    10
    This game is a clear must-play for the Xbox 360. No other game for this console has this good graphics thanks to the MotionScan technique utilizing 32 high-definition cameras to capture every single one of the over 400 actors individually. The detective story is also very captivating. 10/10
  4. Jattaman
    Sep 25, 2022
    8
    Gioco molto bello, una sorta di GTA in ambiente vintage.
    Ottima grafica e giocabilità, longevo e trama interessante.
  5. Hiccup3319
    Aug 21, 2022
    10
    A masterpiece. This is not you're regular game but it's to tell a story. A story that the past will always come back and haunt you. This game displays that incredidably and how Cole and other Characters change throughout the Story.
  6. JJ2FAS4U
    Dec 28, 2021
    8
    Atmosphere: 8
    Enjoyment: 8
    Gameplay: 6
    Graphics: 9
    Music: 7
    Story: 8
    Total: 7.67
  7. Xbluannax
    Nov 20, 2021
    9
    Amazing played this on 360 when it first came out but would also like to experience gameplay with the remastered version and play the DLCs which I never did.
  8. CloudStrife05
    Aug 21, 2021
    9
    I love how people try to compare this game to the technology and knowledge law enforcement has today. Morons. Anyways, this game is great. I love how you have to figure out if the suspect you are investigating is telling the truth or not. If you piss him/her off then they wont say **** Graphically amazing, simple controls. How cops had to be back in the 1950's.
  9. Mirowave
    Aug 11, 2021
    10
    A great Game on Xbox 360 and one of the best Rockstar Games. I think this is an Masterpiece.
  10. DonCorl3on32003
    Dec 13, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. L.A Noire
    Un gran juego en Cuanto ambientación se refiere,realmente se sientes en la época de la posguerra en la soleada y bella California. Describe perfectamente la sociedad y los problemas de esos tiempos. Grandes controles a excepcion para correr. Muy buenos gráficos lo único malo que el final no estuvo muy bien planteado pero no estoy en desacuerdo en que haya perecido    … Expand
  11. BoogieRichie
    Jul 16, 2020
    9
    La historia es increíblemente genial, los personajes se sienten realalidad, la ambientación de la ciudad de los angeles en los años 40's es bellísima junto un soundtrack al puro jazz en un estilo Noir. El guión es está de calidad de una película con profundidad y realismo. Y los gestos de los personajes al hablar e interactuar con el entorno superan a videojuegos del mismo 2020. TotalmenteLa historia es increíblemente genial, los personajes se sienten realalidad, la ambientación de la ciudad de los angeles en los años 40's es bellísima junto un soundtrack al puro jazz en un estilo Noir. El guión es está de calidad de una película con profundidad y realismo. Y los gestos de los personajes al hablar e interactuar con el entorno superan a videojuegos del mismo 2020. Totalmente recomendado para alguien que disfrute la década de los 40's y no necesariamente para alguien que busque violencia y destrucción como es el caso de la mayoría de juegos de Rockstar.… Expand
  12. Dave_F
    Mar 13, 2020
    10
    Still one of my favourite games that rewards patience and an enquiring mind
  13. xLeTudex
    Nov 6, 2019
    8
    I've just completed this game, and it is exceptional. The look of this game is amazing, beautiful graphics and wonderful facial animations, most of all though i like the clever use of lighting in this game, it really feels like a 'noir' inspired game. The attention to detail is amazing and every part of post WWII LA is perfectly recreated. The story is excellent and the twist at the endI've just completed this game, and it is exceptional. The look of this game is amazing, beautiful graphics and wonderful facial animations, most of all though i like the clever use of lighting in this game, it really feels like a 'noir' inspired game. The attention to detail is amazing and every part of post WWII LA is perfectly recreated. The story is excellent and the twist at the end certainly shocked me. Gameplay is good, but is pretty much identical to GTA 4, which is not a bad thing. The only couple of points that im disappointed with are, firstly the driving, which could use a lot of tweaking. It took me quite a while to get use to, so i mainly just let my partner drive, and also the outcome of your own personal decisions - whatever option use choose to take, the outcome is the same each time. You'll understand me when you play this game. It's not enough of an issue though to stop me giving this a 8. Brilliant game..… Expand
  14. tk_sb
    Oct 28, 2019
    10
    Masterpiece! Story, characters, music, atmosphere, gameplay - everything is amazing.
  15. Rahsmoove
    Dec 17, 2018
    8
    This game feels nearly like a movie. You're this detective, Cole Phelps of whom was formly in world war against Japan. It sets out in the 40's, in LA and crime is at it's all time high. This isn't a GTA clone in no way, and if you're knocking it because of that you are an idiot. So basically the game requires you to pay attention to detail, and look for clues. At most points, you'll haveThis game feels nearly like a movie. You're this detective, Cole Phelps of whom was formly in world war against Japan. It sets out in the 40's, in LA and crime is at it's all time high. This isn't a GTA clone in no way, and if you're knocking it because of that you are an idiot. So basically the game requires you to pay attention to detail, and look for clues. At most points, you'll have to tell if a persons Lying, telling the truth, or holding out on you. You have to check dead bodies too. You will be able to tell do rockstar using actual spot on facial animations. Tha map feels so hugh, even though there's not much to in the world you will be traveling for minutes. Due to it having so many blocks. You an reply to street crimes. (Which do get very repetitive) Well you make you're way through 5 ranks abd you get different partners:

