Since its inception as a game studio in 1998, Rockstar Games has been a mainstay in the AAA gaming space. Known for fantastic open-world experiences like the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises, this gaming giant has created some of the most memorable moments in gaming over the past nearly 30 years. While their major franchises will always be remembered by players, perhaps their most underrated game, L.A. Noire, deserves just as much, if not more appreciation.

Set in late 1940s Los Angeles, L.A. Noire tells the story of detective Cole Phelps and the many partners he interacts with during his rise and fall through the ranks of the police force. Unlike most games in the mystery genre, this Rockstar Games classic takes on a procedural crime drama style, separating each mission into its own episode. This makes the story easier to digest than most other games in the genre. Furthermore, its gameplay is a blend of investigative detective work and occasional action segments with mild parkour and excellent gunplay. This blend sets it apart from other Rockstar projects and helps it create a niche for itself that deserves to be explored again.

A Tragic Narrative of Twists and Turns

Cole Phelps Story is One of Rockstar's Best

L.A. Noire's focus on procedural episodic drama allows the narrative to be endlessly intriguing and allows players to become attached to the characters it presents. The protagonist of L.A. Noire, Detective Cole Phelps, is one of Rockstar Games' more well-rounded heroes. While at first players are introduced to a mild-mannered war veteran with subtle issues at home, the narrative develops him into a depiction of 1940s Los Angeles itself.

This shift in character keeps the narrative from going stale during its slow sections while also keeping players attached during its action-filled climax. One of the more unique collectibles of the game to find is snippets of newspapers, which are often found in the houses of the criminals that Phelps investigates. These newspapers flesh out the darker parts of L.A. Noire as well as give the player background on the happenings of Phelps' old war buddies.

Much of the narrative of L.A. Noire is told through its backstory and war flashbacks, which are placed in between some of the more tense missions of the game. These flashbacks are part of what makes the narrative of L.A. Noire as well as its protagonist, Cole Phelps, so intriguing. By making the personality of its protagonist evolve from his dark past throughout the game and falling into his old habits during the climax, players go through a roller coaster of emotions along with Cole Phelps before his untimely and tragic death in L.A. Noire's final act.

While Rockstar Games is no stranger to killing off its protagonists, this death hurts more than most as players see Phelps' tragic downfall from a corrupt police force that does not appreciate his hard work and his heroic actions. The legacy of Cole Phelps deserves to be continued in a sequel that either has one of his partners take up his mantle or a new cop trying to take down the corruption present in L.A. Noire.

A Unique Gameplay Style of Truths and Lies

L.A. Noire's Mystery is an Interactive Marvel

Most mystery games, like the Nancy Drew franchise, rely on the player to find specific clues to find a culprit. While L.A. Noire does utilize this as a core gameplay component, its interrogation system is one of the most unique systems of sleuthing in all detective games.

During each interrogation, Cole Phelps faces down the suspect one-on-one in a tense battle of wits. Players will ask suspects questions in order, and based on the reaction of the suspect, will have to decide whether to be a good cop, a bad cop or to accuse their suspect. This system forces players to look out for specific cues or slip-ups to put the suspect behind bars. Succeeding in doing so makes Phelps' promotion easier, while not doing so will result in players being yelled at by one of the aggressively rude police chiefs present throughout L.A. Noire.

Sometimes, similarly to the Phoenix Wright franchise, players will be forced to rely on specific clues they found throughout each case. By pointing out specific pieces of evidence, players will make suspects break down and give themselves up. This intricate choice system makes the cases throughout L.A. Noire stand out individually, thus leading to memorable and endlessly replayable gameplay for those wanting to find every clue.

A Perfectly Poignant Period Piece

L.A. Noire's Setting is One of Its Most Endearing Features

Unlike Rockstar's typical fantasy depictions of real-life cities (ex: Liberty City and Los Santos), L.A. Noire focuses on making players know the life and times of 1940s Los Angeles. Complete with an almost 1-to-1 recreation of the bustling city, L.A. Noire makes it a point to not shy away from showing the historical accuracy of Los Angeles, all the way down to its worst parts.

