L.A. Noire similar games & best alternatives

L.A. Noire - Trailer
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L.A. Noire - l-a-noire_2.avif
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L.A. Noire

PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), SteamVR, Xbox 360 • 2011

Should you play it?

In his fight to climb the ranks and do what's right, LAPD detective Cole Phelps must unravel the truth behind a string of arson attacks, conspiracies, and brutal murders, battling the L.A. underworld and even members of his own department.

What works

  • Immersive 1940s atmosphere
  • Innovative facial animation technology
  • Deep detective story and character development
  • Unique investigative gameplay
  • Long playtime with additional cases and collectibles

Things to keep in mind

  • Linear mission structure limits freedom
  • Repetitive gameplay elements
  • Poor pc optimization and 30fps cap
  • Limited open world interactivity
  • Some awkward controls and animations

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • The Council

  • Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

  • The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

  • Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter

  • Whispers of a Machine

  • The Ratline

Less expressive

Games that feels like L.A. Noire but with less self-expression and customization

  • Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper

  • Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2008)

  • Contradiction: Spot The Liar

  • Remothered: Tormented Fathers

  • Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express

  • Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders

More fantastical

Games that feels like L.A. Noire but with more imaginative fiction

  • The Dark Rites of Arkham

  • Murdered: Soul Suspect

  • Westworld Awakening

  • Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise

  • Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition

  • Ace Attorney Investigations Collection

Choose your own criteria ->

From the same developer

From the same developer, ranked by motivational fit.

  • Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition

  • Red Dead Redemption

  • Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

  • Manhunt

  • Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with L.A. Noire. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with L.A. Noire. These titles are not in What to play next.

L.A. Noire: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Fantasy, Thrill, Story. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story, Thrill, Expression.

Last update: 21/08/2026