As I’ve mentioned before in certain reviews I’ve written for Phenixx Gaming, I have something of an inexplicable penchant for games that simulate anything which modern society considers a “normal” job, regardless of the degree to which these games simulate any given occupation. As the number of these games I’ve played increases, however, I think it has become necessary for me to amend that statement a bit.

If I were able to have any job I’ve experienced in a video game, I would likely be much more comfortable working in an office setting of some description despite how boring that might prove to be. I only say that because I’ve come to realize that I’m far too much of a chicken to even consider attempting certain professions.

Instead, I prefer to live vicariously through the characters I’ve controlled within such games. For example, I most certainly wouldn’t want to put myself in the shoes of a detective employed by the Los Angeles Police Department in the late 1940s. Thankfully, there’s a game which simulates that exact unusually-specific experience, and I’ll be reviewing it within this article. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

As I’m sure you’ve deduced by now, the game in question is L.A. Noire, developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games in May 2011. I happen to be quite familiar with L.A. Noire; I finished the PlayStation 3 version of it sometime in 2013, if memory serves. Back then, I considered it a quite enjoyable, if occasionally frustrating, experience.

I remembered I also own the game on Steam while I was looking for a game to review a few nights ago. In light of that, as well as the fact that I hadn’t so much as acknowledged L.A. Noire since February of 2015, I figured now would be as good a time as any to revisit the game and judge how well it holds up.

Immediately upon launching the Steam version of L.A. Noire, I was reminded of the most significant of the few reasons I hadn’t considered playing it in a few years. To elaborate, I was told I had to create a Rockstar Social Club account before I would be allowed to actually play the game. I begrudgingly did so, all the while questioning why. I’m well aware that some percentage of players enjoy the features offered to them by the Rockstar Social Club. I respect that, but I will likely never count myself among them for reasons like what I’ve just explained.

All frustration aside, though, I was happy to be able to finally play the game after jumping through those few hoops. I knew that once I was in-game, I would be able to take out my remaining frustration upon various types of ruffians who seemingly insist upon corrupting Los Angeles with their unscrupulous acts. After all, I would be playing as a law enforcement officer, and I would most assuredly ensure that laws were enforced by any means necessary.

Throughout L.A. Noire, you play as Cole Phelps, a U.S. Marine and World War II veteran who was shipped home to California after sustaining an unspecified injury. He proceeds to join the Los Angeles Police Department and begin his tenure as a uniformed “beat-cop” of sorts in early 1947.

It’s at this point that you gain control of Phelps. Together with his initial partner, Ralph Dunn, Phelps’ first task on the force is to search the scene of a recent murder for any traces of the murder weapon. At this point, the game introduces you to the system by which you examine and catalog noteworthy evidence. You’ll notice certain prompts, such as music changes and controller vibrations (assuming you’re using a controller) when you’re near evidence.

Of course, these prompts don’t exclusively occur when you’re near important evidence; sometimes the game will alert you to the presence of extraneous or circumstantial things in your current environment, such as empty bottles and other types of litter. These “false alarms” are the first, most common example of what I’ve taken to calling “beginner’s traps” within the game. I’ll explain what I mean by “beginner’s traps” at a later point in this review.

Once Phelps and Dunn manage to find the literal smoking gun, they trace it back to its owner with the help of a nearby gun store. During the process of arresting the murder suspect, you’re introduced to the melee combat system.

You likely won’t encounter this system very often after this first instance of it, but I think it’s an interesting addition to the overall gameplay. I find L.A. Noire’s melee combat very satisfying and cathartic, though I can’t quite pinpoint why that is.

After a couple more cases as a uniformed patrolman, Phelps ends up being the first officer to respond to a shooting outside a nearby store. This case will introduce you to the main systems you’ll utilize throughout the rest of the game, namely locating clues and interviewing witnesses and suspects. Becoming accustomed to using these systems quickly is crucial to your in-game performance record.

In order to get that coveted five-star rating at the end of each case, you need to be absolutely certain that you’ve found every related clue, asked every relevant question, and gotten the correct answer to each question you ask. To elaborate on what I mean by that, most times whomever you’re interviewing makes a statement, you’re required to evaluate what they’ve said.

In doing so, you have three options: accepting their statement as truth, calling their statement into doubt, or outright accusing them of lying. Only one of these options is correct; the game will tell you via musical cues whether or not you’ve evaluated a given statement correctly. If you accuse your interviewee of lying, you must present substantial evidence in the form of one of the clues you noted during the process of examining your environment.

The process of evaluating answers to your questions is, in my experience, the largest significant source of those “beginner’s traps” I mentioned earlier. In order to more clearly define what I mean by the term “beginner’s traps,” allow me to provide an example of one.

In one of your first cases after your tenure as a patrolman, you’ll notice a pair of poorly-repaired eyeglasses during your examination of the crime scene. Later in that case, someone you’re interviewing will mention that the owner of those eyeglasses recently acquired a new pair. The beginner’s trap in this context would be instinctively citing the broken eyeglasses as evidence that the interviewee is lying.

As I alluded to a moment ago, Cole Phelps’ tenure as a uniformed patrol officer comes to an end rather quickly, and this part of his career only constitutes a small portion of the game. After you close the aforementioned case involving a shooting, you’ll be told by one of your superiors to “get yourself two suits and get them pressed.”

That vague statement turns out to mean that Phelps has been promoted to detective status within the hierarchy of the LAPD. He is subsequently assigned to the Traffic bureau at first, though you’ll also play through the Arson, Vice, and Homicide bureaus as you progress through the game.

L.A. Noire is definitely a Rockstar game at heart. By that, I mean it has various parts of past games published by Rockstar which come together to create an entirely new game. For example, in most recent Rockstar games, you’re free to explore the in-game world when you’re not chasing down suspects or examining crime scenes. There are several in-game achievements within L.A. Noire to serve as rewards for exploration, such as driving at least 194.7 miles over the course of your time with the game.

I know L.A. Noire may not be perceived as what usually comes to mind when the phrase “Rockstar game” is uttered. After all, it puts players in the shoes of a “good guy” rather than the various trigger-happy car-jacking psychopaths players can choose to portray in the Grand Theft Auto series.

I know the game limits your ability to use firearms of any description. To make up for that, however, bear in mind that you can take advantage of the fact that cars built in this depiction of the 1940s are apparently as sturdy as tanks; with that in mind, you can cause some serious property damage if you so desire.

Despite L.A. Noire’s differences to other games published by Rockstar, however, I think it has enough aspects of Rockstar games intertwined with its own mechanics and plot. Because of this, I think L.A. Noire is still worth your time if you’re looking for a different type of Rockstar experience.

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L.A. Noire

8.6

Score

8.6/10

Pros

• Open World is Rewarding to Explore
• Story Changes Based on Player Performance

Cons

• Rockstar Social Club Features Can be Intrusive
• Potential Technical Issues May Affect Gameplay