L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files Reviews
As such an atmospheric, exploration-focused game to begin with, it makes sense that LA Noire would fit in well with VR. But Rockstar's done a great job of retooling it to make LA Noire: The VR Case Files feel less like a port and more like something that was always meant to be played this way, and the effort shows. There's not a ton of content in this version relative to the original game and some of the controls feel imprecise when trying to zero in on the part of a crime scene you're trying to investigate, but it has fun with it despite the deadly serious subject matter.
LA Noire VR shows that Rockstar has a deep respect and passion for virtual reality.
Overall, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is far from a perfect game, but as a virtual reality title I found it to be an ambitious as well as a good first virtual reality title for Rockstar Games. Sure, the game has flaws, but I feel that Rockstar Games has set the bar high for not just facial animations in VR games but in AAA games as a whole and I hope that whatever AAA developer/publisher decides to bring their IPs into VR carefully examines this game. If you own an HTC Vive plus a high-end PC, this is a title you should consider adding to your VR library.
L.A. Noire: The Case Files is more a VR experience than a full game. Specially recommended for those who have not played the original.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
L.A. Noire: Case Files cleverly recycles one of the most intriguing games of the decade. Team Bondi's meticulous meticulous world-building and technical achievements still live on, clicking seamlessly with VR, even if Case Files doesn't exactly break new ground.
Space will likely be the issue that prevents users from experiencing L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, but while it isn't a perfectly controlled VR experience, it's impressive that we're seeing a VR game that utilises Room Scale VR in ways that make sense. To actually be part of this crime drama, investigating crime scenes and apprehending criminals, was more enjoyable in VR. Here's hoping the next time we see something like this, it's a dedicated experience.
My only real complaint about L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is that I wish it was longer, and that it was available on more platforms. It's not going to magically change your view on Noire as a whole if you already didn't like how the original played out, but it makes an excellent case for VR conversions, and I see a bright future ahead of Rockstar if they can pull this off again.
If you are looking for a VR experience that exploits the best from HTC Vive and that works in the most disparate situations, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is highly recommended.
Review in Italian | Read full review
L.A. Noire: The VR Case File is a bold, inventive, and engaging VR title, marking the first tentative steps into the next step in VR gaming. You'll feel like a true 40's detective, and you'll love every second of it. Being able to drive around a realistic take on LA is just icing on the cake, but it's some pretty sweet icing.
LA Noire's VR Case Files proves so entertaining because it understands virtual reality and all the strengths and foibles it entails.
How enjoyable you find L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files will partly depend on whether you’ve played the original game or not. Without a connecting narrative thread, the individual cases included in the VR version can seem random, and there are even a few odd references to the Black Dahlia case that will confuse newcomers although not enough to ruin the experience.
Finding clues can be a bit of a treasure hunt at times, but I never minded as the world was so beautifully brought to life.
While selecting individual cases from the full game leaves the player with a disjointed and incomplete story, enough of the 1940's ambiance and the rough and tumble crime fighting of that era is included to offer up a compelling preview of what will hopefully become LA Noire 2: VR. There is some work to do on some of the mechanics, most notably the way in which weapons are handled, but this weakness is easily offset by the compelling, immersive world and some of the action sequences that occur in it.
La Noire : The VR Cases takes back eight cases of the original game and adapts them to a virtual reality handling. The result is surprisingly very realistic : the player is able to interact with many items, and the boring driving phases are now thrilling to play. The examination sequences are also so much better, even if they kept a few minor flaws form the original. Wherever you play the original game or not, The VR Cases is a must-try for the equipped players.
Review in French | Read full review
L.A. Noire The VR Case Files represents the next step forward for VR. In a world filled with wave-based shooters, stationary puzzlers, and simplified interactions, L.A. Noire offers instead real-world interaction with real dialogue and head-scratching problems to solve. Easily one of the best demonstrations of the potential of VR, I just wish it had some more legs to it.
L. A. Noire VR Case Files is a new and exciting way to experience once again the work of PI Cole Phelps.
Review in Italian | Read full review
LA Noire: The VR Case Files is a great sample of some of the best missions from Rockstar's cinematic period piece but it comes at a cost. While it excels in being the best at traditional VR gameplay like gunplay and driving, it fails at what makes LA Noire original and unique. It turns the intimate detective experience that was previously filled with "Aha!" moments into one of frustrating grunting and annoyance due to stubborn mechanics and some poor tracking.
Despite its troublesome controls and lack of polish, L.A. Noire The VR Case files is a must-have title for those who have had the opportunity to play the original title.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files ambitiously revives part of Cole Phelps' story with virtual reality. While the game feels great with PSVR/Move, the limited case selection and disconnected stories hinder its full potential.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Just because you have the technology to do something doesn’t mean you actually should. The cold hard fact is that I love L. A. Noire far too much to accept the odd quirks created as a result of a forced first-person camera, confined play areas, and frequent truncation of the investigations.