L.A. Noire | Xbox 360

About the Game

Noire is a hard-boiled detective game set in Los Angeles of 1947. Drawing strongly from the stylistic film noir , players control LAPD officer Cole Phelps through 21 cases as he works his way through the ranks of his department to solve a series of murder mysteries. Each case forms an independent section in the game, but there is an overarching story with recurring characters and Phelps's personal history while serving during the Second World War. He starts off as a patrolman, but eventually advances to a traffic detective, homicide, vice, and finally arson investigator.

Story & Setting

There is a strong focus on the story and character development, often with long cinematic sequences. Next to the main story Phelps can accept optional side-investigations through dispatch calls.

Gameplay & Core Systems

Even though the game offers a large amount of freedom with exploration by car and on foot, it cannot be compared to Grand Theft Auto due to a number of restrictions. Playing as a detective, random civilians cannot be attacked and gun-play is reserved for specific sequences. The player is free to choose the order of investigation, but ultimately the game cannot be furthered until a satisfying conclusion for the case has been reached. Faces of characters have been animated through the motion capture MotionScan technology and the detailed realism of these captures is used as an element of gameplay. During an interrogation the player needs to interpret these and then decide how to proceed through one of three options: Truth, Doubt, or Lie.

Standout Features

• When arriving on the scene of a murder case, it needs to be hunted for clues that can be researched.
• Phelps: The game offers hints through rumble and audio chime when Phelps walks by, but these can also be disabled.
• Characters will sometimes look away, or have tics and expressions that can reveal information.
• Plenty of chances are offered to correct mistakes and try a new approach, also often after the investigation of clues.
• These can be used to eliminate options during conversations when stuck.