L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files: Collectibles

Overview

A guide for finding the hidden police badges, novels and records.

Background

This guide will conveniently go through the different locations where you will find the hidden collectibles scattered throughout L.A. Noire. As of July 2018 this guide has now added a screenshot for every collectible.

Eventual opportunities for other achievements are also included within this guide.

Good Luck Hunting!

Office Menu

The office menu (including the street and War room) is the first interesting point for this guide. In the office you’ll find the first badge and it is also the place where you’ll reap the benefit of your collections.

• Police Badge (1/20): There’s a badge lying on the armchair in the office.
  

For nearly every collection you complete, you will also be rewarded a new set of clothing. Your appearance can be changed by picking up a hat from the hat rack and placing it on your head.

*Achievement Opportunity: “Wherever I Lay My Hat* Mirror/Hat Rack – Already from the start, you’ll find hats hanging on the rack. If you pick one up, hold it slightly over the place where you picked it up and let go of it. The game will register it as if you “threw the hat” back onto the rack earning you the achievement “Wherever I Lay My Hat”.

*Achievement Opportunity: “You’re so vain* Mirror/Hat Rack – You’ll get this achievement by trying on every outfit available in the game. To get every outfit you’ll have to:

• Complete all cases
• Collect all 8 novels
• Collect all 20 police badges
• Get the “In Your Face” achievement, by slapping an opponent 50 times in a fistfight.

Once you’ve done that, grab and put every hat on your head, including the hat that’s on the left side of the mirror.

By the record player you’ll find every record that you’ve collected. Interestingly, it seems like all the records play the same songs and that the different songs are mainly dependent on where you drop the needle on the record.

*Achievement Opportunity: “Oldie but Goodie* Record Player – Once you’ve collected all the records, go over to the record player, take a record and make it lean to reveal the disc, put the disc on the turntable (which already might have a disc on it – if so remove it first) and then turn the brown “arm” over the disc to play the record. Repeat until every record has been played and you will unlock the achievement “Oldie but Goodie”.

Upon Reflection

• Police Badge (2/20): When you’ve arrived at the crime scene, walk through the alley until you see a red ‘Instaheat’ truck. On the opposite side of the alley, i.e. the building the truck is facing, there will be a police badge sitting on one of the windows to the right of the green door.
  

• Novel (1/8): Underneath the pillow on the sofa, you’ll find the first novel. The Girl.
  

Buyer Beware

• Police Badge (3/20): Just right behind the yellow trashcan which holds the FN Browning pistol there will be a police badge lying on the ground.
  
• Novel (2/8): – In the way back of the shoe store (Nunn-Bush) where you interview Clovis Galleta there will be a novel lying on the round, green couch. Hell of An Affair.
  

• Police Badge (4/20): In the back of the gun store, under the stuffed bear lies a badge.
  

The Consul’s Car

• Record (1/7): In the beginning at the briefing room (the first room you appear in), check the top shelf of the front podium where Captain Gordon Leary is filling some papers. Jazz From the Coast.
  
• Police Badge (5/20): In Captain James Donelly’s office on the shelf behind the desk.
  
• Police Badge (6/20): In the basement you’ll find the police locker rooms. Check the urinals. The first one the row has a police badge on it.
  

• Police Badge (7/20): Hidden in one of the bushes between the right and rear side of the consul’s car and a pair of yellow police blockades lies another police badge close to a wooden box.
  

*Achievement Opportunity: “Home Run”* – At Jacob’s backyard you can get the achievement “Home Run”. Pick up the baseball bat and ball at the improvised baseball field. Throw the ball in the air and hit it with the bat. If you do it correctly, you’ll get the achievement.

• Police Badge (8/20):In the workshop, there is a police badge on a table behind the car being worked on and right underneath a clock on the wall.
  

• Novel (3/8): In the bedroom, half-way underneath the bed on the side closest to the window you’ll find another novel. Post-War Boom.
  
• Police Badge (9/20): Outside, in the backyard shed. There’s a badge on one of the workbenches.
  

