L.A. Noire almost solves the mystery of addictive video gaming, but doesn't totally satisfy the mystery fan's thirst.
A disclaimer: The minute I put this game in, I went into the options and disabled as many of the clue helpers as I could. To me, this is the only way to play a game like this. It's FAR, FAR too simple and removes much of the thinking if you leave all of the helpers on. If you watch ANY crime shows or have been a mystery fan, I'd highly suggest you turn them off too. This game really does a disservice to itself by defaulting them all on.
First of all, this game can't be talked about without comparing it to Mafia, and Mafia 2. Mafia 2 has some things that this game doesn't, but surprisingly, they're fairly similar, minus the storyline differences.
I won't get into the story much because I don't want to spoil it, but I do feel like there are some glitches that kind of ruin some of the experience for me. The controls are questionable. There is a noticeable lag, especially while running, which makes it REALLY hard to steer your character, especially in tight quarters like a hallway chasing someone on foot. Going down stairs is also hit or miss because the camera lags behind you and you can hit a wall and lose time.
I really wish there was more destruction in the city. For example, you are flying down a road and you hit a wooden fence. You can take off the gate, but once you hit the fence portion, it doesn't break and you total your car.
Little things like cheap wooden fences not breaking, getting stuck on curbs, partner's being confused getting into cars and tough controls, not to mention the ease of completing missions without getting all of the clues and information kind of ruin the experience for a fan of mystery and crime dramas.
As other's have also mentioned, the questioning in the game feels like it could be so great and dynamic, but it doesn't really offer the level of say a Mass Effect conversation. You still feel steered towards a result and regardless of how you interview people, you rarely can fail a case, you just don't get as great of a rating. It feels more like you're along for the ride and making the best of it, instead of dictating the story. I think in the future, the game should ride more on your choices of conversation because not only is that more realistic, it would force you to really think about your options.
My major beef is that when you accuse someone of lying, you have to back it up with evidence. However, sometimes the evidence list you compile is confusing. This is kind of what I meant previously. You can only choose what evidence it is from a list. You have no idea how your character will use that evidence. It forces you to essentially predict what the developers want you to say, which I think is why it's so easy to get the right things with all of the clues turned on. With them off, it's harder, but not for the reasons you would think. Instead you're just guessing and hoping the character and you are on the same track. This will always be a problem with scripted detective games - and the fact that I am complaining about this shows how far we've come...but I just had to bring it up. Unlike a movie where you may feel frustrated but you let the story play out - this game makes you feel involved and immersed until you are suddenly plucked back into reality when Cole says something idiotic and doesn't reflect where you thought it was all going.
That said, it's still a great game and with a little tweaking could be an excellent buy for nearly anyone, with the given difficulty tweaks. You can tell the experience was meant to be approachable for the average person and it does it well, but some of us who realize the lack of replay value and want to tough it out the first time through are kind of left wondering what could have been.
UPDATE:
I finally pushed my way through and finished this game. That should say a lot. I played in little spurts because the game, is, well, BORING. Once you get over the facial animation hype, and play through some missions, you realize how shallow this game really is. There is no replay value once you finish the missions other than grinding out the side stuff that is typical in a Rockstar game. You can't skip cutscenes in missions you've played already and that's another huge downer. This game plays more like a B rated movie that you can participate in but not dictate.