L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files

Rockstar's detective game feels at home with room-scale VR.

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"L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files" brings select cases from the original game into virtual reality. Players investigate crime scenes, question suspects, and solve cases in a fully immersive 1940s Los Angeles. This VR experience requires a powerful gaming computer and a compatible VR headset for play.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

51%

Audience ScoreBased on 681 reviews

story20 positive mentions

stability26 negative mentions

The game offers an immersive experience with great graphics and detailed facial animations, making interactions feel realistic.
Driving mechanics are well-implemented, allowing players to interact with the car's controls, enhancing the overall experience.
The game features a variety of gameplay elements, including investigation, shooting, and fistfighting, which are enjoyable in VR.

Many players experience significant technical issues, including crashes and problems with the Rockstar Launcher, preventing them from playing the game.
The locomotion options are poorly designed, leading to frustration and discomfort during gameplay.
The game is relatively short, with only a few cases available, which may not justify the price for some players.

story
100 mentions
20 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story in this VR adaptation of L.A. Noire is criticized for being fragmented and lacking coherence, as it only includes a limited selection of cases from the original game, resulting in a disjointed narrative experience. Many players feel that the absence of key missions diminishes the overall storytelling and context, making it difficult to fully engage with the plot. While some missions are enjoyable, the overall impression is that the game fails to deliver the rich narrative experience expected from the original title.
- “The story is not explained at all, and the tutorial is absolutely a piece of shit.”
- “However, the overarching storyline of the main game is missed due to the game only including some of the cases.”
- “But what we have here is a great glimpse into how fun and immersive a story-driven VR game can be.”
- “Also, you don't get any story here, it's just 7 cases.”
- “The only big complaint I have is I wish it would have been the full game and not just some of the missions. As you can see from other reviews, you really only get 3 or 4 good missions to play, and that makes me take my time and not play that much because the replay value would be almost zero.”
- “This lack of cases means that no coherent story is told as in the original.”
gameplay
82 mentions
38 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this VR adaptation of L.A. Noire is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the immersive elements like driving and fistfighting, while others criticize the dated movement mechanics and lack of polish compared to the original PC version. Many find the core mechanics, such as clue-finding and shooting, to be fun but hindered by clunky controls and performance issues, leading to a frustrating experience overall. While the game captures the essence of the original, it struggles with optimization and intuitive gameplay, making it feel more like a novelty than a fully realized VR experience.
- “The gameplay is extraordinary with the insane attention to detail in L.A.”
- “Driving is a blast, characters look great, gameplay is smooth and the graphics look good.”
- “The gameplay is also incredibly broken up.”
- “If you're looking for a satisfying and immersive VR experience, I would recommend exploring other titles that offer more substantial gameplay and content.”
- “Not only are the movement options absolutely horrendous, but the gameplay is badly ported, unintuitive, repetitive/tiring (constant getting up and sitting down) and badly optimized (low FPS and weird tracking issues) among other things.”
- “The gameplay itself feels choppy and poorly paced.”
graphics
76 mentions
51 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the sharp visuals and immersive environments, particularly in VR, while others criticize dated textures and occasional graphical flaws. Many users note that the game runs smoothly and offers decent graphical options, but some feel that the visuals do not fully utilize modern capabilities, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for VR, they may not meet the expectations of players accustomed to more recent titles.
- “The graphics are fantastic as far as VR goes, and the NPC characters and facial animations carry over from the 2D version very well.”
- “Looking out over the city is just fantastic, and dripping with atmosphere, with extremely crisp and clear graphics.”
- “This game is fantastic so far - the gunplay feels great, driving feels surprisingly excellent, and the graphics are some of the best I've seen in VR yet, hands down.”
- “The graphics are not great, especially the facial transitions.”
- “As far as I can tell, the game still uses 2011 graphics and not the remastered version; plus, it has way too many load times.”
- “Also, the game is pretty old by now, and on top of that, it feels like the graphics have been downgraded for VR.”
stability
31 mentions
16 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
84 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs, frame drops, and crashes, particularly on AMD systems. Many players experienced significant issues with controls and navigation, leading to frustrating gameplay. While some users noted that the game runs well on higher-end setups, the overall consensus is that it is plagued by instability and performance problems.
- “Runs great and looks good.”
- “Runs great on my 980ti.”
- “Others have reported great performance with lesser GPUs/CPUs on Reddit.”
- “The game also performs terribly with constant frame drops and sometimes freezes.”
- “But instead it's hard to navigate, things are buggy as hell, characters keep walking into walls, sometimes a character that is supposed to talk to you does nothing, making the entire case file unplayable.”
- “A buggy piece of garbage that I have attempted to run for half an hour and only gotten in-game twice, only to crash immediately, that is, if it doesn't crash the second Rockstar Social Games Club appears.”
