3/5 ★ – peacebrendanp's review of L.A. Noire - Console Edition.

To finish out my little period-piece marathon, I figured why not revisit L.A. Noire. I haven't played the game since it originally released in 2011. After spending 22-hours to complete the game, I can honestly say, while there are some really interesting ideas here, they are hit-or-miss when it comes to how they actually translate to gameplay. This creates an experience that is worth a playthrough, due to it's novelty, but that novelty wears off sooner than the game is able to wrap up it's weaving narrative. There were a number of things that I noticed while playing this game: gunplay is lacking, controls are different from every other Rockstar game I have played, awkward transition scenes from action back to "regular" gameplay. All of this was a bit confusing, but definitely felt unique and stylized. It was odd because this is a Rockstar game, and normally I love all of their games to some extent. It wasn't until I rolled credits that I realized this game is only published by Rockstar, but developed by Team Bondi. I was fooled. Regardless, the package as a whole here is pretty neat. You work four different investigative desks: Traffic, Homicide, Ad Vice, and Arson. You will work the cases respective to the desk you are assigned, where you will investigate evidence, interrogate witnesses, and try to piece together all of the fragments to try and solve the cases. Unfortunately, not all cases are created equally here. Traffic cases can feel a little mundane, and the Ad Vice cases feel a little dull as well. Homicide cases are easily the most interesting, and offer the most dynamics when it comes to trying to fit together all of the evidence to charge suspects. It is still nice to encounter a variety of cases. The unfortunate part of this game, is the core mechanic, the interrogations. There is really three core mechanics: interrogations, evidence gathering, and combat. Interrogations offer the ability to read impressive facial capture to try and tell when suspects are lying or telling the truth. However, this mechanic is vaguely explained, and it really feels like a crap-shoot when trying to guess. Evidence gathering can raise many questions, but often can feel pretty boring. And, combat is clunky, and feels like someone attempting to implement a half-baked version of Rockstar Games' combat systems. It creates an experience that feels a bit lame. Especially when there is way too much driving, in an open world that doesn't feel any more than set-dressing. The story is interesting, but starts to get pretty convoluted towards the end. And, unnecessarily so. Multiple cases will ultimately be tied together, and culminate in a final run of cases that offers a somewhat dramatic event, but a dull and "just fine" ending. There's some interesting characters, and some pretty good performances. But, a lot of moments feel too intense, or deliver a quick change in tone, resulting in a pretty awkward dynamic between characters. Facial capture is pretty impressive for this game being a 2011 release. The lead character, Cole Phelps, is a good ole boy. He's a WWII veteran. He's a straight and narrow cop. He's also a little annoying. I don't know what else to say about this game. I thought the 30-fps would bother me, but honestly? I adjusted pretty quickly to it, and it didn't really bother me after settling into the game. This game is good, but I didn't love it. It's got enough here to be worth a playthrough, especially in the story department. But, I couldn't help but find myself a bit underwhelmed, and a little bored, by the time I reached the finale. Nice to revisit. Never will again. Console Played On: PS5 Game Played: 10/05/2025 - 10/11/2025 Review Written and Published: 10/11/2025