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Recap / L.A. Noire

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Patrol Desk

     Case One: "Upon Reflection" 
Cole Phelps, Marine WW2 veteran, is now a patrolman in the LAPD. He and his partner, Ralph Dunn, are eager to prove themselves. On their first night out, they are told by Detectives Floyd Rose and Rusty Galloway. They are sent to retrieve the gun involved in the murder of Scooty Peyton. Tracking down the gun based upon its unique build, they follow it from the nearest gun shop to its owner, Errol Schroeder. When confronted about the murder, Eroll denies his involvement then goes to fetch his gun only to find it missing. After a fistfight, he's subdued. Cole finds a book full of names, including Detective Rose, as well as numbers that indicate he's running a bookmaking business. However, Ralph persuades Cole to leave it be and accept their success.


  • Ambiguous Situation: In the first case, "Upon Reflection", it seems very likely that Detective Rose framed bookmaker Eroll Schroeder for murder to get out of paying his gambling debts. However, we have no proof of this and it is left ambiguous whether or not Eroll did it. Is Eroll Schroeder guilty or innocent? Was he framed by Detective Rose? We never find out what the truth is.
  • Boom, Headshot!: Scooter Peyton was done in with two gunshots to the head.
  • Dirty Cops: Even if Detective Rose isn't involved in the murder, he's heavily in debt to Eroll Schroeder via illegal gambling.
  • Miscarriage of Justice: If Cole got the wrong man, Rose becomes a Karma Houdini.
  • Orgy of Evidence: An extremely distinct gun in a not-too-hard-to-find place that they get the address of the owner from the local gun maker for is a very easy case to solve. This is something Ralph lampshades.
  • Police Are Useless: Detective Rose and Rusty Galloway are shown to care nothing about the victim, whether they're involved in his murder or not.
  • Tutorial Mission: This introduces you to the gathering of evidence.
  • What Happened Tothe Mouse: Detective Rose retires before any investigation into his activities can take place.

     Case Two: "Armed and Dangerous" 
Cole and Ralph receive word of a bank robbery and go to investigate. They immediately end up in a shoot out with the robbers, ending in killing them all. Ralph says that anytime the shotguns come out, you're going to get a bodybag or a citation.

  • Action-Based Mission: The purpose is to kill a bunch of bank robbers Cole and his partner have trapped in the building.
  • Bank Robbery: A fairly classic example of such with a bunch of armed thugs in suits robbing a savings and loan.
  • Genre Shift: This is a pure action-based shooting mission, unlike the previous investigation one.
  • Guide Dang It!: The achievement for killing an enemy with every gun in the game counts Cole's revolver as a patrolman. Seeing as the game automatically automatically gives you a shotgun to use on the robbers, this may not occur to most players the first time around.
  • Flat Character: Unlike the majority of criminals in the game, the bank robbers are without any sort of characterization and only exist to be killed.
  • Tutorial Mission: This mission introduces you to gunplay.

     Case Three: "Warrants Outstanding" 
Cole and Ralph encounter Wendell Bowers, a parole violator Ralph put away, and chase him down. After an extensive chase that leads to a nearby rooftop, Cole and Wendell get into a fistfight leading to Wendell's arrest.

  • Action-Based Mission: Cole must chase down a parole violator before pummeling him into submission.
  • Chase Scene: Cole has his first one of these, going after a parole violator.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Wendell Bowers will sucker punch Cole after hiding behind an air conditioner.
  • Developer's Foresight:
    • If you walk around where Bowers is hiding rather than run after him, you won't get clotheslined.
    • If you kill Wendell, he'll have his body hauled off by the morgue.
  • Disney Villain Death: Fighting Wendell close to the edge of the roof can have Cole accidentally knock him off of it to his death.
  • Police Brutality: It is entirely possible to throw Wendell off the rooftop to his death. You will receive no consequences for this.
  • Tutorial Mission: This mission teaches you how to chase subjects.
  • You Can't Thwart Stage One: You can't stop Bowers by firing a warning shot because that hasn't been taught to the player yet.

     Case Four: "Buyer Beware" 
While out on patrol, Cole hears gunshots, and finds a man named Everett Gage has been murdered outside a shoe store. Interrogating saleswoman Clovis Galletta, he discovers the killer is Jewish jewelry store owner Edgar Kalou, and after confirming Edgar's ownership of the murder weapon, Cole chases him down from his place of business.

Following Edgar's arrest, Cole is asked to carry out the questioning by Captain James Donnelly, the Knight Templar head of homicide who sees potential in the young war hero and capable policeman. Under Cole's interrogation, Edgar admits to the murder, claiming it was done to avenge the racism he'd suffered at Gage's hands. Donnelly congratulates Cole on securing the conviction and tells him he'll be having a word with the higher ups, before advising the younger man that he'll be needing two pressed suits soon.

  • Anti-Frustration Features: If you can't line up a warning shot or tackle Kalou after a long period, he'll eventually be stopped dead in his tracks when a multi-car pileup blocks the road, allowing you to grab him.
  • Asshole Victim: Everett Cage was an Antisemite as well as a horrible boss.
  • Blatant Lies: Edgar Kalou lies and says that Edgar Kalou is in the back and he's going to go get him when confronted.
  • Chase Scene: Cole has to chase Edgar down in order to subdue him, though he can also fire a warning shot.
  • Rank Up: In this case, solving this case is what makes Cole's name in the LAPD as well as gets him promoted to detective.
  • Saying Too Much: Edgar Kalou doesn't take too much to go on a rant about how Everett deserved to die.
  • Skewed Priorities: Clovis Galletta is more interested in keeping her earrings than the fact she just witnessed a murder.
  • Sympathetic Murderer: Edgar Kalou has been a victim of antisemitism by the man he murdered for years.
  • Tutorial Mission: Cole learns how to fire warning shots as well as how to interrogate subjects using evidence.

Traffic

     Case One: "The Driver's Seat" 
The newly promoted Cole is assigned to partner with Stefan Bekowsky, who is unpleasant and jealous of Cole's war record. The two of them find a abandoned automobile covered in blood before investigating the owner's, Adrian Black, wife, Margaret Black. Following up on his associate, Frank Morgan, they discover Adrian Black is alive and faked his death. Cole chases Adrian down and arrests him for fraud as well as conspiracy.

  • Accidental Misnaming: In "The Driver's Seat," the first Traffic case, when introduced to Stefan Bekowsky the watch commander pronounces it Berkowsky. Probably an actor oversight; the in-game subtitles provide the correct name.
  • Awful Wedded Life: The Black marriage is a complete failure with Adrian willing to fake his death to get out of it. Subverted in the fact that Margaret is extremely nice, if a bit shy, and they are financially solvent.
  • Did Not Think This Through: Cole and Bekowsky note that just leaving his wife would have been much-much easier.
  • Extreme Doormat: Margaret Black is an extremely nervous and submissive woman who ignores her husband's infidelity despite knowing about it. Bekowsky even comments she's too much of a shrinking violet to kick him out.
  • Faking the Dead: Adrian Black attempted to fake his death to leave his wife and go live with his mistress in Seattle.
  • Jerkass: Adrian Black's plan shows an incredible lack of empathy toward his wife.
  • Karma Houdini: Later in the game, you discover that Adrian Black got to Seattle and was soon kicked out by his mistress only to be taken back by his wife. This means whatever consequences he had for his crime, serious as it was, proved minor.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Frank Wilkey is objectively terrified during his conversation with the police, leading many players to assume he has something to hide. He doesn't, actually. He's just scared of being arrested for murder as a black man in the 1940s who tried to report a blood-filled car to the police.
  • There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Adrian Black slaughtered a pig and left its gore throughout the interior of his car.
  • Too Dumb to Live: When Adrian Black is caught, Berkowsky informs him in no uncertain terms that he's just ruined his life because he didn't have the guts to just walk out of a failing marriage.
    Berkowsky: Man, I hope she was worth it.

