Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 Hours or Less

The Bottom Line:

"Masterpiece"

L.A. Noire is not so much a game but more of an experience. You don't simply play the game but are immersed into it. The graphics are breathtaking in 1940's Los Angles as you navigate your way across four desks within the L.A. P.D. across Traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Arson each with several cases, each case lasting anywhere between one or several hours to complete depending on your speed. The technology behind the game brings L.A. Noire into a new realm of gaming by focusing the action on the interrogation of characters. You are required to read their facial expressions and are given the options of deciding if they are telling the truth, doubting their statement if you think they lying but have no proof or lying which you must back up with evidence in order to get at the truth. The truth it self is elusive and forces you to search for clues at crime scenes which is accompanied by moody music, an important part of the game that helps set the tone and appears during driving sequences, gun fights, interrogations, cut scenes and is expertly scored. If you still are having trouble finding clues, you can spend an intuition point which will reveal all clues on your mini map. Intuition points are gained by leveling up which is done by choosing the correct answers during an interrogation or other activities. Intuition points can also be used to remove a choice during interrogation or seeing what other players choose if you are playing online. The intuition point system is a great helping hand but doesn't hold your hand through out the whole game. Another great feature of L.A. Noire is the cast. the great cast ranges from your fellow cops and the people you encounter during your investigations ranging from cocky criminals with connections in the police department, stars in the booming movie industry, the down trodden who just want to get by, and the psychotic. The games dark tone throughout and frank depiction of crime including brutally tortured victims and sick people you encounter make this game not for the frank of heart making this not the newest GTA V experience you may have been looking for. This game is all about the story and doesn't feature many open world exploration options aside from collectibles and hidden cars around the city. Any rampaging you may do can be done in your car as shooting civilians during a chase will result in a failure and having a fit of road rage while driving around will affect your score at the end of each case when you are graded by the amount of evidence you found, questions answered correctly, and damages caused to vehicles, the city, and civilians if you hit any while driving. The game also has 40 street crime cases that you receive over your squad car radio that you can answer too which offer quite a bit of gunplay or chases which offers a break in the cases. Each of the cases you take on during the course of the game each take you on a journey through the seedy underbelly of 1940's L.A. and the dark side of human nature through deserted movie sets, quiet neighborhoods, criminal hideouts, and the glamourous Hollywood Boulevard. Despite the lack of re-playability due to the lack of open world options outside of cases or the 40 street crimes, the world of L.A. Noire will be an experience you will not forget.