All L.A. Noire cases in order: 21 story cases across five desks and 5 former DLC. What affects your rating and how to get 5 stars, which outfits and collectibles unlock, what changed in the 2017 remaster and which cases are in The VR Case Files.
How many cases are in L.A. Noire
The L.A. Noire story is made up of 21 cases. Cole Phelps works through them on five desks of the Los Angeles police: Patrol has 4 cases, Traffic 3, Homicide 6, Vice 3 and Arson 5.
In 2011 Rockstar released 5 more add-on cases: A Slip of the Tongue and The Consul’s Car (Traffic), The Naked City and Reefer Madness (Vice), and Nicholson Electroplating (Arson). Patrol and Homicide got no add-ons. The Complete Edition and the remaster for PS4, Xbox One and Switch include all five, which brings the total to 26.
According to the L.A. Noire fan wiki, in these versions the former DLC cases sit in their places in the story and can’t be skipped. The same wiki notes that the original didn’t count the add-ons toward completed cases, while the remaster does.
Separate from the cases, there are 40 Street Crimes: short radio calls you can take between cases. Traffic has 12, Homicide 13, Vice 10 and Arson 5. Patrol has none.
All L.A. Noire cases in order
The numbering follows the order of play in the Complete Edition and the remaster, former DLC included. Guides for the 2011 original number them differently, counting only the 21 story cases. Names are in English, as in the game.
| # | Desk | Case | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrol | Upon Reflection | — |
| 2 | Patrol | Armed and Dangerous | — |
| 3 | Patrol | Warrants Outstanding | — |
| 4 | Patrol | Buyer Beware | — |
| 5 | Traffic | The Driver’s Seat | — |
| 6 | Traffic | The Consul’s Car | former DLC |
| 7 | Traffic | A Marriage Made in Heaven | — |
| 8 | Traffic | A Slip of the Tongue | former DLC |
| 9 | Traffic | The Fallen Idol | — |
| 10 | Homicide | The Red Lipstick Murder | — |
| 11 | Homicide | The Golden Butterfly | — |
| 12 | Homicide | The Silk Stocking Murder | — |
| 13 | Homicide | The White Shoe Slaying | — |
| 14 | Homicide | The Studio Secretary Murder | — |
| 15 | Homicide | The Quarter Moon Murders | — |
| 16 | Vice | The Black Caesar | — |
| 17 | Vice | Reefer Madness | former DLC |
| 18 | Vice | The Set Up | — |
| 19 | Vice | The Naked City | former DLC |
| 20 | Vice | Manifest Destiny | — |
| 21 | Arson | The Gas Man | — |
| 22 | Arson | A Walk in Elysian Fields | — |
| 23 | Arson | House of Sticks | — |
| 24 | Arson | A Polite Invitation | — |
| 25 | Arson | Nicholson Electroplating | former DLC |
| 26 | Arson | A Different Kind of War | — |
The first case is Upon Reflection, the last is A Different Kind of War.
The five former DLC cases
| Case | Desk | Released | How it was sold in 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Naked City | Vice | May 31, 2011 | pre-order bonus at select retailers |
| A Slip of the Tongue | Traffic | May 31, 2011 | pre-order bonus at select retailers |
| Nicholson Electroplating | Arson | June 21, 2011 | standalone DLC; the story is based on the 1947 explosion at the O’Connor Electro-Plating plant |
| Reefer Madness | Vice | July 12, 2011 | standalone DLC |
| The Consul’s Car | Traffic | July 26, 2011 | initially a PS3 exclusive |
Most of the add-ons were part of the Rockstar Pass, a bundle of pre-order bonuses and four cases (without The Consul’s Car). It was one of the first season passes in gaming. Today there is nothing to buy separately: all five cases are in the Complete Edition and the remaster.
What it takes to get 5 stars on a case
After every case the game shows a report with a rating from 1 to 5 stars. The L.A. Noire fan wiki lists the ranks as Unbecoming (1), Routine (2), Meritorious (3), Distinguished (4) and Valorous (5). Patrol cases are tutorials and aren’t rated.
Five things affect the rating:
- Clues. Find all of them. A chime plays and the controller vibrates when you’re near one, so sweep the crime scene carefully.
- Interrogations. Every question needs the right answer.
- Vehicles. The less damage, the better.
- The city. Damaged public property also lowers the rating.
- Pedestrians. Don’t injure civilians, whether in a chase or a shootout.
One more trap: in some cases a lead comes in as a radio call while you’re on the road. If you let your partner drive, you can miss it. The White Shoe Slaying is one example, so it’s better to drive yourself.
Intuition points, earned as you rank up, help too: they highlight clues or remove a wrong answer in an interrogation.
There are two achievements for ratings: The Up and Up for your first 5-star case, and Shamus to the Stars for 5 stars on every story case (add-ons included, if your version has them).