    Patrol (This is sort of like a totourial) Partner Ralph Dunn
    Traffic (You deal with car accident crimes) Partner Stefan Bekowsky
    Homicide ( Dealing with murder crimes) Partner Rusty Galloway
    Vice (Dealing with drug crimes) Partner Roy Earl
    Arson (Dealing with fire crimes) Partner Hershel.
    All partners act different, my favorite partner was Rusty. My least favorite was Roy. He's such a racist and a sexist.
    My favorites were Vice and Homicide. Searching for shipments, or trying murders were really interesting. As you progress through the game you'll become famous. NPC will say "Hey, you're the dectective in the paper."
    The voice acting is spot on.
    The shooting and the car physics were great.

    Now let's talk about why I didn't give LA Noire a 10 or 9. there are quite a few cons too it.

    1. It doesn't feel like an open world game. This game has a big and dense map, however there's nothing to do in it. I know this isn't GTA, but that still doesn't change the fact that there should be more content. It

    2. The Graphics. the facial animations were good, but the graphics weren't all top notch in the vegatation areas. In some areas it looked less detailed than RDR

    3. It's very repetitive. Mostly every mission's the same, and that get's boring.

    But other than that it's a great game.    … Expand
  16. canceRnya
    Oct 29, 2018
    8
    Великолепная игра, когда сможэшь побыть дэтэктивом, так еще от таких парней как Рокстар, при этом расследую известные и не очень дела, типа как the Black Dahlia? Правда концовку совсем не понел.
  17. TatsMcGee
    Sep 8, 2018
    6
    This is a game that I never sat down and played on PlayStation 3 but I was always intrigued by the game mechanics. It seemed interesting and the fact that the game is a crime-solving detective game, it sounds like something that would be right up my alley. The truth is, it’s an okay game.

    In case you didn’t figure it out by the name but its a Crime-Solving Noire game based in 1940’s Los    This is a game that I never sat down and played on PlayStation 3 but I was always intrigued by the game mechanics. It seemed interesting and the fact that the game is a crime-solving detective game, it sounds like something that would be right up my alley. The truth is, it’s an okay game.

    In case you didn’t figure it out by the name but its a Crime-Solving Noire game based in 1940’s Los Angeles. You play as a Detective who is considered a War Hero from World War II. Cole is his name he’s fresh on the force and he’s motivated to move up the rank.

    The games main gimmick is when you’re interviewing NPC’s or Non-Playable Characters the characters have impressive facial animations for the Xbox 360 game. You then have to read their facial animation and presume if they’re lying, if they’re telling the truth or if there is doubt. Maybe it’s just me but I had a hard time distinguishing between the three.