Developers of the game obtained hundreds of authentic newspaper clippings for the basis of the random newspapers players can find throughout the game. This isn't the only part of historical accuracy that Rockstar Games spared no expense on. Every car seen in L.A. Noire is a period-accurate vehicle down to even the minor details.

Perhaps the most impressive parts of L.A. Noire's historical accuracy are shown in the buildings and movie theaters all around downtown Los Angeles. Each of the main locations in the game is based on real Los Angeles city landmarks. Furthermore, each of the movie theaters that Cole Phelps passes throughout his detective work features the title of a real-life movie that would have been released in or around the year the game takes place (1947).

In today's media, it is relatively difficult to find period pieces with the level of attention to historical accuracy and detail that L.A. Noire shows in its 22-hour runtime. The precision shown by the developers in crafting each area of the world map deserves to be praised for years to come.

Marvelous Motion Capture Advanced Gaming

L.A. Noire's Acting is Some of the Genre's Most Impressive

The medium of gaming has evolved exponentially over the last 20 years. From PlayStation 2 graphical limitations to the high-fidelity detail seen in games today, it is hard to believe how much gaming has improved visually. These improvements are usually due to development teams as a whole deciding to universally work with new software and hardware, opting for easier and more appealing operating systems to work with. This has come to light more recently with many gaming companies shifting towards Unreal Engine 5 for game development. Almost a decade prior, L.A. Noire inspired a similar tech revolution in gaming with their new motion capture technology.

Many games today are accustomed to using motion capture for the actions of their characters and sometimes even their faces as well. Devil May Cry 5 is well known to have a setting to turn its cutscenes into their live-action motion capture versions. L.A. Noire was a pioneer in the field of motion capture for gaming, as its facial expressions and mannerisms are crucial for the gameplay. Without the level of precision and fidelity present throughout the game, the interrogation segments of the game would not have had as much emotional weight or tension.

L.A. Noire's motion capture has aged well, almost to the point that some games today cannot even match the level of realism present in its lead actors. This reason alone is enough of a cause for it to deserve a sequel. A modern sequel to L.A. Noire would blow other games out of the water with its level of realism and set a new industry standard for acting in gaming.

Noir Jazz is an Intricate Art Form of Its Own

L.A. Noire's Soundtrack Provides a Perfect Atmosphere

In its wonderful attempt and success at evoking the 1940s era of Los Angeles, Rockstar Games also made its music choices reflective of the time. Players are treated throughout L.A. Noire to the gaming equivalent of a 1940s black and white Film Noire movie. The soundtrack of L.A. Noire takes this influence to heart and crafts magnificent music that pairs perfectly with each story beat and gameplay moment. The use of subtle dark jazz adds tension to the story while also hinting at its more tragic and dark moments.

Furthermore, the game allows itself to slide between multiple forms of jazz. During its slower interrogation scenes as well as its dramatic flashbacks, L.A. Noire utilizes slower jazz to set the mood. However, the fastest moments of the game, especially its chase scenes, lean into dramatic big-band jazz to energize the scenes.

Overall, the music of L.A. Noire is one of the most important aspects of crafting the perfect period piece. While noir jazz is a seemingly lost art in the modern era, L.A. Noire pays the musical subgenre an important and thoughtful tribute.

The Future of L.A. Noire is Shrouded in Mystery

Rockstar Games' Classic Might Be Stuck in The Past

Despite its relative success, it is unclear to this day if Rockstar Games intends to continue the legacy of Cole Phelps by giving L.A. Noire its rightfully deserved sequel. While the game was revolutionary when it was released in 2011, a sequel might be difficult, as it can be hard to avoid treading the same ground with its story. Furthermore, crime procedurals, despite being popular, are not as mainstream as they once were. Despite this, Rockstar Games should revisit L.A. Noire and attempt to revitalize one of the most intriguing and inventive mystery games of the 2010s.