     Case Two: "The Consul's Car" 
An abandoned Packard is found near the police station with two of its wheels missing. Investigating the car, Cole and Bekowsky discover that it belongs to Argentinian diplomat Juan Fransisco Valdez, who took a bribe from car dealer William Dewey in exchange for making the purchase. They also find a notebook full of phone numbers for teenage boys, marking Valdez as an ephebophile. Eventually they determine the car thief to be Gabriel Del Gado, a mechanic at Dewey's dealership whom Valdez made a pass at. Interrogating his pregnant girlfriend Anna Rodriguez, they find that Gabriel has stolen many more vehicles, and that he stole Valdez's car out of anger at the consul's proposition. Discovering Gabriel to be taking part in a street race near the city's storm drains, Cole and Bekowsky chase him down and bring him in.

  • As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Gabriel's surname is a mistake as Delgado is traditionally one word.
  • Asshole Victim: Valdez is a statuatory rapist and a Rich Bastard snob to boot.
  • Deliberate Values Dissonance: Juan Francisco Valdez is treated with disgust and loathing by all of the other characters for having gay sex, even more so for the age of his partners.
  • Did Not Think This Through: Gabriel might have gotten away with his crime if he didn't pick a random man's backyard to strip the car.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: Gabriel Del Gado steals Valdez's car because the latter came onto him.
  • Downloadable Content: This was not included in the main game but was added to the Complete Edition.
  • Downer Ending: Gabriel is off to jail and leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind. Valdez has diplomatic immunity for the crimes he's committed. It's also possible to kill Gabriel and end the case with nothing more than a stern chewing out.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Gabriel is known to possess one of these according to his boss as well as Valdez.
  • Karma Houdini: Valdez possesses diplomatic immunity and thus would not suffer any criminal charges for his relationships.
  • Justified Criminal: Anna Rodriguez tries to paint Gabriel as this but even if you buy he's allowed to steal a car because he was hit on by another man, it doesn't justify all of his other car thefts.
  • Pædo Hunt: It is revealed that Valdez, to quote Cole, "fucks young boys".
  • Pet the Dog: Cole refuses to investigate Valdez's liaisons once he realizes they're teenagers, knowing what sort of hell it would put them through.
  • Police Brutality: Averted for once as Cole will get chewed out if he kills Gabriel, who is only a car thief and illegal street racer. It only affects your score, however.
  • Upper-Class Twit: Valdez is a high class snob who looks down on the police as well as Americans in general.
  • Wacky Racing: The street race is on the low end of this scale but involves all of the cars trying to destroy one another.

     Case Three: "A Marriage Made in Heaven" 
A man, Lester Pattison, is found dead in the street after being hit with a red Lincoln Continental. Interviewing the bartender and a witness, Cole and Bekowsky head to the man's home and find his widow, Lorna Pattinson, shacked up with the bar's owner, Leroy Sabo. After apprehending the driver, William Shelton, they discover that Lester Pattinson died of a stab wound instead of being hit by the car. Going back to the Pattinson residence, Lorna is shot by Leroy before the latter is apprehended by Cole.

  • Added Alliterative Appeal: All three of the main players in the murder had their names start with an "L" (Lester and Lorna Pattison, Leroy Sabo).
  • Always Murder: An apparent hit and run turns into a premeditated murder.
  • Asshole Victim: Lester was an abusive drunk who gambled away all of his family's money.
  • Awful Wedded Life: Leroy and Lorna did not have a happy marriage. They married just before he went off to fight in WW2 and had only known each other a week.
  • Car Chase: Cole has to run down William Shelton and disable his damaged car to apprehend him.
  • Dirty Coward: Bekowsky thinks William is one for running from the scene.
  • Femme Fatale: Lorna seduced Leroy into helping her kill her husband. It was apparently also her plan from the beginning.
  • Inheritance Murder: Part of the appeal in murdering Lester is that Lorna and Leroy would get a payout of $16,000 from Lester's life insurance policy.note 
  • Karmic Death: Lorna is killed in the "best" ending by Leroy after she tries to get Cole and Bekowsky to kill him.
  • Kick the Dog:
    • Lester suggested his wife turn tricks in order to get him the stake for a poker game.
    • Leroy takes an innocent African American girl hostage in the best ending. You can actually prevent it by firing a warning shot. Alternatively, you can simply gun him down as he's running away following killing Lorna; as he's armed, dangerous, and has already committed one murder, Cole won't even get a reprimand.
  • Make It Look Like an Accident: Lorna's plan was to stab her husband to death and throw him in front of an oncoming car. It almost worked.
  • Murder the Hypotenuse: Leroy and Lorna plan to kill Lester in order to be together.
  • No Honor Among Thieves: Leroy ends up shooting Lorna In the Back. This, right after Lorna tried to pin the whole thing on him when confronted by the cops.
  • Saying Too Much: Leroy confesses the entirety of their scheme after overhearing Lorna attempting to throw him under the bus.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: William Shelton drives off after hitting Lester and tries to skip town the next morning. He says Lester is no the first time he's hit someone and drove off.
  • Skewed Priorities: Shannon Perry hopes to get her picture in the paper to help her acting career. This results in her withholding information during a vehicular homicide.
  • Smug Snake: Lorna and Leroy are particularly arrogant and not particularly smart crooks.
  • Stupid Crooks:
    • Lorna and Leroy concoct a plan to murder Lester Pattison for the insurance money. They raise the life insurance right before doing it, hide the knife in a trash can near the crime scene, make no attempt to hide their affair, and are arrogant throughout the interrogation.
    • Lorna also attempts to blame the murder on Leroy within earshot of the bartender.

     Case Four: "A Slip of the Tongue" 
Cole and Bekowsky chase down a stolen car, only to discover its owner, Cliff Harrison, had purchased it legally. Heading to Coombs Automotive, they interview the owner, Richard Coombs and discover that he purchased the car legally from a woman named Jean Archer. Interviewing a suspect in another car theft named James Belasco, they find out there's a large interstate car ring at work. Catching Jean Archer while she's cashing a check, they gain more insight into the car theft. Checking out the Marquee Printing Company, they interview Gordon Leivol, and that leads them to Steven Bigelow. Shooting it out with Steven Bigelow's men, they arrest him and then Gordon Leitvol.

