1. L.A. Noire

Crime-fighting has never been this classy!

Rockstar Games, renowned for gaming’s greatest crime simulation franchise, GTA, gives us the best police game in the form of L.A. Noire.

Like GTA, L.A. Noire is a third-person action-adventure sandbox game. But you’ll be getting a lot more in addition to its breakneck car chases, shootouts, and fistfights. At one point, you’ll be descending into the dark, gore-adorned lair of a serial killer; in another sequence, you’ll be scouring shadowed alleyways for clues to a murder. This is the game’s strength – its ability to seamlessly intertwine action with quieter, more pensive moments.

The investigations are the highlight of L.A. Noire. Set in 1947, you are Cole Phelps. As an officer of the law and later a detective, you examine crime scenes – from dead bodies to objects of interest in the vicinity – in order to solve mysteries. You’ll also be interviewing witnesses and suspects. Thanks to the amazing technology used to realistically model and animate characters’ faces, you can tell what emotions they’re feeling, and – depending on how good you are at reading facial expressions – whether or not they’re hiding something. These visual clues go a long way in helping you solve a crime. How well you piece together bits of information is integral to solving cases – be too complacent or uncritical, and you can fail.

In addition to its innovative gameplay and excellent use of technology, its top-notch voice-acting, film noir atmosphere, and authentic vintage aesthetic make L.A. Noire our favorite police game you can play in 2015.

Buckets of blood

A gruesome scene? Just another day in the life of a cop

And thus we come to the end of another article! How about you, fellow gamers? What are the best police games you’ve played? Share your opinions with us in the comments section below!