    This is a game going into it that I had very high hopes for but the more I played it, the more I realized the more I realized that I don’t know about the game. I can’t tell if its a game that didn’t age well or if its a game that wasn’t great, to begin with. I think if I played this game in 2011 I would have a similar view of the game. Its an average game with an interesting gimmick and a story that doesn’t fully come together. If you haven’t played this game, I personally wouldn’t bother.    … Expand
  18. velikaplana
    Jul 7, 2018
    9
    For all of its attention to detail, L.A. Noire hits the occasional false note. For instance, the way people you pass on the street constantly comment loudly to nobody in particular about having seen you in the papers or indicate that you could use a bath is awkward, and it sticks out like a sore thumb in a world that tries so hard to be believable. But this is a minor nitpick with a gameFor all of its attention to detail, L.A. Noire hits the occasional false note. For instance, the way people you pass on the street constantly comment loudly to nobody in particular about having seen you in the papers or indicate that you could use a bath is awkward, and it sticks out like a sore thumb in a world that tries so hard to be believable. But this is a minor nitpick with a game that gets under your skin the way few games do. L.A. Noire's length can vary significantly, depending on how many street crimes you respond to and how much of your own driving you do, but in any case, the 21 story cases make for a complete and satisfying experience. You come into contact with the seamy side of the movie industry and with major players in the gambling racket; you meet working stiffs and powerful businessmen; you encounter low-ranking mob thugs and Mickey Cohen, one of the most powerful gangsters in Los Angeles at the time. L.A. Noire is a unique game with a terrific sense of period atmosphere, absorbing investigation mechanics, and a haunting tale with plenty of moments that would be right at home in a classic film noir. Those smoky nights spent listening to jazz at the Blue Room, and the price you paid for them, will stay with you long after you've retired your badge and gun.… Expand
  19. joao1198pedro
    May 16, 2018
    9
    Although is not as good as other rockstar games ,l.a. noire is destined to be a cult game, it's narrative and it's climate is amazing and the graphics still looks good today.
  20. karelpica99
    Dec 21, 2017
    10
    Anyone who says this is a bad game is a little girl. This game has the graphics, characters, storyline, everything is there. the storyline is very intence with cases that will keep you guessing for the whole game it also has a back story (srry no spoilers) I kust really loved this game i dont no what to say.
  21. Jack97
    Sep 9, 2017
    9
    L.A Noire is an amazing creation. Team Bondi have made a stylish, thrilling and immersive game that engages you with the story and has players bringing out the LAPD detective in them. It is both challenging and enjoyable and a must play for gamers everywhere.
  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. MiguelNeto
    Dec 30, 2016
    9
    diferente dos outros da produtora, agora voce controla um policial que vira detetive depois, tem ótimos momentos, mesmo nao sendo como GTA, onde voce mata todo mundo e faz muitas zoeiras, é um ótimo jogo, os personagens tem expressoes faciais impressionante, parece gente de verdade, tem momentos dificeis, e uma belo visual da cidade, mesmo nao sendo o melhor game da Rockstar, entraria nodiferente dos outros da produtora, agora voce controla um policial que vira detetive depois, tem ótimos momentos, mesmo nao sendo como GTA, onde voce mata todo mundo e faz muitas zoeiras, é um ótimo jogo, os personagens tem expressoes faciais impressionante, parece gente de verdade, tem momentos dificeis, e uma belo visual da cidade, mesmo nao sendo o melhor game da Rockstar, entraria no meu top 5. Nota 9.2… Expand
  24. InkstaindWretch
    Jan 6, 2016
    3
    I wanted to enjoy this game. I really, really did. I absolutely love film noir flicks and hard-boiled detective novels, so a game inspired by them was right up my alley, I thought. Play a tough cop in post-World War II Los Angeles solving mysteries? Sign me up! But dear god was this game frustrating to play. Eventually I just had to give it up.

    The central mechanic in solving mysteries    I wanted to enjoy this game. I really, really did. I absolutely love film noir flicks and hard-boiled detective novels, so a game inspired by them was right up my alley, I thought. Play a tough cop in post-World War II Los Angeles solving mysteries? Sign me up! But dear god was this game frustrating to play. Eventually I just had to give it up.

