The options were enlarged in the Nintendo Switch (pictured) and virtual reality versions. When interrogating witnesses and suspects, the player has the option to believe them, doubt them, or accuse them of lying. The player has the option to play the game in black and white to imitate film noir. For most of the game, the player controls Cole Phelps, a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) patrolman who advances through the police department bureaus (desks) of Traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Arson in some cases during the final desk, the player controls investigator Jack Kelso. The player can also discover multiple landmarks based on real monuments from Los Angeles in the 1940s. The player completes cases to progress through the story, fulfilling objectives in a generally linear order as they roam the open world, the player can also complete optional street crimes-short, linear scenarios with set objectives -and collect items such as golden film reels, vehicles, novels, and golden records. Played from a third-person perspective, the game is set in an open-world environment featuring Los Angeles in 1947. Noire is an action-adventure neo-noir crime game. Noire: The VR Case Files, a subset of cases playable in virtual reality, was released in December 2017. It shipped four million units in its first month and 7.5 million by September 2017, and received multiple year-end nominations from gaming publications. The game received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at the facial animation, narrative, characters, performances, music, world design, and interrogation gameplay, though responses to the shooting and driving mechanics were mixed.

The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in May 2011, and for Windows in November an enhanced version was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. Noire was the first video game honoured as an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. The working hours and managerial style of the studio was met with public complaints from staff members, and Team Bondi closed shortly after the game's initial release. The game was delayed numerous times through its seven-year development, which included a change of publisher and platforms. The game features an original score inspired by 1940s films, and contains licensed music of songs from the era. As part of their research for the open world, the development team conducted field research in Los Angeles. Noire uses the proprietary motion capture technology MotionScan, which captures actors' facial expressions from every angle, resulting in a realistic recreation of a human face essential for the game's interrogations. Noire began following Team Bondi's founding in 2004, and was assisted by multiple Rockstar studios worldwide. Outside of cases, the player can complete optional street crimes and collect items found around the game world. The game features fast-paced action sequences, including chases, combat, and gunfights. The story is divided into multiple 'cases', during which players must investigate crime scenes for clues, follow up leads, and interrogate suspects and witnesses the player's success at these activities impacts how much of each case's story is revealed and their overall rating.

As the game progresses, the player advances through several police department bureaus-Patrol, Traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Arson. The player may freely roam its interactive open world, primarily in a vehicle or on foot.

The game is played from a third-person perspective. When he is tasked with investigating a morphine distribution ring involving several of his former squadmates from World War II, Phelps finds both his personal and professional life falling into turmoil, and reluctantly joins forces with his estranged former comrade, Jack Kelso, as they uncover a major conspiracy involving prominent Los Angeles figures. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, the game follows detective Cole Phelps's rise among the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department as he solves a range of cases across various bureaus. Noire is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games.

L.a. noire wiki