But what a first game it was. Releasing in 2011 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC (before getting PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch ports in the years that followed), the open world title was truly a breath of fresh air, and though it was obviously plagued by a number of behind-the-scenes development issues at the now-defunct Team Bondi, the end product enjoyed widespread critical acclaim, and over time, impressive sales- to the point that it’s still surprising that we never got an L.A. Noire 2. Whether that will ever change is anyone’s best guess- but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We’re here to talk about the original game, and just what made it as good as it was.

There’s a lot to go over here, but I suppose it makes sense to start off with the game’s use of facial capture technology, which, at the time, was nothing short of revolutionary. Motion and performance capture have become commonplace in games now, but back in 2011, at a time where the technology was still very rarely being used in the industry, L.A. Noire almost made it its star attraction, capturing the nuanced facial ticks and movements of the actors’ faces, which enabled some of the most detailed and authentic performances we had seen in games at the time.

That was also something that the game made use of in its gameplay, with players being tasked with studying characters’ faces and facial movements during interrogations to try and figure out if they were being honest about specific things. Did it work perfectly? Well, no. L.A. Noire’s faces often found themselves lingering into uncanny valley territory, while you’ll also find plenty of hilarious clips of facial animation glitches in the game out there. But by and large, the end result was massively impressive, and certainly helped the game craft a very unique identity for itself.

All of that was, unsurprisingly, also a massive boost for the game’s storytelling ambitions, which, incidentally, was another area that L.A. Noire excelled in. Boasting perfect pacing, heavy stakes, and satisfying emotional payoffs, L.A. Noire was nothing short of a storytelling masterpiece. Deserving special praise was its cast of characters, and in particular, protagonist Cole Phelps. Played excellently by Aaron Staton, charting Cole’s career as a cop across different departments was captivating from the first second to last. Thanks to its tight writing, the game did an excellent job of exploring the ugly nuances of everything from organizational corruption to rampant crime to Cole’s own personal demons. To this day, L.A. Noire probably ranks as one of the best narratives we’ve experienced in a Rockstar title. All of that was helped even more by the game’s period setting.

It’s no secret to anyone that Rockstar’s open world titles have an incredible track record where their settings are concerned, and L.A. Noire’s recreation of 1947 Los Angeles is right up there with the best of the best open world cities we’ve seen in games published by Rockstar. In terms of its systems, mechanics, or optional activities, it may not have broken any new ground, but though the open world setting was a by-the-numbers one in those areas, where it really stood out was how authentic and incredibly atmospheric it was.

L.A. Noire captured the atmosphere of its period setting to pitch-perfection, and simply existing in the world and driving about its obsessively detailed streets was a pleasure in and of itself. More than anything else, it served as the perfect backdrop for the story’s noir, detective thriller trappings. So perfect was the game’s blend of its setting and its central premise, it was impossible not to be impressed by not only how singular its vision was, but how cohesive it remained in its execution, in spite of how disparate so many of the experience’s individual elements might have seemed on paper.

Of course, from a pure, moment-to-moment gameplay perspective, there was plenty to like about L.A. Noire. With its driving mechanics and its combat, the game didn’t exactly offer anything we hadn’t already seen in a bevy of open world games before, but even so, those activities remained enjoyable on a fundamental level. It wasn’t the combat or the driving that really served as the game’s highlight, but rather how immaculately its gameplay loop captured its whole investigative premise. Chasing leads, gathering clues, catching suspects, interrogating people- a lot of games have had players engage in such activities, but very few of them manage to do it this effectively. L.A. Noire truly put you in the shoes of someone investigating a variety of heinous crimes, and putting all the pieces together and unraveling the game’s many mysteries remained immensely satisfying right up until the credits rolled.

In more ways than one, it was a game with lofty ambitions, and more importantly, a game that could actually back those ambitions with how it implemented them. Above all else though, it was unique. Open world games are a dime a dozen now, and even though they weren’t nearly as common back in 2011, they weren’t exactly sparse either. In spite of their numbers, however, very rarely did they try something new and different the way L.A. Noire did.

All of which brings us back full circle to the question we started with. L.A. Noire was obviously a great game, and it certainly sold quite well, too, having shipped 7.5 million units worldwide by September 2017 (and given the fact that the game launched for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch just a couple of months after that, it’s safe to say that its sales numbers have grown since that last update). So how come we never got a sequel? Yes, the developer, Team Bondi had to shut itself down mere months after the game came out, but in the years that followed, Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive called L.A. Noire an important franchise for its catalog on a number of occasions. However, with the exception of re-releases and The VR Case Files, which launched in December 2017, L.A. Noire has been almost entirely dead.

