What Made L.A. Noire So Great

What Made L.A. Noire So Great

I gazed into the future, saw L.A. Noire‘s Switch release and other remasters coming, and did an entire playthrough of the game. Here’s a collection of writings inspired by that playthrough.

First, I looked at the early missions and noted how the game, while offering an intriguing and gorgeous world, has some difficulty in the opening missions:

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/08/revisiting-the-opening-cases-of-la-noire/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/b07hncepngzdnnoxpm5w.png” title=”Revisiting The Opening Cases Of L.A. Noire” excerpt=”Last week, we started playing L.A. Noire on Kotaku’s Twitch channel. It’s a 2011 detective game with a lot of cases to solve. Recently, we finished the cases for the traffic detective desk. It’s a good introduction to the game that also has a few problems.”]

After that, I moved to the Homicide Desk and discovered some of the game’s most exciting moments as well as a gritty, well-realised police procedural:

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/08/la-noires-homicide-investigations-were-some-of-the-best/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/tsb1gptqa2z6zziv6odn.png” title=”L.A. Noire’s Homicide Investigations Were Some Of The Best ” excerpt=”Last month, we started streaming L.A. Noire on Kotaku’s Twitch channel. While the start of the game has some problems, its homicide investigations take a darker turn, adding nuance and moral ambiguity to the tale of LAPD detective Cole Phelps.”]

Lastly, I took a look at the game’s controversial ending and concluded that there was no other way for a tale of vice and corruption to end. Years later, L.A. Noire‘s finale still has some of the most bitter yet thematically strong moments in a narrative game:

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/09/la-noires-ending-revisited/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/b7sfoocw13eweppjjifz.png” title=”L.A. Noire’s Ending, Revisited” excerpt=”I’ve been playing through L.A. Noire for the last month and a half on Kotaku’s Twitch channel. This weekend we finished the game. The conclusion is bittersweet but there was no other way for a tale of crime and corruption to end. Controversial in its day, L.A Noire’s ending is perfect when viewed in retrospect.”]


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