I can't believe I didn't buy this sooner!
The controls are probably the first thing to get accustomed to and they are honestly sharp, fluid and easy to use. A lot of action scenes where you need to give chase the character's movements (Cole) are done automatically by the computer so giving chase across rooftops and up stairwells never feels clunky which is a nice touch.
Probably the biggest winner in L.A Noire for me was the visuals. Everything from the sun-drenched streets of downtown L.A to the crisp, lived-in look of the interiors all add so much realism to the game. But the top of this list has got to be the character's expressions, personalities and voice acting that still stun me even hours into the story. The expressions on their faces when they are crying, angry, or when Cole is interrogating suspects is seriously ultra-realistic. It sometimes makes me wonder if I'm playing a game or watching a film!
The music adds layers of atmosphere from the action scenes to the investigation parts.
The main bulk of the game is searching for clues and asking questions to witnesses and suspects. This is all done with such precision and care but at the same time everything seems to just flow and each case you solve gives you a sense of satisfaction because there aren't many hints as you progress deeper into the story. There are options you can select to turn off hints you recieve and I turned them off at the start and it made the story more involving. Searching crime scenes feels and looks real because of the visuals and intelligent approach to them all.
L.A Noire has been well produced and it makes a nice change from the usual games I've played. The only reason I didn't give it a full 10 is because of the slight confusion I found when interrogating suspects and asking questions to witnesses. It was quite difficult to determine truth from lies more often than not. Being honest, I'm only about half way through and I'm sure I'll get better at the lie-finding from the cases but it's one hell of a ride so far.