L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition

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I bought this game on Xbox 360 back when it was first released. Immediately the DLC cases started rolling out, so fresh out of the gate, you have incomplete game. I am starting to grow very tired of this kind of behavior from game companies. DLC that is worked on and released well after the game is released I can see, and actually look forward to. DLC that was clearly done before the game was released and could have been included with the game is shameful, and just clearly a money grab.

When this version came out, I decided to buy it for $30 and sell my Xbox 360 copy, instead of buying the DLC which would probably be around $30 for it all anyway. Plus the Xbox 360 version has 3 discs which is annoying to say the least. Every single case is included in this version, and even the special suits and guns which were preorder incentives. This is the version of LA Noire to get.

As for the game itself, if you are expecting 1940s Grand Theft Auto, look elsewhere. While the game is open world drive anywhere like GTA that is where the similarities end. This game focuses completely on investigating and solving crimes. You are a good cop, so you can't pull your gun on civilians, you can't run people over (99% of the time they jump out of the way just in time), you can't commit random crime at all. You are a good uncorrupted cop in 1940s LA, and the game makes you play that way. Some would complain that it is too linear, but that's just how the game has to be to tell the story it does. The graphics are among the best this generation, and the face capturing technology is very impressive. I even caught myself recognizing actors, which impressed the heck out of me.

All in all this version of the game is well worth the price tag now, so if you were on the fence, now is the time. This game isn't for everybody (FPS/TPS crowd I'm looking at you), but I feel everybody should give it a try at least. The graphics and face capturing tech are sure to impress if nothing else.

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I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this game. But, definitely do not fall victim to the temptation to use online guides. You will spoil the experience and clue finding. You will want to sit back and enjoy the cases. The graphic details are magnificent and the game is well written. You actually find yourself wanting to just spend hours running around or driving through the areas to see what you can find.

The only problem I had was the fight and chase scenes. I'm an FPS player and this style made it really tough for me to do well.

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This game is so awesome, totally different than anything out there. Every game out there now is kill kill kill whether its a FPS or 3rd person. Perhaps I'm biased because I love police procedurals yet I absolutely loved this game, the clue finding and interrogations specifically, that's the gem. The facial animations are amazing as well.

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There was SO much potential for this game. It was a great premise (be a detective) set in a fantastic time and place (post-WW2 L.A.). But Rockstar ultimately didn't live up to the (admittedly) enormous potential that was there.

Pros:

Technically, it's marvelous. The sound, visuals and acting are stellar. What they did with facial animations was like watching the actors themselves, and hopefully more games use the process in the future. I can't even count the number of famous actors they used. I'm not talking A-list, but a good half the characters had faces where I thought, "I know that person!," so Rockstar should be applauded for not skimping on actors.

Using guns of the era (especially the Tommy Gun) produced awesome sound and light effects (in dark places) that were reminiscent of Hollywood gangster films. I just loved that.

The setting was like you'd been dropped into 1940s L.A. Toward the beginning, I enjoyed simply driving around and enjoying the scenery while listening to the radio. The cars handled like you thought they should, and driving the "special" cars (one looks like the Batmobile) was a blast.

I loved the last homicide case, which was, unfortunately, how I hoped more of the game would be.

Cons:

The fun of driving wore off though, and outside of the cases, there wasn't a lot to actually do. Street crimes (of which there are 40) were fun, but lasted literally 2-3 minutes each. Looking for simple collectibles, like badges, film reels and landmarks felt ultimately pointless. They didn't improve your character at all, and really didn't add any extra content. (I was hoping the film reels would feature trailers with (main character) Cole Phelps as the star of the film you'd found.)

The game was kind of a "jack of all trades, master of none." There was running, shooting, inspecting, interrogating, driving and exploring, but none of them ultimately stood out. The interrogations were the most challenging and fun, but also the most frustrating. Trying to determine the difference between "doubt" and "lie" often left me angry.

The main character was fairly unlikeable and unrelateable, and the way the main story unfolded was also frustrating.

SPOILERS: Two main desks homicide and arson featured a number of cases in which you KNEW the perp you charged was innocent. You didn't have a choice though, and had to charge someone to complete the case.

Conclusion: I play most games twice before selling them. This was a one off. I'd definitely give it a shot if you can get for it for under $20. There's enough to enjoy to make it worthwhile. I did all the cases and street crimes, and my playing time amounted to about 30 hours. Rockstar really pushed the envelope with this title, but only pulled off some of it.

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My husband and I are always looking for something to do together and LA Noire was right up our alley! Love the cases and the story lines...only thing was the game glitches...you never knew when they'd happen. Most of the time they were funny. Another great game by Rockstar!