Endings & Choices

Understand L.A. Noire's fixed story narrative and how performance in interrogations impacts case ratings and Detective Cole Phelps's promotions.

Unlike many RPGs, L.A. Noire doesn't feature multiple, divergent endings in the traditional sense. The overarching narrative of Cole Phelps' career and the conspiracy surrounding the Suburban Redevelopment Fund remains largely fixed. However, your performance in individual cases and your choices during interrogations significantly impact your case ratings, promotions, and ultimately, the perception of your character by your superiors and the public.

This section details how your actions influence the game's progression and offers strategies to achieve the best possible outcomes for each case, maximizing your intuition points and ensuring a stellar detective record.

Case Outcomes & Ratings

Every case you undertake, from the early Patrol Desk assignments like "Upon Reflection" to the complex Homicide Desk investigations such as "The Golden Butterfly," culminates in a rating. This rating is determined by several factors:

• Clues Found: Thoroughly searching crime scenes and relevant locations is paramount. Missing crucial evidence can lead to dead ends or incorrect deductions.
• Witnesses & Suspects Interviewed: Engaging with every available person of interest is essential. Even seemingly insignificant conversations can yield vital information.
• Interrogation Performance: This is arguably the most critical factor. Correctly identifying "Truth," "Doubt," or "Lie" based on evidence and facial cues directly impacts your rating and the information you extract.
• Accuracy of Accusations: At the end of many cases, you'll need to accuse a suspect. Accusing the correct individual, backed by solid evidence, is key to a perfect rating.
• Damage to City Property/Civilian Casualties: While less frequent, excessive collateral damage during pursuits or shootouts can negatively affect your overall score.

Achieving a 5-star rating for a case means you've found all clues, correctly interrogated all parties, and made the right accusations. This earns you maximum XP, intuition points, and often unlocks bonus content or special dialogue.

Interrogation Strategies: Truth, Doubt, or Lie?

The interrogation system is the heart of L.A. Noire's gameplay. Mastering it is crucial for success. Here's a breakdown of how to approach each choice:

1. Truth (Good Cop)

• When to Use: Select "Truth" when you believe the witness or suspect is being honest and their statement aligns with the evidence you've collected.
• Strategy: This is often the default choice if you have no conflicting evidence. Pay close attention to their body language; a relaxed posture and direct eye contact often indicate honesty.
• Example: In "The Driver's Seat," when interviewing the victim's wife, Margaret Black, about her husband's activities, if her account matches initial police reports and there's no evidence to contradict her, "Truth" is the appropriate choice.

2. Doubt (Bad Cop)

• When to Use: Choose "Doubt" when you suspect the individual is withholding information, being evasive, or outright lying, but you lack concrete evidence to prove a lie.
• Strategy: Look for signs of discomfort, fidgeting, or indirect answers. This option pushes them to elaborate or reveal more without directly calling them a liar. It's a good middle-ground when you're unsure or trying to extract more details.
• Example: During "The Red Lipstick Murder," if a witness describes a suspect vaguely and seems hesitant, but you don't have a specific item to contradict them, "Doubt" can pressure them to provide more precise details.

3. Lie (Accuse)

• When to Use: This is the most impactful choice. Select "Lie" ONLY when you have a specific piece of evidence from your notebook that directly contradicts the statement made by the witness or suspect.
• Strategy: After selecting "Lie," you will be prompted to choose the piece of evidence that disproves their statement. If you choose correctly, their lie is exposed, and you gain crucial information. If you choose incorrectly, you lose intuition points and may damage your relationship with the interviewee, making further questioning difficult.
• Example: In "The Fallen Idol," if Gloria Bishop claims she was home all night, but you've found the "Adrenaline Shot" vial at the crime scene, and you know she has a history of drug use, you can accuse her of lying and present the vial as evidence.

Intuition Points & Their Use

Intuition points are a valuable resource earned through good case performance and ranking up. They can be spent to assist you in investigations:

• Eliminate Options in Interrogations: Spend an intuition point to remove one incorrect choice (Truth, Doubt, or Lie) during an interrogation, making it easier to select the correct one.
• Reveal All Clues at a Crime Scene: Use an intuition point to highlight all remaining undiscovered clues at your current location. This is incredibly useful if you're stuck or aiming for a perfect rating.
• Ask the Community: (Online Feature) This option allows you to see what other players chose in a particular interrogation, offering a hint.

Recommendation: Save your intuition points for critical interrogations where you're genuinely stumped, or for the final sweep of a complex crime scene to ensure no clue is missed.

Impact on Promotions & Story Progression

While the main story arc is linear, your performance directly influences Cole Phelps' career trajectory and how certain characters interact with him:

• Desk Promotions: Consistently high ratings and successful case closures will lead to quicker promotions from Patrol to Traffic, Homicide, and eventually Vice. While these promotions are scripted, poor performance can delay them or result in less favorable dialogue from your superiors.
• Newspaper Articles: Your actions are often reflected in the newspaper articles found throughout the game. A successful arrest or a botched investigation might be highlighted, adding flavor to the world.
• Partner Dialogue: Your partners will react to your performance. A string of perfect cases might earn their respect and positive comments, while repeated failures could lead to frustration and snide remarks.

Ultimately, striving for perfection in each case not only enriches your gameplay experience but also paints a more complete picture of Detective Cole Phelps' journey through the dark underbelly of 1940s Los Angeles.