optimization
26 mentions
23 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance on high-end rigs, while others report significant issues such as low frame rates, bugs, and poor controls, particularly on lower-end hardware. Recent patches have improved performance for some users, but many still encounter problems, especially in specific scenarios or with certain graphics settings. Overall, the game's optimization appears inconsistent, leading to varied experiences among players.
- “I encountered no stuttering issues when I played, so that was a plus.”
- “Just got the game and was worried about performance based on other reviews, but my game is running well even with resolution maxed on Vive Pro.”
- “With the recent patch on 4/3, performance is now perfect so far!”
- “Poorly optimized, poor controls.”
- “Not optimized for VR at all, looks and runs like crap on 1080 Ti and Ryzen 3600.”
- “Not only are the movement options absolutely horrendous, but the gameplay is badly ported, unintuitive, repetitive/tiring (constant getting up and sitting down) and badly optimized (low FPS and weird tracking issues) among other things.”
humor
13 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players finding joy in its goofy mechanics and absurd situations, such as slap fights and chaotic driving. Many reviews highlight the comedic value of interactions and mini-games, especially in a multiplayer setting, where the silliness is amplified. Overall, while the game may have its flaws, the humor consistently delivers laughs and enhances the experience.
- “I can’t stop laughing as I crash into things and pull sick handbrake turns.”
- “The game allows you to be a bit goofy if you're into that, and it can be hilarious.”
- “What is fun though is to play this with friends or on a live stream, so you have an audience that laughs when you do stupid fun stuff like making people smell your finger and make funny gestures.”
music
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The music in the game effectively captures the essence of the 1940s, enhancing the immersive experience of cruising through a vintage Los Angeles in an old cop car. Players appreciate the film-noir style soundtrack and sound effects, which contribute to the nostalgic atmosphere, although some have reported technical issues with audio playback. Overall, the haunting yet classy theme and oldies music transport players back in time, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The music in this game is great, especially the sound effects and the radio in your car.”
- “The oldies music and vistas of LA bring the 40s to life and will make you feel as if you have been transported back in time.”
- “Its haunting yet classy theme song is enough for me to crank it up again just to walk the streets of 1940's LA.”
- “Then all of a sudden, the music will stop and the screen on my Vive Pro will go black.”
- “I can hear the music but there are no visuals in the headset whatsoever.”
- “Music: b”
atmosphere
6 mentions
67 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive details, such as the noir elements and realistic facial animations, which enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the vibrant world, including the crisp graphics and engaging environments, making it a joy to explore. The combination of these elements creates a captivating and enjoyable atmosphere that draws players in.
- “I have a great time pouring myself into my character and really soaking up the atmosphere.”
- “The details of the world, the ability to drive cars, the atmosphere... wow, it's a blast!”
- “Looking out over the city is just fantastic, and dripping with atmosphere (and somehow extremely crisp and clear graphics).”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional impact of the game is somewhat diminished by the ability to engage in humorous or violent actions that detract from the narrative's seriousness. However, the strong emotional performances of NPCs and the immersive graphics contribute positively to the overall experience, making it a worthwhile play despite its tonal inconsistencies.
- “Kills a little bit of the emotional resonance, but definitely a game worth playing nonetheless.”
- “There's first body presence, VR locomotion options, good graphics, cool gunfights and car drives, and also some great NPCs' emotional acting capture.”
replayability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered very low, with players expressing disappointment over the limited number of missions and lack of new content compared to the original. Many feel that the visuals do not encourage exploration, further diminishing the incentive to replay. Consequently, the game's value for its price is questioned due to its minimal replay potential.
- “The only big complaint I have is I wish it would have been the full game and not just some of the missions. As you can see from other reviews, you really only get 3 or 4 good missions to play, and that makes me take my time and not play that much because the replay value would be almost zero.”
- “The replayability of this game is really low, and the cases are the same as from the original game.”
- “Considering the content and the lack of replayability, 30€ is too much to ask.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is widely criticized as a cash grab, leveraging the VR gimmick on an outdated title without offering substantial value. While some players find enjoyable moments, the overall sentiment suggests a lack of genuine investment in quality, making it feel like a quick profit scheme.
- “It is a bottom-of-the-barrel cash grab, slapping the gimmick of VR onto an old title.”
- “This game was a quick cash grab before any real AAA VR games came out.”
- “While this game does have its moments and is cool, it does somewhat feel like a cash grab.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the grinding in the game goes beyond mere menu navigation and tedious administrative tasks, suggesting a more engaging and meaningful experience.
- “It's not just a bunch of menus to click through; it's constant, tedious administrative work that feels never-ending.”
- “The grinding feels more like a chore than an enjoyable part of the game.”
- “I spent hours doing repetitive tasks that added little to my overall experience.”