    The central mechanic in solving mysteries -- a mini-game of reading non-player characters' reactions during interviews and interrogations to determine if they are lying -- just doesn't work. The game's supposedly innovative animation just cannot mimic a real-life person's face accurately enough to make this possible and so trying to "read" the animations is endlessly frustrating.

    Similarly, the mechanic to find "clues" -- making the controller vibrate when the player gets close to them -- is actually less realistic than the usual video game method of highlighting objects the player can interact with so they stand out from the backgrounds. At least then you do have to pay attention and look around.

    Couple all that with the clunkiest, least intuitive driving system I have ever played and the game's insistence that you continually use it and you have a perfect recipe for aggravation, not enjoyment. It really undermines the immersiveness too. It's hard to view the game's protagonist as the stalwart law enforcement officer the designers want you to see him as when you cannot travel anywhere without him repeatedly smashing into other cars or running over pedestrians.

    It's a shame too because the designers clearly put a lot of work into re-creating the L.A. of the 1940s and genuinely tried to create something new and unique that would stretch the boundaries for future video games. But it just doesn't work.    … Expand
  25. 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
  26. MCK123
    Jul 27, 2015
    9
    [LA Noire Review]

    LA Noire is a truly impressive videogame, with a gripping storyline and some of the best tech on the last gen. Writing: The storyline is a great one, but it's not very smooth; It's badly paced at some parts, but this is expectable and acceptable do to the fact the game is more than twenty hours long. Anyway, the story is a hard-boiled noir story, and a good one at    [LA Noire Review]

    LA Noire is a truly impressive videogame, with a gripping storyline and some of the best tech on the last gen.

    Writing: The storyline is a great one, but it's not very smooth; It's badly paced at some parts, but this is expectable and acceptable do to the fact the game is more than twenty hours long. Anyway, the story is a hard-boiled noir story, and a good one at that. It follows the career Of Cole Phelps (expertly played by Aron S.) a determined but overconfident cop rising the ranks. His story gets more gripping and interesting as the game delves deeper into his personal life. It's very captivating and emotional by the end, and worthy of the kind of films it's based on. The side characters are also very well written, especially Cole's old friends and partners. They all have great Kelso and ? Being a few of my favorites. Also this game benefits from not having many combat scenes. So many games end up with the cutscenes and gameplay feeling very separate and different. Your character will kill hundreds of highly armed enemies in one mission, and in the next cutscene it's treated like a small run-in with some hoodlums. But LA Noire is mostly investigation and interrogation, keeping you immersed in the story. It has one of the best stories in videgame history.

    Story: 10/10
    Characters: 9/10
    Overall Writing: 19/20

    Sound And Acting: The acting is some of the best in gaming. The actors have atmosphere and emotion. The tech helps Team Bondi capture the performances better than anybody had before. The music in the game is incredible. The score is rousing and exciting. It makes the game feel so much more like a classic noire film. The music is used to signify different events (each type of event has a little theme song, there's one for a gunfight, evidence search, ect.) is clever. The sound effects are also pretty good, but not as big a deal as in many games, as the game doesn't really need a huge variety of sounds. But the sounds that are there, really just a few gunshots, car sounds, and some footsteps, are well done.

    FX: 8/10
    Acting: 10/10
    Overall Sound: 18/10

    Animations And Physics: Most of the animations are superb the characters look incredibly realistic while climbing ladders and stairs, and while walking around. The facial animations are also great. All of the emotion on the actors face's is captured. The wrinkles and stubble are clearly visible. The only weaker point of the animation are death animations. They aren't horrible but are pretty stiff still. So in all the animations are some of the best of the last gen. When I went into the game I knew it was very story focused so I didn't expect anything great from the physics. I was pleasantly surprised. The cars crash and handle realistically, and there are plenty of physics objects to run into. There is also a soft body deformation system for the cars, making every crash realistic and unique. The ragdoll physics are also not to bad, but nothing like that of other games Rockstar had been involved in.

