What it is
L.A. Noire is a single-player detective thriller set in Los Angeles in 1947, where post-war prosperity sits alongside corruption, organised crime and brutal violence. You play Cole Phelps, a decorated former Marine who rises through the LAPD while investigating cases across the Traffic, Homicide, Vice and Arson desks. Its defining idea is simple but still unusual: solving a case depends as much on reading people as finding evidence. The game remains a one-off blend of open-world driving, third-person action, crime-scene investigation and interrogation, with facial performances captured through Team Bondi’s MotionScan technology.
- UK release
- 17 May 2011
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch; playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backwards compatibility
- Developer
- Team Bondi; Rockstar Leeds handled the PC version
- Publisher
- Rockstar Games, a Take-Two Interactive label
- UK price
- £34.99 current Xbox digital price; historical RRP was £39.99 for the original and Complete Edition, £34.99 for PS4/Xbox One and £44.99 for Switch
- PEGI
- PEGI 18 — Bad Language and Violence
- Genre
- Action-adventure, detective and open-world crime thriller
- Game Pass/PS Plus
- Not currently listed in the UK Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus catalogues
- Online mode
- No — single-player only; legacy PS3 and Xbox 360 online services ended on 16 September 2021
Story and setting
The Los Angeles of L.A. Noire is a carefully reconstructed 1947 city rather than a modern sandbox filled with distractions. Hollywood glamour, the housing boom and busy streets provide the backdrop for murders, arson attacks, drug dealing and racketeering. Cole Phelps begins as a patrolman and progresses through the LAPD’s main investigative desks, while the wider story gradually exposes corruption within both the criminal underworld and the police department.
The cases are fictional, but several draw on real crimes reported by Los Angeles newspapers at the time. The game wears its film-noir influences openly, from its moral ambiguity and hard-boiled dialogue to its black-and-white presentation option. It also reflects the detective-fiction tradition associated with films and novels such as The Naked City, The Black Dahlia and L.A. Confidential without being a direct adaptation of any of them.
How it plays
Each case follows a recognisable rhythm. You travel to a crime scene, examine bodies and surroundings, collect clues, question witnesses, pursue suspects and occasionally fight or shoot your way through a dangerous situation. Driving is a substantial part of the experience, whether you are crossing the city with a partner, chasing a suspect or responding to optional Street Crime incidents.
The interrogation system is the game’s central mechanic. Phelps chooses how to respond to an answer, then uses collected evidence to challenge contradictions. On the original release, the choices were Truth, Doubt and Lie; the later console versions renamed them Good Cop, Bad Cop and Accuse to make the intended tone clearer. Your decisions affect the case rating and how much information you uncover, although the main story is more structured than a genuinely branching detective simulation. That tension between player judgement and a largely fixed narrative is one of L.A. Noire’s strengths and one of its enduring frustrations.
Platforms, editions and UK price
The original game launched in the UK on Tuesday, 17 May 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, followed by the PC Complete Edition in November 2011. The Complete Edition later arrived on those consoles with the released downloadable cases and bonus content included. Enhanced versions launched on 14 November 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The game is also available on PC, while the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S through backwards compatibility.
The Xbox UK Store currently lists the Xbox One version, playable on Xbox Series X|S, at £34.99. Historical UK pricing was £39.99 for the original and Complete Edition, £34.99 for the 2017 PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, and £44.99 for the Switch version. Prices for physical copies now depend on stock and whether you are buying new or used, and there is no current UK pre-order campaign. The 2017 PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases run at native 1080p, or 4K on PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X. Switch adds portable play, touch controls, gyroscopic Joy-Con controls and HD rumble, but Digital Foundry’s testing found dynamic resolution and occasional performance dips.
DLC, updates and VR
Five additional cases were released after launch: The Naked City, A Slip of the Tongue, Nicholson Electroplating, Reefer Madness and The Consul’s Car. They cover the Vice, Traffic and Arson desks and are accompanied by bonus suits, weapons and the Badge Pursuit Challenge. The Complete Edition and all later standard console versions include this content, so there is no essential story DLC to buy separately on those platforms.
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is a separate virtual-reality release rather than a VR mode for the full campaign. It reworks seven selected cases for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR, adding room-scale investigation, revised movement and three extra activities: boxing, speedcar racing and shooting galleries. Rockstar’s May 2024 PC title update folded all previously released DLC into the PC versions and deprecated support for 32-bit operating systems. The original PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 online services, which covered features such as stat tracking rather than multiplayer, ended on 16 September 2021; the story mode remains unaffected.
Reception and verdict
L.A. Noire was well received for its performances, atmosphere, writing and distinctive approach to detective work, though reviews also noted repetitive case structures, awkward action and interrogations that can feel opaque. The Guardian awarded it 5/5, IGN gave it 8.5/10 and Eurogamer scored it 8/10. The Xbox 360 version holds an 89 Metascore from 83 critic reviews on Metacritic.
It is still best understood as a slow, case-driven crime drama rather than a second Grand Theft Auto. The open city is useful for travel and atmosphere, but the real game takes place in crime scenes, evidence screens and interrogation rooms. If you enjoy methodical investigations, period crime stories and unusually strong facial acting, L.A. Noire remains worth playing. If you expect a free-form sandbox or consistent detective logic, its age is more obvious.
Not yet confirmed
- No sequel, remake or native PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X|S edition has been officially announced as of 1 October 2026.
L.A. Noire: your questions
Is L.A. Noire an open-world game?
Yes, it uses a large open-world recreation of 1947 Los Angeles for driving, travel, landmarks and optional Street Crime cases. Its main investigations are structured and largely linear rather than fully free-form.
Does L.A. Noire have multiplayer?
No. L.A. Noire is a single-player game. Its former console online features were limited to services such as Rockstar Social Club statistics, not competitive or co-operative play.
Which version of L.A. Noire includes all the DLC?
The Complete Edition, the 2017 PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch versions, and the current PC version include the five extra cases and released bonus content. The PC version received an update in May 2024 that added the previously separate DLC to the standard PC release.
Is L.A. Noire based on a true story?
No, its characters and overall story are fictional. Several individual cases were inspired by real crimes reported in Los Angeles during the 1940s, but the game itself is a fictionalised interpretation rather than a historical recreation.
Can you play L.A. Noire on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S?
Yes. The PS4 and Xbox One versions are supported through backwards compatibility on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is no separately announced native current-generation edition.
