There’s something about games with almost eon-long gestation periods that people in this industry naturally gravitate toward. Add in a juicy exclusivity angle and a famous publisher, and such titles almost generate hype organically, like a self-replicating super-virus that feeds on fanboy vitriol and stupidity.
Team Bondi’s L.A. Noire had been on a roll in terms of commanding Internet inches without actually producing much by the way of intriguing material. Sure, we got a rain-soaked glimpse all those months ago, but what has really kept the L.A. Noire hype-train on track was whether or not it would remain a PS3 exclusive. Then we got that wonderful footage (here again, below) showing off the studio’s customised MotionScan technology, a filming process that allows the developers to capture the actors as they perform their roles in a room, including their faces, thus allowing for some of the best lip-syncing we’ve seen so far in gaming.
Announced in 2004 as a project “fully funded by Sony Computer Entertainment America,” the situation gradually changed over the coming years, likely due to the project’s spiralling costs and the need (or basic desire) to also bring the Xbox 360 in on the mad-hatter’s party. In exchange, Sony got another, different exclusive Rockstar game – Agent. At least, that’s the general consensus on the whole scenario. As all this happened behind closed doors, it’s hard to tell exactly just what was horse-traded.
L.A. Noire is something different yet remarkably familiar. Fans of writers such as James Ellroy and Raymond Chandler, not to mention the morally ambiguous genre-films such as A Touch of Evil, The Asphalt Jungle and You Only Live Once, will immediately recognise L.A. Noire’s tone, motifs and signature contrasting chiaroscuro lighting. It’s all tough-guy, punch-to-the-eye-first-show-your-badge-second bravado, deadly femme fatales, with an open-ended murder tale ripe for the solving, all set to a gorgeous, smoky jazz soundtrack.
What’s impressed us most, apart from the authentic 1940s visual style, is its high production values; a staple of all Rockstar games. Brendan McNamara, President of Sydney-based Team Bondi, knows a thing or two about creating meticulous representations of a particular location, having done so to some degree with The Getaway when he was at Sony Computer Entertainment’s Team Soho Studio in London.
Team Bondi’s moody and oneiric pastiche to the noir genre is scheduled for launch on the PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime in Q1/Q2 2011.
GhostViper
I want to see Sunset Boulevard again after watching this trailer.
TSBonyman
It’s certainly sounding .. intriguing, and the facial animations are strikingly authentic. I’m expecting it to play more like Heavy Rain than GTA and that’s fine by me.
Guyers94
I still thought this was a PS3 exclusive? I guess not. Looks extremely interesting either way, I love Rockstar and I know they wouldn’t put so much effort into something that was anything less than ground-breaking.
aerobes
Looking seriously special and everything those half-baked naff detective knock-offs promised to be. Thankyou for posting this, Kovacs. It’s right up there with Mass Effect 2 and Beyond Good & Evil for me.
DrNate86
I think this is the game I am most interested to see next year. I don’t necessarily want it yet, but it is at least very intriguing at the moment!
Phil_E
the lip syncing does stand out quite a lot. after playing this it will seem a large backstep to anything using and looking like games currently do
Rocket_345
This is a game that i really want. But with so many games coming out next year i don’t know whether my wallet will be able to afford it.