  • Always Murder: Subverted in that it is a car theft ring. Played with in that it ends in a bloody shoot out with a dozen dead.
  • Downloadable Content: This was not included in the main game but was added to the Complete Edition.
  • I Never Said It Was Poison: Jean Archer mentions James Belasco's first name despite the fact they didn't mention it and is denying she knows him.
  • Stupid Crooks: The car theft ring is undone by the fact Jean Archer tried to sell one of the cars to an auto dealership before it was chopped up.
  • The Syndicate: The car theft ring is tied to a national syndicate implied to be The Mafia.
  • Unknowingly Possessing Stolen Goods: Cliff Harrison is driving around a stolen car that he bought from a car dealership. Subverted with Richard Coombs who suspected the car was stolen but bought it anyway.
  • White-Collar Crime: Steven Bigelow provides pink slips that allow him to "launder" the sales of car thefts.

     Case Five: "The Fallen Idol" 
Cole and Bekowsky find a car wreck next to the police station where June Ballard and Jessica Hamilton were almost killed by being drugged before being put into a speeding car meant to crash them. June Ballard immediately fingers Mark Bishop but seems unconcerned with the police dealing with it, planning to involve her husband, Guy McAffee, in revenge. Interrogating Jessica Hamilton, they determine she was drugged and raped by Mark Bishop. Tailing June Ballard, they interrupt thugs going after Mark Bishop's wife, Gloria Bishop. Investigating Silver Screen Props, they discover that Mark Bishop was being blackmailed by June Ballard, so they rescue him from Guy McAffee's thugs on the set of Intolerance.

  • Awful Wedded Life: Mark and Gloria Bishop, once it's realized the latter was a teenager when she married him and realizes he's now a serial rapist as well as predator.
  • Asshole Victim: Mark Bishop is a rapist who preys on very young women. Likewise, June Ballard set her niece up to be raped in order to blackmail Mark Bishop.
  • Blackmail: June Ballard films Mark Bishop sleeping with her drugged niece and planned to use it to force him to cast her in one of his pictures.
  • Blackmail Backfire: Mark Bishop's reaction to June's attempt to blackmail him was to try to kill her as well as her niece.
  • Casting Couch: Mark Bishop enjoys doing this as part of his job as a movie producer. Making it worse is the fact his preferred victims are teenage girls.
  • Did Not Think This Through: Mark Bishop attempted to kill the wife of one of the most powerful mobsters in America. or at the very least, he tried and didn't succeed, allowing June to tell her husband just who to "ask" about having done so.
  • For Want Of A Nail: Mark may have actually killed June and Jessica if not for the billboard the car crashed into.
  • Karma Houdini: June Ballard heads back to Las Vegas with absolutely no repercussions due to her husband's influence.
  • Make It Look Like an Accident: Mark Bishop's plan to off June Ballard and Jessica. It notably fails miserably and the police immediately figure it out as a premeditated murder attempt.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: June Ballard is based on Guy McAffee's real-life wife, June Brewster.
  • Optional Boss: McAffee sends a couple of men to ransack Bishop's apartment. Whether or not you end up in a fight with them depends on how quickly you get there. (If you have Bekowsky drive, you'll always skip the fight.)
  • Questionable Consent: Jessica Hamilton attempts to defend the sex she had with Mark Bishop as consensual, even citing that she's not a virgin. Cole and Bekowsky are having none of it even before the drugs involved.
  • Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Mark Bishop is both a rapist and a predator of young women.

Homicide

     Case One: "The Red Lipstick Murder" 
Cole Phelps has been a Burglary detective for six months when he's promoted to Homicide. His new partner, Rusty Galloway, and he are sent to investigate a murder bearing the signs of the Werewolf killer. The victim, Celine Henry, was at the Bamba Club the night before. Interrogating Dick McColl, they investigate Jacob Henry, her husband, who just moved out. Later, they receive a tip on a man named Alonzo Mendez who was seen with Celine on the night of the murder. Finding a a box with the murder weapon in Alonzo's apartment, they arrest him after a chase.

  • The Alcoholic: Celine Henry, despite being an accomplished pilot, had ended up one of these.
  • Awful Wedded Life: Celine and Jacob Henry are splitting up at the time of the murder. Jacob has already moved out.
  • The One That Got Away: Dick McColl has this view toward Celine Henry.
  • Not Helping Your Case: Jacob Henry doesn't help his case by getting into a fistfight with the police.
  • Orgy of Evidence: The murder weapon, bloody clothes, and other details point to Alonzo as the murderer.
  • Police Are Useless: Galloway has no contributions to the case other than the husband is always the one who does it and to ignore any other suspects. He also drinks on the job and discourages Cole doing actual police work.
  • Red Baron: The Werewolf is the name ascribed to the killer of Elizabeth Short and who is (possibly) behind this latest murder.
  • Straw Misogynist: Most of Galloway's comments are dismissive of women and even suggestive that violence against them is justified.

     Case Two: "The Golden Butterfly" 
Another murder fitting the Werewolf's pattern occurs. Heading to the crime scene, Cole and Galloway chase off some reporters before investigating. The victim, Diedre Moller, has been killed in the same way as the other victims but with the addition of a boot print. Heading to the Moller household, they interrogate Michelle Moller, her daughter, and her husband, Hugo Moller. After finding him burning evidence, Cole and Galloway arrest Hugo. They then bring in a pedophile named Eli Rooney, who has jewelry of the victim and was nearby a car full of more evidence.

  • Abusive Spouse: Hugo Moller once hit his wife, which makes him a suspect.
  • Asshole Victim: Everyone wants to arrest Eli Rooney as a pedophile even if the evidence (slightly) points more to Hugo Moller.
  • Deliberate Values Dissonance: Cole and Galloway interrogate Michelle Moller despite her father not being home.
  • Morton's Fork: Most players agree that neither Hugo nor Eli is a likely suspect in the murder but you have to finger one of them for the crime. Ultimately, the game prefers that the convicted pedophile be the scapegoat rather than the widower and father; you can only five-star the case by charging Eli with the murder.
  • Not Helping Your Case: Hugo burning his shoes makes him look guilty despite the fact it's rabbit's blood.
  • Occam's Razor: Cole brings up this maxim to Galloway. Galloway agrees but only after its explained to him.
  • Orgy of Evidence: The trunk of Hugo Moller's car is full of it, pointing to him as the primary suspect.
  • Pedo Hunt: Eli Rooney is a child molester and the subject of everyone's scorn and hatred.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: You'll receive one of these from Captain Donnelly if you arrest Hugo rather than Eli.
  • Riddle for the Ages: So what did happen to Diedre Moller? You're eventually forced to choose one of two suspects to charge with the killing, but there's enough to argue for or against either of them.

