Rockstar Newswire

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.

With L.A. Noire's worldwide release upon us, check out some of the latest reviews to come in as well as some interesting articles about the making's of the game's 1940s Los Angeles:


"Rockstar has turned out its most pointed, and poignant, statement with L.A. Noire. The game tells a deeply moving and relevant story that speaks to the player because it feels so possible...  The Rockstar hallmark — gritty, believable, wry dialogue — is on full display." - The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/arts/video-games/la-noire-by-rockstar-games-review.html

"Here's what's most amazing about L.A. Noire: Rockstar Games and Team Bondi could have easily cranked out a GTA-style game set in this era and had a pretty strong title. However, they stepped outside that box and delivered a truly unique detective drama with detailed crime scenes and intense interrogations. That's enough evidence to label L.A. Noire as a potential game of the year." - USA Today: 4/4 Stars

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/05/review-la-noire-makes-its-case-for-game-of-the-year/1

"With computer games now out-selling DVDs it was only a matter of time before we had a game that could compete with Hollywood's storytelling - and L.A. Noire might just be it.... Without doubt one of the finest games you’ll play all year – and a benchmark for those to come." - Stuff: 5/5

http://www.stuff.tv/review/la-noire

"Rockstar and Team Bondi have created a game that nothing else even comes close to. We can't even draw comparison to anything else, because we can't think of anything remotely like it... Book your holiday now, and if you can't, get ready to call in sick. Make sure you break up with the missus/mister as well, 'cos you ain't going nowhere." - Maxim: 5/5

http://www.maxim.co.uk/entertainment/games/25519/la_noire_review.html

"with L.A. Noire, the partnership of innovative technology and assured craftsmanship demands your attention in ways other games don't. If you look away from Rockstar's latest, you could fail to notice something important–a clue to another evolutionary offshoot of what modern video games can be. You don't want to miss that; you'll need the evidence for later." - Techland: 9.1/10

http://techland.time.com/2011/05/17/arresting-development-l-a-noire-review/

 

Also, the guys at Popsci.com dug deep into the story surrounding the vintage aerial photography that was sourced to help create L.A. Noire's faithfully recreated mid-20th century Los Angeles:

"Rockstar's newest and perhaps most ambitious title, the marvel of technology and storytelling that is L.A. Noire, uses incredible face-mapping techniques to craft a startlingly subtle and realistic murder mystery game. But Rockstar's attention to detail didn't stop there: The team had decided to create an authentic depiction of the City of Angels in the 1940s, and needed as much data as they could find. Rockstar's ace in the hole? They relied on the services of a daredevil photographer named Robert Spence, known for documenting Los Angeles while hanging out of a plane's cockpit with his 46-pound camera."

The article includes insight from Simon Wood, one of the key members of the Team Bondi development team, responsible for the game's production design.
Read more here:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-05/using-extreme-aerial-photography-1920s-rockstar-rebuilt-1940s-los-angeles-la-noire?cmpid=tw


Previously:
L.A. Noire First Reviews from GameSpot, The Guardian, Giant Bomb, 1Up & More 

On the eve of L.A. Noire's North American launch (coming to Europe and Australia this Friday), we present some of the very first reviews to hit today...

"L.A. Noire is a bold release, because it defies the expectations not just for the type of game Rockstar usually releases, but also for the type of game that receives this degree of care and proficiency in its execution." - Giant Bomb: 5/5

http://www.giantbomb.com/la-noire/61-21500/reviews/

"This is vastly different from the countless first- and third-person shooters and all the 'me too' open-world games sitting on store shelves. All the things I've only read about in Dashiell Hammett novels, or seen in film classics like Double Indemnity, have all come to interactive life in L.A. Noire. Team Bondi has gone to great lengths to wrap you up in the game's story, and from my experience they've succeeded. I investigated these crimes. I apprehended the suspects. I pieced together all the clues. L.A. Noire had me more involved in its first thirty minutes than some other games do in their entirety, and that makes this a game you may regret passing on. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon -- and for the rest of your gaming life." - 1UP: A

http://www.1up.com/reviews/la-noire-review

"Ever since it worked out how to assemble pixels so that they resembled something more recognisable than aliens, the games industry has dreamed of one thing above all else - a game that is indistinguishable from a film, except that you can control the lead character. With L.A. Noire, it just might, finally, have found the embodiment of that particular holy grail." - The Guardian: 5/5 Stars

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/may/16/la-noire-game-review

"L.A. Noire approaches the dichotomy of interaction and narrative by integrating them together inextricably... Each element of the game is so intertwined with the other that it takes some time to realize the subversive genius on display; the story is the game, the game is the story... L.A. Noire transcends genre and the expectations of what a game can be and casts a spell that I have yet to shake." - G4: 5/5

http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/51451/la-noire/review#ixzz1MXBVY2rB

