Great music, lies and drama.

These days there are games for absolutely everyone—from those who reckon they’d survive a modern or medieval war, to those who are hobbits at heart and just want a bit of comfort. L.A. Noire is for the folks who, even though they didn’t live through the era, still miss the glamour of the 1940s.

Set in Los Angeles, L.A. Noire follows the story of Cole Phelps, a World War II veteran who joins the police force as a rookie in the Traffic Division and gradually climbs the ranks, transferring departments until he makes it to Homicide. To get there, as the player you have to follow clues, interview witnesses and suspects, and compare notes to figure out if people are lying. Besides gathering physical evidence, you must try not to crash while driving, too—because damage to your patrol car or the city will cost you at the end of each case.

Like most things in life, the road to success won’t be as smooth as it sounds. Not only do you have to sharpen your skills as Detective Phelps, but you’ll also face rejection from your fellow officers for being a “goody two-shoes”—someone who refuses to take bribes, cut corners or look the other way. On top of that, you’ve got personal issues that’ll test your values and influence how others see you going forward.

The easiest way to describe Cole Phelps and the overall vibe of the game is by comparing it to the Gotham series—especially James Gordon. Cole and Gordon are cut from the same cloth: both dream of doing the right thing and bringing about justice, but in both cases, life turns out to have grey areas that often demand morally dodgy, Machiavellian solutions. You know, that whole “the ends justify the means” kind of thing.

L.A. Noire is far more than just a detective game, and what really makes it stand out for me is the way the music, tech, cars, fashion, language and even the layout of 1940s Los Angeles are all spot-on. The cases you solve and the overall storyline are pure gold—a masterclass in writing, all thanks to director and writer Brendan McNamara. A proper treat, honestly.

Developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games, L.A. Noire is still available on Xbox 360 and One, PlayStation 3 and 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows and Steam Deck. Do yourself a favour—give it a go and soak in this gem, the result of countless hours of research and hard graft from the developers, plus the best tech the early 2000s had to offer—tech that still holds up against today’s titles.

If you’ve played L.A. Noire—or if this post has inspired you to give it a try—don’t forget to drop your thoughts in the comments!