Guide Written by: Brandon "Webslinger" Cackowski-Schnell

LA Noire is a lot of things, moody, atmospheric, in love with foot chases, but difficult isn’t one of them. So, if the game isn’t difficult, why do you need a guide for it? Well, LA Noire does everything it can to help you solve cases, but solving cases and solving them with 5 stars are two totally different things. To 5 star a case you need to find every clue, get every question correct and get from the beginning to the end of the case without racking up too much damage. To do this you’ll need a keen observational eye, incredible people reading skills and a steady hand. Or, you could just read this guide.

General Notes

Given the structure of the game, you are always on a case. In order to free roam you have to select that option from one of the four crime desks when starting your game. The reason I mention this is because any damage done to the city, or to other vehicles, when driving will count against you when the case wraps up. Trust me when I say that you can have a five star rating busted down to four stars due to damage caused by driving. That being said, taking part in any actions that take you away from your case objectives should be avoided until you have unlocked the ability to roam LA freely. This includes responding to street crime calls, finding film reels, driving cars and identifying landmarks. You’ll find newspapers as part of your investigations, so no extra driving is necessary.

On a related note, unless otherwise indicated in the guide for a particular case. Always have your partner drive. To do this, approach the car, and instead of pressing the button to get into the car (Y or Triangle), hold it down. You’ll bring up your notebook allowing you to set your destination, your partner will drive and you won’t mow down any unsuspecting fruit carts. In some cases, having your partner drive will result in you losing the opportunity to obtain extra clues, so again, check the guide for when you should drive and when you should “go over the case notes” which is probably code for “take a nap”.

The game does give you a certain amount of leeway in terms of allowing you to miss a clue or a question, however as it’s hard to tell just how many you can miss per case before you lose a star, it’s better to get every clue and every question. Due to how the game’s combination of clues and dialog result in various investigative options, there is the possibility of blocking off a particular clue or avenue of investigation should you run around the city willy-nilly. Again, follow the guide and you will be rewarded with every clue, every question, a bunch of achievements and, provided you don’t go crazy in the car, five stars on every case.

Cases

Patrol Desk: You don’t get a star rating for any of the cases as a beat cop, however there are some things to keep in mind for other achievements, so rather than give case information, I’ll list the important information before we move on to the Traffic Desk.

Case: Upon Reflection - Newspaper number one is in this alley, next to a set of stairs. If you’re going for the 100% completion achievement/trophy, you’ll need to pick up and read all 13 newspapers. As there are clues to investigate in this case, you’ll get the “One For the File” achievement / trophy for investigating a clue as a detective or investigator.

Case: Armed and Dangerous - Techinically this isn’t a case, but an instance of street crime. Nevertheless, this shoot out is your one opportunity to get a kill with a .44 Magnum, which is necessary for the “Roscoe And Friends” achievement / trophy which requires you to kill a bad guy with every weapon. Once you take control of Cole, you’ll be armed with the shotgun. Press the LB or L1 button to drop the shotgun and draw your revolver. Kill a bandit with your Magnum, go back and pick up the shotgun and finish the shoot out. Once everyone is dead and the case is complete you’ll get the “A Cop on Every Corner” achievement / trophy for completing a single street crime case.

Case: Buyer Beware - This is your last case as a beat cop. Like your other cases, you won’t get a star rating for this one, so feel free to screw up as much as you like. Once you close this case you’ll get the “Police Academy” achievement / trophy for closing every case as a beat cop. Congratulations. You’ve been promoted to Detective.