"L.A. Noire is a bold release, because it defies the expectations not just for the type of game Rockstar usually releases, but also for the type of game that receives this degree of care and proficiency in its execution." - Giant Bomb: 5/5

"Ever since it worked out how to assemble pixels so that they resembled something more recognisable than aliens, the games industry has dreamed of one thing above all else - a game that is indistinguishable from a film, except that you can control the lead character. With L.A. Noire, it just might, finally, have found the embodiment of that particular holy grail." - The Guardian: 5/5 Stars

"This is vastly different from the countless first- and third-person shooters and all the 'me too' open-world games sitting on store shelves. All the things I've only read about in Dashiell Hammett novels, or seen in film classics like Double Indemnity, have all come to interactive life in L.A. Noire. Team Bondi has gone to great lengths to wrap you up in the game's story, and from my experience they've succeeded. I investigated these crimes. I apprehended the suspects. I pieced together all the clues. L.A. Noire had me more involved in its first thirty minutes than some other games do in their entirety, and that makes this a game you may regret passing on. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon -- and for the rest of your gaming life." - 1UP: A

"L.A. Noire is a game that needed making. It offers something truly unique in an unbeatable setting... a breath of fresh air in an otherwise increasingly stale industry." - NowGamer: 9.3/10

"What a marvellous advert L.A. Noire can be for the eclecticism of video games, taking familiar mechanics that have been honed down the years and moulding them into an ambitious drama of exceptional impact... on the strength of this case, I can only hope the rest of the industry follows LA Noire’s lead." - The Telegraph: 9/10

"L.A. Noire is a unique game with a terrific sense of period atmosphere, absorbing investigation mechanics, and a haunting tale with plenty of moments that would be right at home in a classic film noir." - Gamespot: 9/10 Editor's Choice

"L.A. Noire is a staggering technological achievement, offering up a fantastically detailed open world, a hugely engrossing story, varied gameplay and some of the best acting performances ever to appear in a game. More impressively, all of its parts work together beautifully, creating an immensely fun adventure that’s worth replaying at least once." - GamesRadar: 9/10

"If you really want to appreciate the aesthetics (especially the best-in-class lighting), turn on black-and-white mode and see just how closely Team Bondi and Rockstar have replicated the look of a classic film... This is a little glimpse of an explored territory in interactive media, a hint at an incredibly exciting future that I can only hope we're hurtling towards." - Joystiq: 4.5/5

"L.A. Noire is a testament to the possibility of bringing dark, adult, mature games to the mainstream market... truly mature, with the kind of narrative you'd only expect to see in a major TV drama series or crime movie. No game released this generation has tackled the subject matter found in L.A. Noire with the same degree of intelligence and respect, and no game has so seamlessly blended gameplay from various genres together so seamlessly, in a way that delivers something far more unique in experience than the sum of its parts. Add that sense of uniqueness and intelligence to the fact that L.A. Noire is a terrific bloody videogame, and you have what is guaranteed to be a classic for years to come. True maturity and narrative depth in mainstream gaming begins right here." - Destructoid: 9/10

After L.A’s bravest have fought and quelled a fire--if the responding fire chief determines any cause for suspicion, the Arson Crime Desk is alerted and its detectives go to work meticulously examining the scene for clues. As Detective Cole Phelps working the Arson desk in L.A. Noire, you will see firsthand the charred ruins, scorched corpses and anguished survivors that are the victims of this most heinous of crimes.

In one such case, "The Gas Man”, a pair of homes have burned down and signs seem to indicate that this was no accident. What may lie buried amidst the ashes that could provide a lead to catch a deadly firebug before he or she strikes again?