Silk Stocking Murder

• Police Badge (10/20): There is a police badge in a planted pot in the back next to a cigarette machine.
  

• Police Badge (11/20): After climbing the 1st ladder following the blood pattern, lift the white constructor’s hat resting on one of the tables to reveal a police badge.
  

• Novel (4/8): Head upstairs and instead of going to Antonia’s room head the other direction. A novel is leaning on the left wall, between the two tables. See the Woman.
  

• Novel (5/8): In the bedroom, hidden between the wall and the right bedside table is the next novel. What’s in a Name.
  
• Police Badge (12/20): Open up the door in the kitchen and go out, the badge is on the floor of the wooden terrace.
  

• Police Badge (13/20): There is a police badge on top of the jukebox.
  

• (Police Badge 14/20): In the interview room, where you interview Angelo, look up. There is a badge just next to the fan up in the corner.
  

• Record (2/7): After interviewing Clem, he will direct you to the small warehouse in the back. There, on the counter against the wall with the green double doors is the album next to the bloody scalpel. Classic Jazz Album.
  

Reefer Madness

• Record (3/7): The record is in Archie Colmyer’s office (that you start in), on a shelf, between books. Soul Jazz.
  
• Police Badge (15/20): After the meeting in the office, walk out of the office and take a left to the terrace. On one of the green tables you’ll find a badge. As of March 19th 2020, There is no access to that terrace anymore. But there is a shield to find on one bench in the furthest corridor on the same floor of the office where you start. Thanks rogermorse for updating us on this!
  

• Record (4/7): In Mike Lyman’s Bar, before you’re about to question Freddy the Snitch, you can find a vinyl record just to the left of the jukebox. Piano Blues.
  

• Novel (6/8): Go into the bedroom that’s in the back by the right from the front entrance. Next to the newspaper with the 20th century market ad, you’ll find another novel. Naked Angel.
  
• Police Badge (16/20): There is a chicken pen connected to the garden shed in the backyard. On the right side of that pen, you’ll find another badge, close to the fence.
  

*Achievement Opportunity: “Soup in the Pot”* Juan Garcia’s House – When you’re in the garden shed pull one of the cans on the shelf towards you. You’ll open a hidden door. In there you’ll find two cans of Parnell’s Soup right by a can opener. To get the clue, you’ll only need to open one of the cans. If you open both cans, you’ll get the achievement “Soup in the Pot”.

*Achievement Opportunity: “High Flyer”* Juan Garcia’s House – When you’re leaving Garcia’s House you’ll have the option to either head to the 20th Century Market or Parnell’s Soup Factory. If you go to the factory you’ll get more out of the story as well as additional case clues (which aren’t important in the VR Cases) but if you go straight to the 20th Century Market you’ll get the achievement.

• Novel (7/8): To the left in the reception area, on the table next to the white couch you will find yet another novel. Black Dahlia & White Rose.
  
• Police Badge (17/20): There is a badge just behind the secretary’s desk on the 2nd floor (American Floor Convention i.e. 1st floor for European Convention). The desk is the one just outside the office with the name “H. Parnell” printed on it.
  
• Record (5/7): In Parnell’s office on the 2nd floor there is a record between a couple of books close to the record player. Essential Jazz.
  

A Different Kind of War

• Police Badge (18/20): There is a badge on the first shelf to the left from where you walk in.
  

• Novel (8/8): Enter the store, on top of the glass case in the middle you’ll find a novel. School For Murder.
  

• Record (6/7): Enter the front door, before you go left to the murder scene turn right and pick up the record album close to the window. Jazz Volume 01.
  
• Police Badge (19/20): In the room that is just next to Fontaine’s body there is a police badge on the floor just to right of the fireplace.
  

• Police Badge (20/20): There is an outhouse just next to the room with the strung up origami birds. In one of the stalls, just under the bogroll is a police badge.
  
• Record (7/7): There is a record in the room on the opposite side of the workbench with the flamethrower. The album is hidden behind the bedside table. The Jazz Album.