     Case Three: "The Silk Stocking Murder" 
Captain James Donnelly informs Phelps and Galloway of another brutally murdered woman nearby city hall. Investigating the crime scene, they discover the victim's name was Antonia Maldonado. Investigating her boarding house, they meet with Barbara Lapenti who directs her to the El Dorado Bar as well as her husband, Angel Maldonado. After discovering a second note from the Black Dahlia Killer has been sent to the police, they journey to the Just Picked Fruit Market and meet Clem Feeney. Clem has some items implicating him as the killer and he is captured after a car chase.
  • Abusive Spouse: Angel Maldonado is yet another spouse who was hated by their wife for his cruelty.
  • The Alcoholic: Antonio was driven to this by her husband's abuses.
  • Cool Old Lady: Barbara Lapenti is supportive of Antonio leaving her husband despite the time period.
  • Crazy Jealous Guy: Angel blew up at Clem Feeney just for being friendly with his wife.
  • Deliberate Values Dissonance: Divorce was something that Antonia clearly struggled with due to her Catholic faith.
  • Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: Clem Feeney's bootlegging business leads to him becoming a suspect in the murder. Subverted as most players as well as Cole will have figured out there's a Serial Killer at work.
  • Not Helping Your Case: Angel and his brother attack Cole and Galloway, which get them arrested for assault.
  • Orgy of Evidence: The killer leaves behind not one but two, both at the crime scene and at Just Picked Fruit Market.
  • Police Are Useless: Cole is already sick of ignoring the obvious connection between the murders despite pressure from both Captain Donnelly and his partner. Unfortunately, they continue to arrest obvious suspects over a connection under the ridiculous "copycat" theory.
  • Serial Killer: Phelps becomes more forceful with his theory there's no copycats at work.

     Case Four: "The White Shoe Slaying" 
Theresa Taraldsen is found murdered after a rainstorm. Getting a witness' testimony that a large hobo was seen nearby, Phelps and Galloway head to the Taraldsen residence and speak with Lars Taraldsen. They proceed to discover she left a party early and went to a bar where she was hit on by two men. Chasing down one, they proceed to find the second has turned himself in. They later head down to a hobo camp where they confront Stuart Ackerman. After a violent confrontation with his followers, they arrest Ackerman and find evidence tying him to the murder.

  • Abusive Spouse: Averted. Lars Taraldsen argues with his wife but has never hurt her.
  • The Alcoholic: Theresa Taraldsen is yet another woman with alcohol problems.
  • Boring, but Practical: This is one of the most realistic cases in that you spend most of it interviewing witnesses to minor events, running down mostly useless leads, and driving across the map.
  • Deliberate Values Dissonance: Theresa Taraldsen is subject to sexual assault by both James Jessop and Richard Bates but it is more or less brushed off as them getting handsy.
  • Dirty Communists: Richard Ackerman is called a Red and "comrade" while being insulted. He also uses words like fascists as well as class rhetoric.
  • Hypocrite: Phelps gets extremely frustrated if the tracking down of a bus driver takes too long, getting called out on his hypocrisy by Galloway, since earlier he claimed this was the true essence of police work.
  • Orgy of Evidence: Once more all the evidence needed to convict someone is found in Ackerman's shack.
  • Police Are Useless: Cole and the medical examiner are now greatly frustrated with the deliberate obstruction of any inquiry into a possible serial killer.
  • Police Brutality: Galloway kills a couple of hobos who threaten him, using a shotgun.
  • Surrounded by Idiots: Cole and the medical examiner are both increasingly of the mind they're dealing with a Serial Killer and their fellow police are in denial.

     Case Five: "The Studio Secretary Murder" 
Some of the missing jewelry from the previous murders shows up at a pawn shop. Phelps and Galloway also find another dead body in Evelyn Summers at the railway station. There, they find a John Ferdinand Jamison who was kissing the corpse. Tracking down Walter Robbins, they find out Evelyn was a known associate of Grosvenor McCaffrey, a communist writer, and James Tiernan, who is a bowling alley employee. Picking up both, they discovers Grosvenor killed a woman in Basic training and is trying to frame Tiernan.

  • The Alcoholic: Evelyn Summers is called one of these by Walter Robbins.
  • Asshole Victim: Grosvenor may not be the Black Dahlia, but he's definitely a complete scumbag.
  • Dirty Communists: Grosvenor is a communist and an abuser of women even if he's not guilty here.
  • Frame-Up: Grosvenor attempts to frame Tiernan for the murder of Evelyn Summers.
  • I Love the Dead: John Ferdinand Jamison is a necrophile and gets slugged by Galloway for his actions. Twice.
  • May–December Romance: Evelyn Summers is much older than James Tiernan.
  • Orgy of Evidence: Subverted due to the fact that Grosvenor comes up with multiple excuses for all of it despite it being planted.
  • Phony Veteran: Grosvenor was dishonorably discharged before seeing any real combat.
  • Serial Killer: Cole and Doctor Carruthers are convinced that the Black Dahlia murderer is responsible for all of the deaths by this point.
  • Smug Snake: Grosvenor acts like a smug intellectual writer as well as man of the people. He actually looks down on people he views as less intelligent or classy.
  • What Did I Do Last Night?: James Tiernan doesn't remember his actions the night before and Grosvenor convinces him that he might be Evelyn's killer.

     Case Six: "The Quarter Moon Murders" 
Another letter is sent to the police by the Black Dahlia Killer, making it clear that all the people arrested for the previous murders have in fact been framed. To avoid losing their jobs in the scandal that would follow such a miscarriage of justice, Cole and Galloway are forced to go on a scavenger hunt throughout the city to find a succession of clues related to Percy Shelly left by the killer. They visit the fountain at Pershing Square, the Hall of Records, the LA Public Library, Westlake Tar Pits, the LA County Art Museum, the Intolerance Set, and finally Christ Crown of Thorns church, where they discover the killer to be Garrett Mason, a bartender previously encountered in the first homicide case.

Cole chases Mason through the church's catacombs before finally killing him. Upon meeting up with Donnelly however, Cole and Galloway learn that Mason is a half brother to a prominent politician, and that the L.A.P.D. subsequently cannot name him as the Black Dahlia Killer. Instead, arrangements are made for the quiet releases of the men arrested for Mason's crimes, and Cole is reassigned to Administrative Vice.

  • Ancient Tomb: The climax takes place in a set of catacombs under an abandoned Los Angeles church.
  • Calling Card: Garrett Mason uses Percy Shelly's poems to send Cole and Galloway around the city.
  • Criminal Mind Games: Having successfully framed multiple suspects for his crimes, Garrett Mason starts leaving clues to his identity like the Riddler.
  • Delusions of Eloquence: Garrett Mason is a fan of Percy Shelly but makes no art of his own and merely plagiarizes others.
  • Hedge Maze: A prominent one by the LA Museum of Art is the location for one of the clues.
  • Linked List Clue Methodology: All of the clues leave evidence that confirm Garrett Mason was behind the previous murders.
  • Miscarriage of Justice: Averted. All of the wrongfully convicted murder suspects will be released on "technical issues."
  • Serial Killer: Garrett Mason is revealed to be the Black Dahlia Killer AKA The Werewolf.
  • Worthy Opponent: Garrett Mason believes Cole to be this. Cole is simply irritated with the serial killer.