    Physics: 6
    Animations: 9
    Overall Animations/Physics: 15

    Environment: The atmosphere is top notch. Everything from the clothing to the interior design feel perfectly at home with the noire story. Everybody feels like someone from a 40s movie. The open world is also pretty awesome. It's one of the most convincing open world I've seen. The world is modeled after a huge amount of photographs of 1940s which is quite impressive. There are tons of 40s style ads, vintage storefronts, and tons of cool old cars. The game world also has a remarkable amount of enterable buildings for a decent size game, one of the largest amounts ever. Sadly there aren't any side activities that involve interacting with the city other than some cool but short lived squad calls you get while driving around. These end up with you subduing some criminals. The only activities are collecting trinkets throughout the city, sadly you can't go to bars, watch TV, or play some mini-games like in many other open world games. The controls are not very good. First I'd like to add that picking up and manipulating objects is surprisingly smooth. But other movements are not as coordinated. Sprinting is quite hard to control, you'll end up running into doorways and accidentally jumping over things (there's no jump button, so climbing and jumping is automatically activated when you sprint near a scale-able object). This is also because the camera hard to control and sometimes sluggish. The shooting isn't too bad, but it's not very precise. The interrogation and investigation scenes are the highlight of gameplay though. There's no other game with anything quite like them. You must judge if victims are lying or not and search through houses for evidence like an actual detective, both of which were very interesting and well functioning mechanics. The car handling on the other way is quite good. You can pull of all sorts of cool jumps and tricks once you get used to the handling. In all the gameplay was a bit repetitive and flawed, but unique enough to win me over.

    Atmosphere: 5/5
    Entertainment: 3/5
    Environment Design: 4/5
    Gameplay/Controls: 3/5
    Overall Gameplay: 15/20

    Graphics And Performance: Visually the game looks very good in both black and white and color. The black and white mode looks a little under tested as it impair you from seeing how injured your character is. Other than that, the tone of the black and white filter gives the game a distinct noire style. The color mode is very high contrast with a large color scope, making the whole game look like a vintage movie. Textures have a decent resolution, but are used in place of three dimensional objects far to often. The lighting and shadow effects are also some of the best I've seen on a last gen game. Small details of objects are actually visible on the shadows, but with closer examination shadows are very grainy on the 360 version, but I had to cut it some slack because the game was originally developed exclusively for PS3. The frame rate is also pretty steady, and I didn't see to many glitches.

    Visuals: 4/5
    Lighting: 4/5
    Resolution: 5/5
    Processing: 4/5
    Overal Graphics: 17/20

    LA Noire is a compelling and unique experience that I highly recommend to anyone who likes slower games.
    [94/100- Amazing]    … Expand
  27. sems1193
    Jan 29, 2015
    9
    It’s really hard to think of a game that has done something similar to L.A. Noire. It’s not just the fact that the player has at his/her hand the availability of a 1940s Los Angeles sandbox, but the fact that it’s never been this intriguing to play as a detective and well enough love it.

    Set in 1947, the player plays as Cole Phelps, a former war hero who rises and shines through the    It’s really hard to think of a game that has done something similar to L.A. Noire. It’s not just the fact that the player has at his/her hand the availability of a 1940s Los Angeles sandbox, but the fact that it’s never been this intriguing to play as a detective and well enough love it.

    Set in 1947, the player plays as Cole Phelps, a former war hero who rises and shines through the ranks of the LAPD. As a detective, Phelps will take charge of several exciting cases, each revealing new grounds to the overall plot, only to find that his past will play quite the role in this story, and the line that divides good and evil is quite blurred.

    The game does a grand job progressing the story, giving good background and development to every character the player meets, including Phelps himself. It is safe to say that not one moment throughout the game does a feeling of dullness come to mind. Each case the player is presented with is a fresh and exciting segment. This is by no means a Disney kind of story, so do not expect a cliché at the end. But that’s a good thing, right? It is, however, a very intriguing and grasping experience.

    Setting presentation is above expectations. The 1940s atmosphere is immersive and grand. The urban environment is very detailed. The graphics in this game are quite beautiful. It would be a crime not to mention L.A. Noire’s character dialogue, which is to say at the very least – superb. The amazing performances are enhanced by L.A. Noire’s amazing face-capturing technology. No game, even at this point in 2013 has yet captured the detail facial expressions in L.A. Noire have. Thanks to this, the characters feel alive, they feel like real people.