Will that ever change? There’s nothing that suggests that it won’t, but unfortunately, at the same time, there’s nothing that suggests it will either. We sincerely hope we do get to see an L.A. Noire 2 at some point in the not-too-distant future though, because clearly, this is a game that deserves a sequel. Hell, it demands one.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

L.A. Noire received a remastered release on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, exposing a new generation to the crime noir of Rockstar’s more unorthodox franchise. Though the VR version is still pending, the developer has announced that L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files would arrive on December 15th. It will be available for HTC Vive exclusively.

The VR version was originally set to release alongside other platforms but was subsequently delayed. It takes place from the perspective of detective Cole Phelps and has you investigating seven cases that have been built for VR from the ground-up.

The usual inspection and manipulation of objects is included but you’ll also be driving, fist-fighting, chasing down criminals and either taking notes or making your own sketches. Then there are the classic interrogation scenes where you must outsmart a witness to either gain more information or find out if they’re the criminal.

To pre-purchase L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, head on over to Steam.

Even though parent company Take 2 Interactive was listed among the third parties currently working on titles for the system, I am sure that no one really expected Rockstar to actually support Nintendo’s Switch. However, it sounds like they may actually be supporting it after all… in a most unexpected way.

A couple of well known insiders on NeoGAF (as well as on Twitter), each with established track records when it comes to discussing and leaking Nintendo related news, have revealed that a remaster of L.A. Noire is in the works for the Nintendo Switch, and it is due to release later this year. Importantly, the remaster will also be hitting PC, PS4, and Xbox One- but it coming to the Switch is the big, unexpected news here.

As for why this particular game was chosen is anybody’s guess- there is little doubt that of all of Rockstar’s games, this one is probably the one with the most overlap with the traditional Nintendo audience’s preferences (owing to its superficial similarities due to visual novels like Ace Attorney). That apart, it is also possible that this is one of the Rockstar games that the Switch can run, and that they were porting it to Xbox One and PS4 anyway, and also decided to put it on the Switch while they were at it.

If this rumor holds true – and right now it’s a pretty big if – then this remaster could portend future support from Rockstar beyond just this, especially if it is successful. It will be interesting to see just how much the rumor holds water in the coming months.

We have our first look at the leaked gameplay footage of Whore of the Orient, developed by the team behind 2011’s L.A. Noire, Team Bondi.

We are not sure how far the game is in production, but the game does look like it needs a lot of polish. The video shows choppy animations, uneven frame rates and is not looking solid gameplay wise. But again, this might be a concept video or just something that is showing a work in progress.

The development of Whore of the Orient has not really been a smooth ride ever since Warner Bros. did not showed interest in the game. Back in April of this year, there were rumors that Team Bondi has been shut down as they were unavailable to find a publisher for the Whore of the Orient.

Whore of the Orient is confirmed to be releasing on the PS4, Xbox One and PC. The story of the game is written by Brendan McNamara.

Source: VideoGamer

Team Bondi has been closed due to being unable to find a publisher for Whore of the Orient. The LA Noire developer was earlier embroiled in a controversy of not paying their staff members, and that led to their reputation being smashed into pieces.

The game was published by Rockstar Games and had sold approximately 4 million units. It’s not clear whether the publisher has been closed since MCV is reporting using an unnamed source.

“KMM was working on a detective thriller set in 1936 entitled ‘Whore of the Orient’, which was likely to use Depth Analysis again for some incredible and high quality acted visuals,” the site reads.

The development has stopped on the project for now and it has yet to be confirmed whether it’s true or not.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/team-bondi-closed-rumour/feed 0 150600 https://gamingbolt.com/la-noire-sequel-a-possibility-say-rockstar https://gamingbolt.com/la-noire-sequel-a-possibility-say-rockstar#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:24:56 +0000 http://gamingbolt.com/?p=66810 Does the closing of Team Bondi mean the end of LA Noire? ‘Not necessarily,’ say Rockstar (essentially). In a recent Q&A post on the company website, Rockstar responded to Dezpoztomuz eloquently phrased question – “Hey R* is there gonna be something more about L.A. Noire?” – with this: ” Don’t count out the possibility of a new game in the L.A. Noire franchise in the future. We simply have not decided anything. We’re all very pleased with how that game turned out and are considering what the future may hold for L.A. Noire as a series. We don’t always rush to make sequels, but that does not mean we won’t get to them eventually – see Max and Red Dead for evidence of that – we have so many games we want to make and the issue is always one of bandwidth and timing.”