Vice

     Case One: "The Black Caesar" 
Cole Phelps and Roy Earle are sent to investigate the overdose of two black morphine users. After discovering that the morphine was sold from a nearby food hut called The Black Caesar, they arrest fry crook Fleetwood Morgan. Following up on some betting slips to Merlon Ottie, they discover he's now involved in drug sales as well. From there, they head to the Ramrez Removals Address and arrest Jose Ramez and discover that he's been storing morphine in giant ice blocks in his furniture store. From there, they go to Polar Bear Ice to get into a fatal shoot out with Lenny Finkelstein, Mickey Cohen's brother.

  • The Aggressive Drug Dealer: The mission has an unusually high body count with multiple shoot outs with Mickey Cohen's gang. Justified because they're the Kosher Nostra.
  • Culture Clash: Cole immediately finds himself on the end of this as the culture of Vice is entirely different from Traffic and Homicide. The Vice cops don't consider their job to stop vice but just contain it.
  • Dirty Cop: Jermaine Jones is annoyed with Roy Earle's presence because he pays money to the LAPD to leave him alone.
  • Drugs Are Bad: Zigzagged. Roy basically explains that drug use is no different from alcohol use but numerous people have been killed by the high grade morphine being peddled on the streets by Mickey Cohen.
  • Innocuously Important Episode: The Black Caesar is the first case to deal with the morphine distribution ring that has been built up in the optional newspapers this entire time as well as leads to all the other major plot threads being resolved. It is treated as just another case when you play through it.
  • Jerkass: Fleetwood Morgan runs, gets in a fistfight with you, is incredibly uncooperative, and then asks for clemency for the "help" he gave.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: Roy effectively takes a progressive view that drugs are no different from alcohol and the war on them is a waste of resources as well as outright dangerous to the public. Cole is shocked.
  • Kosher Nostra: Mickey Cohen's gang is primarily made of Jewish mobsters, which is Truth in Television.
  • No Sympathy: Cole is unusually pissed off with the criminals here due to the fact they're violent, resist arrest, and ask for clemency only after fighting it out.

     Case Two: "Reefer Madness" 
Phelps and Earle meet with Freddie Calhoun, a junkie and police informer who tells them about a massive reefer smuggling ring bringing in fifty pounds a week. Heading to the house pointed out by Calhoun, they're almost immediately forced into a shoot out. Investigating the house after killing the suspects, they find clues that lead them to the Parnell Soup Company. Speaking with Howard Parnell, they find out the soup company is being used to smuggle marijuana through the 20th Century Market. After arresting Airto Sanchez, another shoot out at Parnell's Soup Company, they find a puzzle in silver dollars given to each of the drug dealers. This leads them to Masangkay Metals and the boss of the reefer ring, Victor Sanders.

  • The Cartel: It initially appears to be one of these but ends up controlled by a white man.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: Howard Parnell employs illegal immigrants despite the fact that he's racist himself. He also laments the end of WW2 because he manufactured so much soup for the war effort.
  • Dirty Cops:
    • Roy Earle pockets a $1000 dollars from a crime scene, which would be about $14,000 today.
    • Victor Sanders all but states that Vice has known about him for years but he pays them off.
  • The Don: Victor Sanders is the head of an organized interstate drug ring.
  • Downloadable Content: This was not included in the main game but was added to the Complete Edition.
  • Dramatically Missing the Point: Roy drops numerous hints that he has dirt on Cole while the latter is always calling out Roy's corruption. Cole misses these as anything other than good natured (or not so good natured) teasing, when it's actually Blackmail.
  • Drugs Are Bad: A Zig-Zagged Trope as the pot dealers are the most violent aggressive organization in the entire game. However, generally treats reefers as a harmless pastime that poses no real threat.
  • Foreshadowing: Earle makes several remarks about Cole's sexuality that imply he knows about Cole's affair with Elsa.
  • Insane Troll Logic: Why Victor Sanders would put the name of his factory on five separate silver dollars.
  • Insult Backfire: If you talk to the secretary after Cole's sexist remarks, she offers to go out with him after she gets off work.
  • Karma Houdini: Victor Sanders is implied to get off scot-free despite the massive amount of bloodshed in the mission from his men.
  • Saying Too Much: Victor Sanders is not remotely subtle about his relationship with Vice.
  • The Stoner: Oddly, averted. No actual pot users are depicted in the mission.
  • Take That!: At the end, reefer is said to be as great a threat to America's youth as communism.
  • Violence is the Only Option: The pot smugglers repeatedly pull out guns and start shooting versus risk arrest.

     Case Three: "The Set Up" 
Earle invites Cole to a boxing match due to be thrown by English boxer Albert Hammond. Hammond beats his opponent instead, enraging a lot of people who'd been in on the fix, including Earle and Mickey Cohen. Hoping to reach Hammond before the mob, Cole and Earle investigate a the hotel he was staying at, and find evidence pointing to Hammond's girlfriend, Candy Edwards. Heading over to meet with her, Cole rescues her from being beaten by Hammond's manager Carlo Arquero, whom Cohen had threatened into finding and killing Hammond, but Candy is later killed by Arquero after retrieving a large amount of money, which Hammond had won after placing bets on himself. Following Candy's death, Cole and Earle pursue Arquero and Hammond to Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, with Arquero getting killed in the subsequent shootout. Upon learning that Hammond is a former Royal Marine, and remembering his own failures in the war, Cole lets Hammond leave the city with his money, much to Earle's disgust.

  • Badass Boast: Cole gives Mickey Cohen one of these when he mentions he shot his brother in law.
  • Badass in Distress: Albert Hammond is a prize fighter hunted by his manager and the mob.
  • Bullying a Dragon: Cole lets Albert go despite the fact the man took money from Roy Earle as well as many of his crooked friends. This possibly contributes to Roy Earle's ultimate betrayal of Cole.
  • Expy: Albert Hammond is one for Butch Coolidge from Pulp Fiction.
  • The Fool: Albert Hammond's plan is incredibly stupid and gets his girlfriend killed. It only works out, somewhat, because Cole guns down his attackers.
  • Honor Before Reason: Albert refuses to take a dive despite agreeing to do so because his Marine's honor takes precedence.
  • Jerkass Has a Point:
    • Roy Earle points out that Albert has defrauded a bunch of betters in the LAPD as well as other people having "hot tips" to make his escape.
    • Carlo points out that Albert put his life at risk as well as his girlfriends by defrauding Mickey Cohen. Not that it justifies Candy's murder.
  • Pride: Albert is motivated by this but a good argument is he's also motivated by Greed.
  • Throwing the Fight: Albert makes a deal with his bookie to throw a fight, only to promptly win it.

     Case Four: "The Naked City" 
Cole and Earle head to a beautiful model's home, where Julia Randall has been found drugged with military morphine and drowned. Investigating the shop where Julia worked. they talk with her employer and later her best friend, Heather Swanson. Interrogating Doctor Stoneman, who provided her drugs, they find out she was heavily medicated. They latter communicate with Henry Arnett, who claims to be in the fashion industry as well as a former Marine. Henry proceeds to try to leave for Mexico City after pawning a $10K cigarette case. Cole uses this to determine he was part of a burglary ring with Julia Randall. After discovering Heather Swanson's mother was who was robbed of the jewelry, coincidentally Heather Swanson is Arnett's fiance, they visit his apartment and arrest Arnett. From there, they discover he murdered Julia with Wilson Read. Doctor Stoneman was also part of the burglary ring. Confronting him, Doctor Stoneman commits suicide. They proceed to track down Wilson Reade and kill him in a rooftop shootout.

