As one of Game Rant’s most anticipiated titles of 2011, LA Noire is without question a buy. The real question however, is where to buy that game and whether or not to pre-order it.

In hopes that gamers have developed enough excitement over Rockstar’s latest, several pre-order bonuses have been announced that should make the decision of where to purchase the game that much more complicated.

Focusing mainly on items that will either assist or expand the game experience, these pre-order bonuses range from suits that will give protagonist Cole Phelps special skills to additional cases for the player to derive a bit more enjoyment out of the crime-solving/interrogation mechanic.

For a quick overview of each pre-order bonus and where you can obtain them see below:

AMAZON.com (Pre-Order):

“The Broderick” Detective Suit boosts your fist-fighting capabilities and resilience to damage. Throughout L.A. Noire while working cases, you’ll encounter quite a few suspects and persons of interest who prove to be resistant to arrest. Your hand-to-hand fighting skills will be called into action on these cases — the Broderick suit with its enhanced fighting abilities may be that edge in helping make that collar.

BEST BUY (Pre-Order)

“The Sharpshooter” Detective Suit enhances your aim with rifles and pistols. Always a worst case scenario for any detective working a case, there are of course those occasions for Cole Phelps when pursuing a suspect escalates to gunfire. In these tense shootouts, the Sharpshooter suit provides that extra aiming precision to take the criminal down.

GAMESTOP/EB Games (Pre-Order)

‘The Naked City’ Vice Case

In this bonus case from L.A. Noire’s Vice Desk, detective Cole Phelps investigates the supposed suicide of a stunning fashion model. Can you help Cole unravel the truth in a city blighted by drugs, corruption and greed, where the death of a beautiful woman is never as straightforward as it seems?

The Badge Pursuit Challenge

Hidden around L.A. Noire’s beautiful recreation of 1947 Los Angeles are 20 police badges to find and collect. If you can find all 20 of these badges, the dapper Button Man suit will be unlocked which provides extra ammo for all weapons. Each badge also provides 5 additional XP which will help further unlock Intuition Points — special credits that can be used to give Phelps a key investigative insight when you need it most.

WAL-MART (Web Pre-Order or In-store Purchase on May 17)

“A Slip of the Tongue” Traffic Case is a bonus case from the Traffic Desk in which a seemingly run of the mill car theft ends up sparking an explosive investigation into the largest auto fraud racket the city has ever seen.  With the stolen cars piling up and questionable characters at every turn, can you help Cole Phelps crack the biggest case so far in his career?

While each of these pre-order bonuses should have gamers scratching their heads over where to purchase from, they do shed a bit of light on the gameplay of LA Noire, something that hasn’t really been shown aside from an orientation trailer.

First, based on the various suits that are offered, it can be deduced that the player will be able to upgrade Cole Phelps via the various items of clothing he wears. Like John Marston in Red Dead Redemption, Cole’s skill set will be dependant on the outfit he is wearing.

The second clue from the bonuses indicates that, for those might have been wondering, LA Noire will carry some of the signature “distractions” Rockstar is known for, notably collection quests. While many were speculating that LA Noire was going to be a departure for Rockstar as a publisher and Team Bondi as a developer, it looks like the game might feel familiar, but will still be a new experience.

With three months to decide, which pre-order bonus are you leaning towards? How do you feel about LA Noire in light of its very Rockstar-esque features?

LA Noire releases May 17, 2011 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.