The perpetrator had just gunned down a woman in front of me and fled immediately. I gave chase, following him through the streets as he ducked between buildings, trying to escape. I trained my gun on him to fire a warning shot but couldn't get a bead on him long enough.

Still arguably the best detective game, and an impressively ambitious example of adult storytelling – despite a few structural and narrative flaws.

The facial animation is still some of the best ever, with a quality script and voice-acting; Detective elements can feel a little random but still work well

A true film noir atmosphere is not evident in much of the game; Case structure becomes formulaic and plot pacing is awkward; Empty open world and repetitive action

Back in 2011, L.A. Noire was a revelation. It captured the feel of 1940s Los Angeles in manner that was so convincing and immersive that it put many live-action TV shows and Hollywood movies to shame; centered around the earnest and driven detective Cole Phelps, the now-defunct Team Bondi's one and...

Buy L.A. Noire The interactive detective thriller L.A. Noire caused quite a bit of commotion when it was released in 2011. The prospect of lifelike facial animations and performing "real police work" to solve crimes was an exciting approach to the adventure genre, and the approach still stands out...

I'd be beating a dead horse if I made some humdrum comment about how a game from Rockstar Games is on the Nintendo Switch so I won't. Even though I just did. Ugh. Of all of Rockstar's games, I do think L.A. Noire is an unexpected choice.

On release, L.A. Noire was something different. Back in 2011 it bucked a lot of trends and placed a lot of emphasis on its characters and on humanising its cast. Unfortunately, due to poor marketing messages and last-minute design decisions, it didn't appear as slick as it initially could have.

Detective Cole Phelps is a hard man to like. Initially, there seems something a little off, but as the story unfolds and we get more insight into the man underneath the trilby, it becomes increasingly clear that this isn't the kind of guy that you'd take out for drinks after work.

When LA Noire first released in 2011, it was a one-of-a-kind game. The facial capture technology had never been seen before in a video game and its interrogation system made it stand out not only from every other Rockstar game but from everything else, period.

Engaging story; Tense & rewarding interrogations; Great for playing on the go; Excellent voice acting

Technical issues; Tailing missions ruin vice desk; Empty open world

On release, L.A. Noire was something different. Back in 2011 it bucked a lot of trends and placed a lot of emphasis on its characters and on humanising its cast. Unfortunately, due to poor marketing messages and last-minute design decisions, it didn't appear as slick as it initially could have.

Toby Berger investigates the Switch version of Rockstar's hard-boiled detective drama L.A. Noire.

Absorbing story; Looks great docked or in handheld mode; One of the best games you can take on the go, especially to kill the time; Musical score is fantastic

Frames can drop during frantic moments in gameplay; Six years on, the graphics are showing their age