  • Ambiguous Situation:
    • Henry Arnett claims that Julia and Doctor Stoneman weren't intimate but his smoking jacket was present at her apartment as was the fact he came over there multiple times.
    • The motivation for Henry and Will's murder of Julia given he is a Consummate Liar.
  • Asshole Victim: Played with. Julia was not a nice person but is treated sympathetically regardless.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing:
    • Julia robbed her best friend's mother, laughed at Henry's attempts to get out of the burglary business, and toyed with Doctor Stoneman.
    • Henry Arnett is extremely good at appearing to be a decent man but he's a murderer, cheater, and professional thief. Oh and he engages in stolen valor by claiming to be a WW2 veteran.
  • Consummate Liar: Henry Arnett constantly changes his story and yet is one of the most effective liars in the game.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: Henry claims that Julia wouldn't let him go from their burglary ring when he wanted to go straight and that's why he killed her. However, he's an Unreliable Narrator.
  • Downloadable Content: This was not included in the main game but was added to the Complete Edition.
  • Driven to Suicide: Doctor Stoneman takes his own life once he's exposed as a member of the burglary ring.
  • Hidden Depths: Roy suggests that his resentment of women is due to the fact that he had his heart broken once before.
  • Love Makes You Evil: Doctor Stoneman becomes involved in a burglary ring and drug dealing because of his love for Julia.
  • Love Makes You Stupid: Heather Swanson is willing to stand by Henry Arnett despite the fact he robbed her and killed her best friend. Even Roy Earle is appalled.
  • Make It Look Like an Accident: Jimmy and Willy used morphine to try and make Julia's death look like a drowning in her tub. To put it simply, they did not do a good job of it.
  • Nice Girl: Heather Swanson seems to be one of the most decent people in LA Noire but is constantly taken advantage of.
  • Rich Bitch: Mrs. Evestrom casually admits to insurance fraud in front of Cole but he can't follow up on it because he's too busy with other matters.
  • Running Gag: Cole is hit from behind a wall for the third time in the game.
  • Side Quest: Cole and Earle can shoot up a group of pharmacy robbers with a patrolman or skip over it.
  • Unreliable Narrator: Much of the background of the story is from Henry but he is a habitual and casual liar.
  • Whole-Plot Reference: The story is almost beat-for-beat a recreation of The Naked City.

     Case Five: "Manifest Destiny" 
Earle and Cole investigate a shootout at the 111 Club Crime Scene where they discover one of Cole's former unit has been killed. They discover not only more signs of the missing morphine but machine guns as well as stolen cigarettes. Heading to the Blue Room, Cole interrogates Elsa Lichtmann and gets nothing from her. Later, he heads back to her place and they have a sexual encounter that is secretly observed by Earle.

The detectives then question Mickey Cohen about the morphine at the Mocambo club; the mob boss denies involvement in the matter, but after they leave, it is revealed that he's trying to get his hands on the morphine by ordering the deaths of those connected to its theft. Dealing with a bus shooting and sniper, Cole quickly deduces someone is attempting to wipe out his old unit over the morphine. Cole proceeds to interrogate Jack Kelso, who gives up nothing. From there, they head to Robert's diner and have a car chase followed by a shoot out.

Here, Cole finds evidence there's a mole in the LAPD ratting out the names of the Marines involved. Then a third at the Hollywood post office where two more Marines have been killed. This provides information on a meeting with Courtney Sheldon and Doctor Fontaine later that evening. Finally, a fourth shoot out at Grauman's Chinese Theater. They arrest Courtney Sheldon, but the interrogation is interrupted by Cole's superiors revealing their awareness of his affair with Elsa. This being the late 1940's, Cole is suspended from duty, hit with a career-sinking adultery charge and held in contempt by the media.

  • Bloodier and Gorier: This mission has one of the highest body counts in the game.
  • Dwindling Party: Cole's Unit is systematically targeted by Mickey Cohen's mobsters and killed off one by one.
  • Failure Is the Only Option: Cole arrives on the scene of most of Mickey Cohen's assassination attempts only after they've killed his former unit's members. Averted with Felix Alvarro, who survives while passengers on his bus die.
  • Kansas City Shuffle: Destroying Cole Phelps' Hero Cop reputation is meant to distract from the investigation into the Suburban Redevelopment Fund.
  • Kick the Dog: Roy Earle betrays Cole Phelps to the Suburban Redevelopment Fund in hopes of getting a place on it.
  • The Mole: Someone in the LAPD is feeding the names of the Marines to Mickey Cohen. It's probably Roy Earle but Word of God says that it could have been any number of crooked LAPD officers.
  • Skewed Priorities: Kelso is more interested in calling out Cole than he is in helping with his case despite being targeted by the mob. Possibly because he knows that his fellow Marines face serious criminal charges over the stolen morphine if he exposes them.
  • Sympathetic Adulterer: Averted. Cole's home life seems perfectly happy and Elsa is involved in the morphine smuggling (however tangentially). Indeed, many players actually reacted with shock and confusion over this development.
  • Wham Episode: Cole is stripped of his golden boy status due to the LAPD arresting him for adultery.
  • Wham Shot: The realization that Cole isn't tailing Elsa as part of a case but because he's having an affair with her.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Cole is treated with disgust and horror by both his wife as well as colleagues.

Arson

     Case One: "The Gas Man" 

Cole Phelps and Herschel Biggs are assigned to work together despite the fact the former is disgraced while the latter doesn't want a partner. They are immediately assigned two separate arson investigations. The Steffens House Fire resulted in no casualties but the family losing everything while the Sawyer House Fire killed a family of four. Don Steffens mentions that he escaped the disaster due to being on vacation in the Catalina Islands at the time. Watching the fire was Herbert Chapman, a known pyromaniac. Cole and Biggs also find a faulty regulator valve at the second house. Heading to Gulliver's Travel Agency, they find out more about the contest and learn it was designed to appeal to sales holdouts.

After visiting the Suburban Redevelopment Fund and discovering it is an Elysian Housing Development site, they go to Fire Station No. 32 and conduct an experiment to show how the explosion might have occurred. Heading to the InstaHeat Factory, they talk with Ivan Rasic and find out that he has hired three installers with criminal records: Walter Clemens, Matthew Ryan, and Reginald Varley. Clemens and Ryan have anarchist pamphlets in their lockers while Varley has arson paraphernalia. After clearing Walter Clemens, they arrest both Varley and Ryan after chases. In the end, Cole arrests Varley but Ryan goes up the river for a murder back in Chicago.