    Gameplay, for the most part, involves the usual sandbox mechanics. There’s the common shootout and chase side missions which are ever fun (and there are 40 of these missions throughout the L.A. area), but when it comes to the detective part of the game, L.A. Noire gets quite peculiar and unique. When asking a question, the player is faced with three options: Truth, Doubt, or Lie. In a detective game, it’s expected to talk to people in order to solve cases, and it is this why the face-capturing technology used in this game is key to the overall experience. Good part of the overall game involves the player interacting with many, many characters. The player must interview people and use clues in order to get to the bottom of things, and the way a character’s face looks and reacts with each answer they give is essential for the player to conclude whether the interviewee is lying or not. Every case presents several scenarios where Phelps finds clues. Clues give context to what’s going on, and the player is expected to use these clues during interviews to further help prove when somebody is lying. It’s very gratifying to get through a list of questions correctly, getting the truth out of a suspect without missing one question, yet a feeling of guilt can present itself every time the player misses good judgment upon their interviewee. And that’s the beauty of L.A. Noire. Interviewing people does not feel like a chore. It’s fun and exciting. The sandbox elements, which cover exploration, collection items, side quests involving police work, and cars (cars are so authentic to the period and they are cool) are well made and serve to the immersion of the game.

    Given the concept of the game, which involves interacting with people a lot, one would expect for it to have RPG elements. The story, however, never changes. The player will get the same ending regardless of how you judge your suspects. It’s a shame, really, but by no means makes the game bad. Each case works as an individual “mission”, and the way the player gets through it, i.e. – getting all the clues, catching the right suspect, getting questions right, will ultimately show how well you performed at the end of the case. This performance is judged by stars. Do a great job and you’ll be awarded 5 stars, do poorly and you’ll earn as low as one star. This gameplay concept gives great replay value giving the player good reason to go back and perform better in a case after completing the game. That’s another plus, if the player wishes to play a specific case, he/she only has to select it from a list of cases – no need to start over from the beginning.

    L.A. Noire is a unique experience. Characters are amazing, story is solid and interesting, and the setting and atmosphere make up for an awesome experience. Through a regular play-through, the experience can be as long as 25 hours, and thanks to the great variety in characters as well as cases, it will not feel like 25 hours in the end. It will leave behind a feeling of wanting more, and that’s a great thing to say about a game. There are instances where the player is presented with 6-8 hour games and somehow, halfway through the game, it becomes tiring just getting through it. But not L.A. Noire. This game does a great job keeping the player interested, and will, no doubt, bring him/her back to play it again.    … Expand
  28. truxton
    Jan 1, 2015
    8
    This game is a master piece in every way, from its detective noir style story to its shootout moments, to its tense and jazz style music. Its hard to imagine you won't like this game. You play as Cole Phelps a new detective proving yourself to the force. While dealing with the real world, you learn about Phelps cold past. Overall a solid game.
  29. fullmetalcritic
    Dec 11, 2014
    9
    This game is a must play for anyone who likes an open world game, because this is that. But it's also so much more. It's a visually stunning, brilliantly written story that is matched only by the risk they took that succeeded more often than not. Admittedly not for everyone, it is worth a trial run thru to check out.
  30. Calebd2
    Dec 11, 2014
    4
    First off, the design and graphics in this game are very impressive. Everything about it looks good. However, that is about all I can say positive for this title. Once you get past that there is very little holding this game up. The story and characters are incredibly boring. The mechanics are sloppy and slow. Tasks become very repetitive and unrewarding after just a few hours. One canFirst off, the design and graphics in this game are very impressive. Everything about it looks good. However, that is about all I can say positive for this title. Once you get past that there is very little holding this game up. The story and characters are incredibly boring. The mechanics are sloppy and slow. Tasks become very repetitive and unrewarding after just a few hours. One can quickly decipher the formula for the correct responses to character interactions.… 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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