L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire is an action-adventure game from 2011, created by Team Bondi and released by Rockstar Games. The story takes place in Los Angeles during 1947 and centers on detective Cole Phelps, who climbs the ladder within the LAPD by handling cases across different divisions. As he investigates a morphine ring tied to several of his former World War II comrades, his personal and professional life begins to crumble, forcing him to team up with his old, estranged friend Jack Kelso to expose a conspiracy involving powerful people in the city.

The game uses a third-person perspective and lets players freely explore an interactive open world, mostly by car or on foot. Players advance through five police bureaus—Patrol, Traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Arson—by completing a series of cases. In each case, they search crime scenes for clues, follow leads, and question suspects and witnesses. How well they do affects how much of the story is revealed and their final rating. The game also includes fast-paced action like chases, fights, and shootouts. Outside of the main cases, players can take on optional street crimes and hunt for collectibles scattered around the city.

Development started after Team Bondi was founded in 2004, with help from several Rockstar studios around the world. The game uses a proprietary motion-capture system called MotionScan, which records actors’ facial expressions from all angles to create realistic faces crucial for interrogations. The team did field research in Los Angeles to build the open world. Its score was inspired by 1940s films, and it includes licensed songs from that era. The project faced many delays over seven years, including a change in publisher and platforms. After release, staff publicly complained about long working hours and the studio’s management style, and Team Bondi shut down soon after.

L.A. Noire became the first video game ever selected as an official entry at the Tribeca Film Festival. It launched for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2011, then for Windows in November. An enhanced version came out for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. Critics praised the facial animation, story, characters, performances, music, world design, and interrogation mechanics, though opinions on the shooting and driving were mixed.