  • Accidental Murder: The Sawyer House resulted in four deaths due to the family not leaving town due to one of their children getting sick.
  • Call-Forward: Herbert Chapman is arrested in the game but becomes a major player in "Elysian Fields."
  • Corporate Conspiracy: Elysian Fields is using the Sububan Development Fund and a series of arson attacks to force locals out of their homes so they can be burned down. They will then buy the land on the cheap.
  • Deliberate Values Dissonance:
    • Matthew Ryan is the prime suspect for the arsons despite better evidence against Varley. This is due to his anarchist beliefs.
    • Herschel Biggs clears Clemens for arson suspicion because he burned down his ex-wife's home (that he previously shared with her) after she won it in a divorce settlement. He even says he did the right thing.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: Cole is either mocked for his affair with a German singer or the subject of moral judgement.
  • Morton's Fork: Neither of the suspects are guilty of the arson they're accused of but you're supposed to arrest Ryan.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Albert Lynch is the fire chief who proceeds to treat Phelps well and focuses only on the facts of their arson case.
  • Red Herring: None of the people you arrest for arson are involved in the conspiracy.
  • What the Hell, Hero?:
    • Phelps is called out by multiple individuals for the fact that he had an affair, one officer refusing to shake his hand and another calling it "Un-American."
    • If you arrest Varley, you are chewed out and only receive a 3 star rating maximum.

     Case Two: "A Walk In Elysian Fields" 
Cole and Biggs investigate a burned down home where a family of four died horribly. Interviewing the next door neighbor, Dudley Forman, they discover they were also supposed to be on vacation. Heading to the Rancho Escondido, a housing development and the site of another fire, they find that the houses are made of inferior construction materials.

Heading to Elysian Fields Development, they investigate Leland Monroe and are subtly threatened. Discovering a connection to Herbert Chapman, they go to his apartment and find that he is armed and dangerous. Herbert hijacks a trolley and crashes through multiple vehicles before Phelps guns him down.

  • Big Bad: Leland Monroe makes his first appearance in person.
  • Body Horror: The four bodies burned to death in prayer position.
  • Chase Scene: Cole and Biggs chasing after the runaway trolley in order to try to stop it.
  • Consummate Liar: Leland Monroe has the subtlest tells in the game and there's an achievement for breaking even one of them.
  • Corporate Conspiracy: We discover that Elysian Fields is using substandard building materials to construct their houses.
  • Frame-Up: Leland Monroe provides evidence that Herbert Chapman is behind the fires.
  • Not Helping Your Case: Herbert Chapman hijacks a trolley, killing potentially dozens of people, and goes down in a shoot out with the police.
  • Obstructive Bureaucrat: The two secretaries at Elysian Fields are uninterested in helping the police.
  • Pyromaniac: Herbert Chapman is set up as the fall guy due to the fact he's a serial arsonist and loves fire.
  • Shout-Out: The use of studio prop lumber in constructing fire traps is a reference to The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy.

     Case Three: "House of Sticks" 
Cole Phelps is put off the case by the Arson Desk and returns to Elsa Licthman. Elsa has recently received a payment of $20,000 for the death of her friend, Lou Buchwalter, who died doing carpentry on an Elysian Fields house. Elsa heads to Jack Kelso on Phelps' request and recruits him to investigate while pretending to be doing it on her own. Jack is almost immediately stonewalled in his investigation but decides to carry on. His superior, Curtis Benson, tells him to just get Elsa to accept the check.Visiting the Elysian Fields Site, Jack Kelso finds that the wood is of an inferior quality and from Keystone Films. He is then almost killed by a bulldozer. Bribing the security guard there, Kelso discovers a film that implicates the Suburban Redevelopment Fund in criminal activity. Attempts to rat out the group fail as Curtis Benson immediately buries it. Heading to another construction site, he is ambushed by thugs and barely escapes with his life. Engaged in a car chase, Kelso reaches Elsa's apartment and collapses at Cole's feet.

  • Accidental Public Confession: The most generous way of interpreting the film real at Keystone Films. It was being recorded for a documentary on the Suburban Development Fund and they forgot Is This Thing Still On? or only realized it was incriminating after the fact.
  • Bad Boss: Curtis Benson tries to shut down Jack Kelso's case and may be involved in the attempts to murder him.
  • Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Averted. Jack is sporting some pretty nasty injuries after his beating.
  • Chase Scene: Jack Kelso is almost killed by the foreman who chases him down with a bulldozer.
  • Corporate Conspiracy: The Suburban Development fund is creating houses out of prop lumber and without functioning electricity or plumbing due to the fact that they're going to be demolished anyway.
  • Cutscene Incompetence: Jack is able to beat up one of the thugs and possibly could beat up others but the game forces him to lose the fight.
  • The Determinator: Jack is determined to find the truth of the conspiracy even though he has no personal connection.
  • Dramatic Irony: Jack flirts with Elsa, unaware that she's Cole's lover.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Cole does not Jack flirting with Elsa and her own seeming attraction.
  • Murder Is the Best Solution: Leland Monroe tries to have Jack killed twice, once with a bulldozer and second with goons.
  • Punk in the Trunk:Jack is thrown in the back of the goon's trunk after they beat him up.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Even Jack is surprised that Elsa doesn't want the $20,000 payout ($250,000 in today's money).
  • White-Collar Crime: The majority of the Suburban Development Funds plan is just real estate fraud. Then they start resorting to murder.

     Case Four: "A Polite Invitation" 

Jack Kelso wakes up in a clinic with Elsa Litchman by his side. He is then visited by Assistant DA Leonard Petersen, who wants to take down the Vice Squad. Jack Kelso argues, instead, they should go after Leland Monroe. Leaving the clinic, Kelso heads to Curtis Benson's apartment. Once there, he discovers damning evidence against his former boss including the fact that he is sleeping with a 12 year old girl.

After confronting Benson, Kelso heads to the Fire and Life building where he discovers the paper trail that names Courtney Sheldon as one of the directors of the Suburban Development Fund. Kelso shoots it out with some of Leland's goons before receiving call from Leland Monroe meet with him. Kelso confronts Courtney Sheldon at medical school before assembling a group of his fellow Marines to assault Leland's mansion. Kelso shoots Leland in the leg and walks off with the information necessary to prove his involvement in the fund.


  • Artistic License – Law: Kelso would almost certainly be imprisoned for what he did rather than successful.
  • Badass Bookworm: Kelso uses his powers of research and gunplay both to bring down Leland Monroe.
  • Corporate Conspiracy: The Suburban Development Fund is exposed as defrauding the government by making fake houses that need to be torn down. This increases the value of the land and the governments offers for them.
  • Cowboy Cop: Kelso, once he becomes a DA Investigator, breaks the law repeatedly to bring down Leland Monroe.
  • Cutting the Knot: Kelso just goes into the homes of his enemies, beats them up, and steals the evidence necessary to prosecute them.
  • Dirty Old Man: Curtis has been sleeping with a 12-year-old girl. Kelso is understandably enraged by this when he confronts Benson at his apartment.
  • Ephebophile: Curtis Benson keeps a twelve year old girl in his bed. Kelso is nauseated but doesn't kill him or physically hurt him more.
  • Money Is Not Power: Leland Monroe receives a wakeup call that dealing with individuals who can't be bribed and aren't afraid of the law results in him being reduced to utter helplessness.
  • Pædo Hunt: Kelso's disgust for his boss increases immensely when he finds out he's a statutory rapist.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Leland Monroe is reduced to begging for a doctor after being shot by Kelso.
  • Violence Really Is the Answer: Leland Monroe is helpless once his private army of goons is slaughtered, he's shot in the knee, and the evidence exposing him as a corrupt official is stolen.

