Good at some points but doesn't live up to its hype due to the repetitive gameplay.
As you take on the role of Cole Phelps, it is nice to know that this game is doing something different to other games; rather than have you just shoot people in order to solve your problems, you actually have to find clues and answer questions correctly based on NPC's facial expressions.
As aforementioned the gameplay starts out as unique, but as you progress through the game this "unique-ness" , gets tiresome and humdrum as there is no variations in the way you play the game the beginning, middle and end are played in the same way and each case plays out in the same order. Approximately every 45 minutes is just wash rinse and repeat but with different dialogue and characters. After the first 3-4 cases it is likely that you will feel that this is a repetitive game, but frustratingly that will only be about 15% of the game.
The map of the game is designed to look like 1947 L.A. and it is accurate as the developers used ariel photographs of the city from the 1940's. Each detail on the map was created with precise accuracy.
The facial expressions in L.A. Noire was shown off by the developers and was supposed to play a significant role in the game, however it does not play a significant role as most of the faces do not reflect the choices that should be made during interrogations of that NPC. The facial animations can be great especially with the main character Cole Phelps, but at other times it can look unrealistic to the point where it is humorous.
Many complained about the driving being too sensitive in L.A. Noire, but I thought the driving was okay, if anything it wasn't sensitive enough but this may be because of the latest patch. Driving in L.a noire is an aspect of the game that needs to be developed more because beautiful areas of the game can be missed because there is an option to skip driving sequences and just let your partner drive, although you don't get to see your partner drive, what happens instead is a cut-scene is triggered and you fast travel to the location that you marked on the map. There are 95 different vehicles in the game all with different speeds and some with different styles, most of the vehicles look the same or similar unfortunately and there is nothing else to differentiate vehicles from other than slight differences in speed.
Voice acting in the game is representative to why this game can be an amazing experience. The voice acting of each character suited their personality. The games themes and messages can be understood by the voice acting at each point in the game whether their was anger,fear, courage etc.
Their are occasional glitches in the game which require you to restart the game such as NPC's not moving or falling through the map (though that is very rare). Having to repeat an entire interrogation on one occasion until you have each response correct can become annoying.
Throughout the game there are no choices the game's storyline plays out the same way regardless of how you respond to each person in an interrogation. A game which makes you choose 'lie', 'doubt' and 'truth' is expected to allow a choice and different storyline to play out but that doesn't happen which is unusual.
L.A. Noire is an okay game that could of been improved significantly if the developers focused on the gameplay more than facial expressions when it didn't even turn out that good anyway. It is definitely worth playing since the storyline is good. But if you get bored by repetitive gameplay do not buy this game. This game is worth considering though.