The Nicholson Electroplating Arson Case delivers a solid experience with a few memorable thrills, even though it ignores the main overarching story. The case begins when a giant explosion rocking the streets of Los Angeles, which Cole and Herschel race toward using the black mushroom cloud in the sky as a reference point. From here, Detective Phelps must connect the explosion with former (and by former, I mean VERY deceased) employees of the Nicholson Electroplating plant and the Hughes airplane hanger. There are some pretty neat clues in this case, as well as a fun car chase and an exciting ending, but this was met with a couple of technical glitches, which could have easily been avoided. Clues that force you to think are what separate the good cases from the bad, and this case has a couple of great clues. In the beginning, you must decipher a scrambled message in order to advance further in the case, using a piece of technology Phelps used during the war. It was a fresh new form of detective work, and really worked within the context of the game. This DLC could have benefitted from more casework overall, though. While there were enough interesting clues to satisfy, there definitely could have been more interviews, and I’d have liked to see an interrogation. The action is great, which includes a lengthy car chase and a great shoot-out, but an implementation of additional detective work could have had this case shine among the other arson cases.
Unfortunately, this case could have done with a bit more polish. The two main backdrops, the Nicholson Electroplating plant and the Hughes Hanger, both had minor technical issues. During my first playthrough, I became stuck on a pile of rubble in middle of the Nicholson Electroplating plant and had to restart the case. Later on in the mission, upon entering the Hughes Hanger, it took the game a few seconds to register the interior of the setting. The walls of the Hanger did not load right away, allowing me to see through the walls to the outside exterior. This only occurred for 5-15 seconds, but it happened during both of my playthroughs. This is something that could easily be fixed with a patch. Overall, I would recommend the Nicholson Electroplating Arson Case if you’re looking to add to your L.A. Noire experience. It is a fun mission with some awesome clues, but it just needs a little bit of polish. If you haven’t downloaded L.A. Noire DLC yet, you might want to check out The Naked City first, as it delivers a much cooler storyline with clues that are just as fun. Like any case in L.A. Noire, the replay value is definitely there. You’ll want to replay this case until you get all five stars, all of the clues, and every correct question. The case is roughly an hour long and is definitely worth your 320msp ($4) if you’re itching to crack a new case.
Final Recommendation: Buy