     Case Five: "Nicholson Electroplating" 
A massive explosion destroys six blocks of Los Angeles as Nicholson Electroplating detonates. Heading to the area of the explosion and fighting multiple looters, Cole and Biggs investigate the disaster zone. They discover a spy case owned by Tomoko Okamoto, a plane part, and a laundry tag. Talking with Fred Nicholson, the plant owner, they determine it was a new process that destroyed the factory.

From there, they head to Tomoko's apartment and discover it has been ransacked. They proceed to check out the Laundry, finding a dead end, before heading to Hughes Aircraft. There they meet Vernon Mapes, a Dirty Vice Cop turned head of security for Hughes, and go through the Spruce Goose. After returning to the laboratory and discovering how the process caused the explosion, they find an address of a Hughes bungalow, which Mapes burns down while they're investigating it. Barely escaping with their lives, they chase him back to Hughes Aircraft, where they engage in a shootout with the Hughes Security Forces and eventually kill Mapes.

  • All for Nothing: The electroplating process is completely worthless due to the fact it explodes at the slightest bit of organic material touching it.
  • Artistic License – Law: The climax of the case involves Cole and Briggs in a shootout at Hughes' hangar with the Military Police. Suffice to say, if any cop did this in real life, heads would roll.
  • Big Bad: Vernon Mapes is the villain for the DLC and a Dirty Cop turned security head of Hughes Aircraft.
  • Corporate Conspiracy: Mapes was serving as a middle man for industrial espionage on the Nicholson electroplating process.
  • Destroy the Evidence: Vernon Maples tries to destroy all evidence that he was involved in the attempt to steal the electroplating process.
  • Dirty Cop: Vernon Mapes was once considered the worst cop in Los Angeles. So much so that he inspired Roy Earle.
  • Downloadable Content: This was not included in the main game but was added to the Complete Edition.
  • Evil Mentor: Biggs alludes to Mapes being this for Roy Earle.
  • Fiery Cover Up: Mapes attempts to burn down the apartment where he was meeting with his spy on the electroplating process.
  • The Ghost: We never see Howard Hughes or Tomoko Okamoto during the case, likely because Hughes may not be in LA and Tomoko is a little bit dead.
  • Hollywood Military Uniform: The Hughes Security men are dressed as military police.
  • Plot-Irrelevant Villain: The destruction of the electroplating plant and cover up is one of the biggest cases in the game, arguably more than the main plot, but interrupts the Suburban Development Fund before being resolved by the end.
  • Slut-Shaming: Both Biggs and Vernon look down on Mapes for acquiring dates for Howard Hughes. They also look down on Hughes for his playboy lifestyle.

     Case Six: "A Different Kind of War" 
Jack Kelso heads to multiple bug spray companies to determine which one employs the arsonist. Getting his address, he heads to the Rancho Rincon ranch house. Meanwhile, Cole Phelps heads to the offices of Doctor Fontaine and finds the Doctor dead as well as Elsa Lichtman kidnapped. Investigating, they discover the final piece of the puzzle for the Suburban Redevelopment Plan's corporate conspiracy; they are building houses on land due to be used for the construction of a highway in order to increase its value, which would thereby increase the compensation the government would have to give them when it comes to claim the land through eminent domain.

Jack Kelso explores Ira Hogeboom's house and discovers he has a flamethrower and is a former member of Cole's unit. Also, that Ira has been living in the tunnels under Los Angeles. Jack is then made a suspect by the police and the Vice squad chases him down. Cole manages to keep the cars off him as they both go into the sewers under Los Angeles where Ira is hiding out. Killing multiple members of the Vice Squad, Jack Kelso finally confronts Ira and kills him. Cole rescues Elsa but dies in the process and is given a heroes funeral, attended by his worst enemies.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: You can find a flamethrower in the final shootout and use it. However, it doesn't have a ton of range, and you'll get killed if the enemies shoot the tank enough times.
  • Bittersweet Ending: The Suburban Development Project is finished, several of its members are arrested, Ira is dead, and a good chunk of the corrupt AD Vice squad is killed in the process. However, some of the players get away with it and Cole Phelps dies.
  • Blatant Lies: Roy Earle denies that Cole had an affair and otherwise valorizes him for taking down Roy's own business partners.
  • Corporate Conspiracy: We find out the final piece of the puzzle was constructing fake houses in the way of the freeway.
  • Crocodile Tears: Roy Earle's speech is full of these as he calls Cole his best friend.
  • Deal with the Devil: Jack Kelso is spared from the consequences of his actions by a dirty deal with the Chief of Police.
  • Dirty Cops: The AD Vice Division heads down to take down Ira Hogeboom in order to cover up the Suburban Redevelopment Plan's conspiracy.
  • Down the Drain: The final sequence in the game takes place in the Los Angeles storm sewers that are rapidly filling up with water from a storm. It is a shooting gallery with Jack Kelso versus the dirty cops in the Ad Vice Division.
  • Grand Finale: The final case of LA Noire that wraps up most of the plotlines.
  • The Hero Dies: Cole Phelps dies in a tidal wave of water.
  • Karma Houdini: The Chief of Police, Mayor, and Roy Earle all get away with their crimes.
  • Violence Really Is the Answer: While Roy Earle survives, the AD Vice desk is more or less wiped out by Jack Kelso in the sewers.

Street Crimes

  • Acceptable Breaks from Reality: Cole, if he was involved in this many shootings, would either be in jail or nationally known as the bloodiest cop in history.
  • Action-Based Mission: Virtually all of the missions are either shootings, chases, or fistfights.
  • All Crimes Are Equal: Shoot outs and killing suspects are much more common in street crimes than the main game, whether the subjects are thieves or murderers. Subverted in that you can theoretically subdue them in other ways if you can get close to them.
  • Boom, Headshot!: Cole is forced to do this whenever a criminal takes a hostage as there's no way to talk them down.
  • The Cameo: Characters from previous cases have a tendency to appear in missions like the old man from "The Consul's Car" or the witnesses from "A Marriage Made in Heaven."
  • Flat Character: The majority of the encounters with criminals in Street Crime are violent encounters with ruthless individuals willing to do anything to escape. Which is in contrast to the main game.
  • Shoot the Hostage Taker: Very commonly the only way for Cole Phelps to resolve the ending of a crime as there's no other way to save a hostage.
  • Uncertain Doom: Cole will frequently call for an ambulance after his shoot outs, though other times he'll ask for a coroner or see a body carted off.
  • Violence is the Only Option: Most of the missions end in shoot outs or chases with none of the usual negotiation. Very often you are sending the criminals involved to the morgue.
  • Wretched Hive: Los Angeles is full of shoot outs with the police, gang wars, and robberies occurring at any given time.
  • Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: One of the missions, "Commies!", is a bank heist that involved dead police based on their attempt to redistribute the wealth.


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