Getting 100%

Getting 100%

Most gamers are not aware of this, but the Achievement System for the Xbox 360 almost did not happen -- and when it was originally planned the people who were set to creating it had absolutely no notion just how important a part of the community of 360 gamers it would grow to be.  Put simply it was added as an afterthought and a novelty, and because it was those two things it very nearly got canceled -- and wouldn't it be weird not to have it?

The ratio among gamers for the importance of Achievements runs right around 50/50, with half saying they are an important part of gaming, and the other half saying that they can take them or leave them but take them as they come!  We suspect that the issue is a loaded one, as many gamers really do like them and pursue them, they just do not want to be branded as an Achievement Whore, so they deny the fact.

As a gamer I admit that I like them, but I am not one of those gamers that will go out of their way and spend lots of time just to get an Achievement unless there is a reason to.  When I am working on a guide and the Achievement is complex and needs to be covered in detail, I will do it, but if I can write up the guide without having to do them and they are Achievements that require you to do things in a game you would not normally do?  I generally pass on those.

A casual examination of the Achievement/Trophy List for LA Noire will reveal the one titled "The City of Angels" -- which is one of those complicated Achievements that needs to be covered for this guide -- and  that is worth 80 GP which is unlocked by completing 100% of the game -- which you are probably wondering means what exactly?

The first clue to the meat of the "What?" question can be found in the Statistics Screen off of the Pause Menu -- which we will review below -- but before we do that, here is the official set of requirements to unlock that Achievement/Trophy:

You need the following to get this achievement:

(1) Solve all 21 story cases
(2) Finish all 40 street crimes
(3) Read all 13 Newspaper collectables
(4) Find all 30 landmarks
(5) Find all 50 hidden film reels
(6) Find all 95 vehicles in the game

That is not really six easy steps -- just the opposite in fact, as it is six challenging steps!  Still it can be done -- with considerable effort -- but it can also be made a bit easier if you approach it as an end-game task rather than try to concentrate upon it early in the game.

The following hints will make your pursuit of this Achievement/Trophy a bit easier to take...

(1) Solve all 21 story cases
Note that it does not say 5-Star all 21 cases -- though that is something you will want to do anyway -- but the good news is that you can return to each and every one of those via the Main Game Menu and replay them pretty much whenever you want after you have played each through to the end!

(2) Finish all 40 street crimes
These are sub=missions you are going to want to play through anyway both to Rank up and because they add to the depth, the story, and the fun of the game!  That being the case, you may want to treat these as opportunity items -- and take them as they pop up so that they are not a big long and nasty chore facing you at the end of the game...

(3) Read all 13 Newspaper collectables
If you followed this guide, you did that as part of the regular play of the game and this is a non-issue.

(4) Find all 30 landmarks
This will almost totally come as an accidental side-effect of playing through the game normally.  When you get to the end there may be one or two locations you have yet to find -- but completing them is a trivial matter and nothing to worry about!

(5) Find all 50 hidden film reels
This is a much more significant challenge, because it is one of the requirements that pretty much has you behaving in a way that is not part of the normal game play.  After trying it both ways, I have come to the conclusion that it is better to save this for the post-end-game play by trying not to grab ANY of them during the play through, saving them for one long collection quest after everything else has been completed.

(6) Find all 95 vehicles in the game
Like the film reels, this one is a bitch to complete and requires you to do things in the game that are not really part of normal play -- but thankfully there are only 15 cars that can be characterized as requiring you to actively hunt for them.  The remaining 80 cars will mostly come as you play, allowing that you will have to actively seek them out.

Only you can decide if this is an Achievement/Trophy that you feel you need to have -- but in case it is, we have been careful to include all of the details and elements that are particular to each case in the guide so that if you do decide you want this, you have already completed the basic elements as part of the regular play.

Good luck with this -- we really mean that!