Warrants Outstanding

Guide for 'Warrants Outstanding' in L.A. Noire, focusing on the foot chase and apprehension of a suspect.

The "Warrants Outstanding" street crime is a dynamic and often exhilarating chase sequence, putting your pursuit skills to the test. Unlike many other cases in L.A. Noire, there's no intricate investigation, no subtle interrogation, and no complex crime scene analysis. This is pure, unadulterated foot pursuit, demanding quick reflexes, keen observation, and strategic use of the environment to apprehend your target.

Your primary objective is simple: apprehend the suspect before they escape your line of sight for too long, or before they reach a designated escape point. Success hinges on maintaining constant pressure and utilizing the urban landscape to your advantage.

Phase 1: Initiating the Pursuit

The "Warrants Outstanding" street crime typically triggers when you are patrolling or responding to a dispatch call in a specific district. A pedestrian will be identified as having outstanding warrants, and upon your approach, they will attempt to flee. Be prepared for an immediate sprint.

• Initial Approach: As soon as the suspect is identified, immediately begin sprinting (hold down the sprint button/key). Don't hesitate or try to get too close before they bolt; they will almost always run.
• Situational Awareness: Take a quick mental note of your immediate surroundings. Are there alleys, construction sites, or busy streets nearby? This will inform your initial pursuit strategy.

Phase 2: Maintaining Line of Sight and Utilizing the Environment

This is the core of the challenge. The suspect will attempt to break line of sight by ducking into alleys, vaulting over fences, and weaving through crowds. Your ability to mirror their movements and find faster routes is crucial.

Key Strategies for Pursuit:

• Mirroring Movement: Generally, try to follow the suspect's path as closely as possible. If they turn left, you turn left. If they vault, you vault. This is your baseline strategy.
• Anticipating Turns: Pay attention to the suspect's body language. They often lean into turns slightly before making them. Anticipating this can shave precious seconds off your pursuit.
• Environmental Shortcuts (Crucial!): This is where you gain the upper hand. Look for opportunities to cut corners or bypass obstacles that the suspect has to navigate more slowly.
• Alleyways: If the suspect runs around a block, look for a straight-through alleyway. These can often cut off significant distance.
• Fences and Walls: While the suspect might vault a fence, you might be able to find a gap or a lower section to vault more quickly, or even run around a very short fence rather than over it.
• Construction Sites: These are often chaotic but can offer unique shortcuts. Look for scaffolding you can climb, or unfinished sections of buildings you can run through.
• Parked Cars/Obstacles: Instead of running around a long line of parked cars, look for gaps you can squeeze through or vault over the hoods of lower vehicles.
• Building Entrances/Lobbies: Occasionally, a suspect might dart through a building's ground floor. If you see this, follow suit. These are rare but effective shortcuts.
• Stairs vs. Ramps: If a suspect takes a long ramp, look for a nearby staircase, which is almost always faster for you.
• Crowd Navigation: Weaving through pedestrians can be frustrating. Try to anticipate gaps and use the "shove" mechanic (often a quick tap of the sprint button while moving) to push through minor obstructions without losing too much momentum.
• Stamina Management: While you have good stamina, continuous sprinting will eventually deplete it. Try to maintain a steady sprint, but if you find yourself gaining significant ground, you can briefly ease off the sprint to recover a little, then re-engage.

Common Environmental Shortcuts & Examples:

While specific locations vary, these types of shortcuts are common across the game's districts:

• Pershing Square (Central): If a suspect runs around the perimeter, look for opportunities to cut through the park itself, especially near the central fountain or through the pedestrian walkways.
• Wilshire Boulevard (Hollywood): Many buildings here have accessible ground-floor lobbies or small courtyards that can connect two streets, allowing you to bypass a block. Keep an eye out for open doors.
• Bunker Hill (Downtown): This area is characterized by steep inclines and staircases. If a suspect takes a winding road, look for a direct set of stairs to ascend or descend.
• Back Alleys of Downtown: These are a maze but often contain direct paths that cut through entire blocks, bypassing main streets.

Phase 3: Apprehension

Once you've closed the distance, the apprehension phase begins. There are two primary ways to end the chase:

• Tackle: Get close enough to the suspect (usually within a few feet) and press the designated tackle button/key. This will initiate a brief animation where Cole subdues the suspect.
• Cornering: Sometimes, you can corner a suspect in an alley or against an insurmountable obstacle. If they have nowhere left to run, they will often surrender automatically.

Potential Challenges and Common Pitfalls:

• Losing Line of Sight: The most common failure point. If the suspect gets too far ahead or ducks behind too many obstacles, a "Suspect Escaped" message will appear, and the street crime will fail. Be aggressive in your pursuit.
• Getting Stuck on Geometry: L.A. Noire's environment can sometimes be finicky. Be careful not to get caught on small ledges, railings, or tight corners, as this can cost you crucial seconds.
• Traffic Accidents: Running into moving vehicles can stun Cole for a moment, giving the suspect a significant lead. Try to anticipate traffic flow and cross streets safely, even if it means a slight detour.
• Ignoring Shortcuts: Relying solely on mirroring the suspect's path will often lead to failure, especially against faster or more agile targets. Actively look for and utilize shortcuts.
• Premature Tackle Attempts: Trying to tackle from too far away will often result in Cole just running past the suspect, giving them an opportunity to widen the gap. Wait until you are very close.
• Suspect Reaching Escape Point: Some "Warrants Outstanding" scenarios have a hard escape point (e.g., a train station, a specific building entrance). If the suspect reaches this point, they escape regardless of your proximity. These are less common but require an even more aggressive pursuit.

Rewards:

Successfully apprehending the suspect in "Warrants Outstanding" contributes to your overall case progression and often grants:

• Experience Points (XP): For completing the street crime.
• Intuition Points: Occasionally, completing street crimes can award Intuition Points, which are valuable for investigations.
• Game Completion Percentage: Contributes to your 100% game completion.

Mastering "Warrants Outstanding" is less about brute force and more about intelligent navigation and relentless pursuit. Keep your eyes peeled for shortcuts, maintain pressure, and you'll bring these fugitives to justice every time.