Review: L.A. Noire on Nintendo Switch is a perfect and inventive use of the hardware

Note: This is a review of the Nintendo Switch version where we simply break down the features and technical aspects of the Switch version. If you’d like to read a more overall review of the gameplay, story, and performance of the game running on an Xbox One X, click here.

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch (reviewed)

Publishers: Rockstar Games

Developers: Rockstar Games, Team Bondi

MSRP: $39.99 on Xbox One and PS4, $49.99 on Nintendo Switch

It’s hard to believe that L.A. Noire would be the game to take advantage of just about every single feature the Nintendo Switch and manage to express these features in an impressive way.  Surprisingly, L.A. Noire feels like it belongs on the Nintendo Switch – it’s truly a match made in heaven.

The Nintendo Switch might be the best place to play Rockstar’s port. If you want the best possible performance for the game you’re going to want to pick up the Xbox One or PS4 version, but you really can’t go wrong with the Nintendo Switch version either.

For starters, you can play the game however you want. If you want to play with the traditional controllers on the go or while it’s docked, go for it. If you’re more interested in playing it with the touchscreen you can do that too, you can play most of the game without actually having to use the controller. The only times you’re required to use the Joy-Cons is when you’re in a car chase, brawling, or in a shootout. You can rotate the camera, walk, pick up evidence, and more all by tapping the screen, it shows Rockstar’s commitment to this particular version of the game and that they weren’t just putting a port on the Switch to cash in on the hype of the console.

If you miss the days of the Wii, you can even play the game with motion controls. Movement is still attached to the sticks and you’ll press buttons to interact with things but players can use the individual Joy-Cons as Cole’s hands for duking it out with criminals, getting into firefights, and thoroughly inspecting evidence amongst other things. While both the touch and motion controls can be a bit finicky at times, they’re polished and work well enough to where I can see people actively mixing up how they play the game to keep things fun and interesting over this 20+ hour crime thriller.

The Switch version is noticeably weaker in performance than the Xbox One and PS4 counterparts, which is expected. Rockstar noted prior to release that this was not the remaster that the Xbox One and PS4 were getting, but a tune-up of the last gen version. Don’t let that scare you away though, the game is still remarkably pretty. It lacks the visual enhancements such as the gorgeous and bright colors, reflective car surfaces, and other immense details seen in the remaster and there is quite a bit more pop-in when driving, but given that Rockstar makes up for it with enjoyable and inventive uses of the hardware, I see no reason to complain about it.

It doesn’t feel like shortcuts were made or there are handicaps on this version, when you look at it as a standalone product it’s quite the achievement, of course, when compared to the glossier versions you can see the differences. Character models are impressive and appear fairly identical to those you see on the other versions. The frame rate and resolution provide a steady and pleasant experience. Rockstar and the now defunct Team Bondi built an incredibly large and authentic depiction of 1940s L.A. that’s filled with life, charm, and character, to see that in the palm of my hands is insane, especially when I had to change out three different discs when I played this in 2011 on my Xbox 360, now it’s on a thumbnail-sized cartridge (granted, you do have to download additional assets).

The Verdict:

I already owned the game on my Xbox One X, but was happy to be able to bounce back and forth between both versions and feel like I wasn’t just treading old ground for the sake of playing it on the go. Rockstar has managed to utilize every minor and major feature on the console/portable hybrid from HD Rumble to touch and motion controls in one go. While L.A. Noire is probably the game that’ll benefit the most from Nintendo Switch in Rockstar’s library, I would love to see what other creative things they could do with the Grand Theft Auto games, Max Payne 3, or Bully.

Rockstar has outdone themselves once again showing that they have the utmost care for all of their titles, no matter how new or old they are. L.A. Noire is a must have on your Nintendo Switch, it’s probably the best port to date, even rivaling Bethesda’s Skyrim. The game has some very small technical hiccups expected from the hardware, but it’s still an incredibly smooth experience that manages to breathe new life into a game that’s over half a decade old.