L.A. Noire outfits and how to unlock them
Outfits do more than change how Phelps looks: some give bonuses in gunfights and fistfights. Some unlock as you rank up, the rest for challenges and collectibles.
| Outfit | How to get it | What it does | Available in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrol (Beat Cop Uniform) | available from the start | — | only on Patrol in the original; in the remaster you can keep wearing it |
| Golden Boy | promotion to Traffic | — | all versions |
| Sword of Justice | rank 5 | — | all versions |
| Sunset Strip | rank 8 | — | all versions |
| The Outsider | rank 13 | — | all versions |
| The Hawkshaw | rank 18 | more resistance to damage | all versions |
| The Sharpshooter | former pre-order bonus; in the Complete Edition and the remaster, after promotion to Traffic | better accuracy with rifles and pistols | Complete Edition, remaster |
| The Broderick | former pre-order bonus; in the Complete Edition and the remaster, after promotion to Traffic | harder punches, less damage in fistfights | Complete Edition, remaster |
| Button Man | find 20 police badges (The Badge Pursuit Challenge) | more ammo | Complete Edition, remaster |
| Chicago Lightning | link a Rockstar Games Social Club account | better accuracy with the BAR, Thompson and shotgun | all versions |
| The Hard-Boiled Detective | find all 8 Novels | removes one wrong answer in interrogations | 2017 remaster only |
| The Incognito | complete every Vice case without ever blowing your cover while tailing | harder to spot while tailing | 2017 remaster only |
| The Murphy | finish the army base obstacle course in under 3 minutes | no reload animation for the pistol, shotgun and Thompson | 2017 remaster only |
| The Untouchable | dodge 20 punches in a row in a fistfight | no damage in fistfights and no bloodstains | 2017 remaster only |
Collectibles
| Collectible | How many | Reward | Available in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Film Reels | 50 | an achievement | all versions |
| Landmarks | 30 | Star Map achievement | all versions |
| Newspapers | 13 | story cutscenes | all versions |
| Vehicles (cars you’ve driven) | 95 | achievements for 5, 40 and 95 vehicles | all versions |
| Police Badges | 20 | Button Man outfit | Complete Edition, remaster |
| Novels | 8 | Well Read Individual achievement and The Hard-Boiled Detective outfit | remaster only |
| Golden Records | 20 | You Found My Tune! achievement | remaster only |
Novels and Golden Records were added only in the 2017 remaster and aren’t needed for 100%.
What changed in the 2017 versions
The remaster for PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch came out on November 14, 2017. It was made by Virtuos together with several Rockstar studios. It has no new cases, street crimes, vehicles, landmarks or film reels: just the built-in DLC, 4 new outfits and 2 new collectibles.
- PS4 and Xbox One: improved lighting and clouds, new camera angles, high-resolution textures; 1080p on the base consoles and 4K on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.
- Switch: Joy-Con motion controls, HD rumble, new camera angles including an over-the-shoulder view, touch controls in handheld mode.
- Interrogations: the Truth / Doubt / Lie options were renamed Good Cop / Bad Cop / Accuse, and the VR version uses the same names.
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is a separate game with seven cases reworked for virtual reality, developed by Video Games Deluxe. Release dates: HTC Vive on December 15, 2017, Oculus Rift on April 4, 2018, PS VR on September 25, 2019. According to the fan wiki, the VR version includes Upon Reflection, Armed and Dangerous, Buyer Beware, The Consul’s Car, The Silk Stocking Murder, Reefer Madness and A Different Kind of War, preceded by an introductory mission.
Where to buy each version and how much it costs is covered on our L.A. Noire page.
L.A. Noire cases FAQ
How many cases are in L.A. Noire?
26 in the Complete Edition and the remaster: 21 story cases and 5 former DLC. The 2011 original without add-ons has 21.
Which L.A. Noire cases were DLC?
A Slip of the Tongue, The Consul’s Car, The Naked City, Reefer Madness and Nicholson Electroplating. All of them are now built into the Complete Edition and the remaster.
How do you get 5 stars on an L.A. Noire case?
Find every clue, answer every interrogation question correctly, don’t wreck cars or city property and don’t hurt pedestrians. Also, don’t let your partner drive, or you may miss a radio call.
What is the last case in L.A. Noire?
A Different Kind of War on the Arson desk. It comes right after the former DLC case Nicholson Electroplating.
Which cases are in L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files?
Seven. According to the fan wiki, they are Upon Reflection, Armed and Dangerous, Buyer Beware, The Consul’s Car, The Silk Stocking Murder, Reefer Madness and A Different Kind of War.
Does L.A. Noire have cheat codes?
No, not in any version. Intuition points help instead, and outfits give bonuses.
Sources
- Official: Rockstar Games, Rockstar Newswire, Rockstar Support, Take-Two Interactive
- Databases and guides: GTABase, GTA Wiki, GTA BOOM, PowerPyx
- Press: GamesRadar, PC Gamer, IGN, VGC, Game Informer
Every fact is checked against official sources or at least two independent ones; player-sourced data is labelled in the text. Images are official Rockstar Games material. GTA Top is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.