Is this anything concrete? No, but at best the information will create some hope for fans of jazz and snazzy suits everywhere. At worst, it will spawn a dozen speculative articles…

L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition, in addition to being made available for PC, is coming to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this November.

Similar to its PC counterpart, L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition on consoles will feature all of the previously released DLC including the “Nicholson Electroplating” Arson case, the “Reefer Madness” Vice case, “The Consul’s Car” Traffic case, “The Naked City” Vice case and “A Slip of the Tongue” Traffic case – as well as the Badge Pursuit Challenge and all weapons and outfits released to date.

Developed by Team Bondi in conjunction with Rockstar Games, L.A. Noire is a crime thriller set in post World War II Los Angeles. As Detective Cole Phelps, players must search for clues, interrogate suspects and chase down criminals to solve a series of cases inspired by real world incidents. As he rises through the ranks of the LAPD, Phelps comes face-to-face with the corrupt heart of Los Angeles: from fallen starlets to double-dealing police officers and the vast reaches of the criminal underworld – and finally, the darkness of his own personal demons.

The abusive work conditions at Team Bondi, which came to light a few months back have had some undesirable side-effects for the studio. Understandably, no one wants to work there and Team Bondi boss, Brendan McNamara is in merger talks, hoping for his studio to get absorbed by George Miller’s KNM studio.

Rockstar has been a bit reluctant to publish Team Bondi’s next game. In a way, it’s a bit funny after all, Red Dead Redemption studio, Rockstar San Diego was hit with similar allegations.

According to a Kotaku Source, “The word is going round that Team Bondi is being folded into KMM studios, Team Bondi is pretty much doomed after the scandal and can’t find any new supporters, so by doing this they can hide their name.”

McNamara is hoping that the studio gets absorbed so that he doesn’t have to face a large scale backlash. You can read more about the story here.

Rockstar have announced that LA Noire will hit PC this fall along with 3D support.

Check the PR below:

PC gaming aficionados, we hear you. And today, we are very happy to announce that L.A. Noire will be arriving on the PC platform this fall.

Developed by Rockstar Leeds and built to run on a wide range of PCs, L.A. Noire’s robust feature customization includes keyboard remapping and gamepad functionality to both optimize and customize performance and user experience. Along with increased fidelity and improved graphical enhancements, the PC version will also feature 3D support for an even greater sense of interaction and immersion within a painstakingly detailed 1940s Los Angeles.

Originally developed by Team Bondi in conjunction with Rockstar Games, L.A. Noire is a crime thriller set in post World War II Los Angeles. As Detective Cole Phelps, players must search for clues, interrogate suspects and chase down criminals to solve a series of cases based on real world incidents. As he rises through the ranks of the LAPD, Phelps comes face-to-face with the corrupt heart of Los Angeles: from fallen starlets to double-dealing police officers and the vast reaches of the criminal underworld  and finally, the darkness of his own personal demons.

For much, much more about L.A. Noire, visit www.rockstargames.com/lanoire and stay tuned for the PC version release date announcement.

The penultimate DLC case for L.A. Noire, “Nicholson Electroplating” is now available for download via PlayStation Network (£3.19) and Xbox LIVE (320 MS Points). For holders of the Rockstar Pass, the case is now unlocked for download at no charge.

About Nicholson Electroplating

At 9:45 in the morning, a thunderous explosion rocks Los Angeles. City blocks are flattened and smoke and ash fill the air. Detectives Phelps and Biggs race to the site of the former Nicholson Electroplating plant to find a pile of unanswered questions. What caused the explosion? What were Nicholson’s employees working on? And where are chief chemist Dr Harold McLellan and his mysterious female assistant?

The all-new case sees Phelps and partner Biggs digging for clues amongst the rumble of city blocks devastated by the explosion. Over the course of their investigation not only will the duo interrogate new witnesses and suspects, but also explore entirely new locations including the hangar that houses Howard Hughes’ famous Spruce Goose.

Below you will find a link to with all-new screenshots and the Nicholson Electroplating trailer. In addition, a case fact sheet and a detailed description of the real-life O’Connor Electroplating Company disaster are located in the attachments for your reference. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.