L.A. Noire is nothing if not ambitious. At first glance it may seem to tell a simple story; that of Cole Phelps decorated WWII veteran and his rise through the Los Angeles police force. Given that he moves from case to case, and desk to desk: from beat cop through traffic, arson, vice and homicide, it's not hard to see gamers thinking that this is a linear game; that players aren't necessarily active agents in the narrative. But that's a long way from the case...