"L.A. Noire is a game that needed making. It offers something truly unique in an unbeatable setting... a breath of fresh air in an otherwise increasingly stale industry." - NowGamer: 9.3/10

http://ps3.nowgamer.com/reviews/ps3/9811/la-noire

"What a marvellous advert L.A. Noire can be for the eclecticism of video games, taking familiar mechanics that have been honed down the years and moulding them into an ambitious drama of exceptional impact... on the strength of this case, I can only hope the rest of the industry follows LA Noire’s lead." - The Telegraph: 9/10

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8516469/LA-Noire-review.html

"L.A. Noire is a unique game with a terrific sense of period atmosphere, absorbing investigation mechanics, and a haunting tale with plenty of moments that would be right at home in a classic film noir." - Gamespot: 9/10 Editor's Choice

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/lanoire/review.html?tag=topten%3Ballscore%3B1&page=1

“L.A. Noire is a staggering technological achievement, offering up a fantastically detailed open world, a hugely engrossing story, varied gameplay and some of the best acting performances ever to appear in a game. More impressively, all of its parts work together beautifully, creating an immensely fun adventure that’s worth replaying at least once." - GamesRadar: 9/10

http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3/la-noire/review/la-noire-review/a-2011051693529489014/g-2006092512588826087/p-3

"If you really want to appreciate the aesthetics (especially the best-in-class lighting), turn on black-and-white mode and see just how closely Team Bondi and Rockstar have replicated the look of a classic film... This is a little glimpse of an explored territory in interactive media, a hint at an incredibly exciting future that I can only hope we're hurtling towards." - Joystiq: 4.5/5

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/16/la-noire-review/

"L.A. Noire is a testament to the possibility of bringing dark, adult, mature games to the mainstream market... truly mature, with the kind of narrative you'd only expect to see in a major TV drama series or crime movie. No game released this generation has tackled the subject matter found in L.A. Noire with the same degree of intelligence and respect, and no game has so seamlessly blended gameplay from various genres together so seamlessly, in a way that delivers something far more unique in experience than the sum of its parts. Add that sense of uniqueness and intelligence to the fact that L.A. Noire is a terrific bloody videogame, and you have what is guaranteed to be a classic for years to come. True maturity and narrative depth in mainstream gaming begins right here." - Destructoid: 9/10

http://www.destructoid.com/review-l-a-noire-201203.phtml


Look for more reviews throughout this release week...
 

** Update: GTTV has now posted the episode online - watch it right here above or at http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/gametrailers-tv/119?ep=119.

Tune in to tonight's episode of GTTV for a special feature on L.A. Noire, visiting the Depth Analysis studio in Los Angeles for an exclusive interview with Team Bondi's Brendan McNamara and a look inside the MotionScan rig used for capturing the realistic performances in L.A. Noire along with some never before seen footage. GTTV airs at 1am Eastern time tonight on Spike, and you can also look for it to be posted online tomorrow at Gametrailers.com.

Check out a teaser for the episode here: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-408-gt-tv/712721

Don't say we didn't warn you.

We recently dropped a few teaser screenshots to let you know more Max info was on the way. This week, the latest issue of Edge magazine has made its way to subscribers and will hit newsstands across the UK with a long-awaited look at Max Payne 3, featuring all-new screens, artwork and lots of new information. We won't spoil it for you, but readers of the issue will be treated to a detailed look unveiling the design approach to Max Payne 3, as well as giving some insights into what makes Sao Paulo the perfect location to continue Max's harrowing story - and impressions of the game's intense, evolved action.

"Contrasting with all of this carefully choreographed scene creation is the fluidity and realism of the physical interactions. Fights are fraught, fast and brutal, as you'd expect. But now bullet-time - charged by killing enemies, as ever - has a layer of beauty to match its gameplay impact. As with RDR, the level of graphical detail on offer delivers astonishing action moments - glass smashes, blood spurts, furniture collapses - but here it's fragmented and slowed to show off the fine physical elements... this looks to be what Rockstar has always promised - Max Payne re-interpreted and re-energised for the contemporary shooter fanatic."


Look for the issue on UK shelves this week and keep an eye out at the Newswire - we'll be back with more exclusive Max Payne 3 info and images soon.

Previously:
He’s Coming.

For their 20th anniversary, renowned UK men's magazine, Esquire reached out to 20 creators that they felt represented the theme of 'Man At His Best,' and asked them to design a unique version of the Esquire cover for that issue. Rockstar Games had the honor of being selected alongside such esteemed company as comedian and Grand Theft Auto IV alumni Ricky Gervais, drum'n'bass legend Goldie, Saville Row tailor Richard James among others. Our cover art, designed to reflect the decay that exists alongside all things beautiful, definitely warrants close inspection - not only is it a little creepier than it appears at first glance, but you might see a few things you recognize from our games across the years. Check Esquire's write-up on Rockstar Games, alongside the full range of 'Man At His Best' covers on the Esquire UK website here: http://www.esquire.co.uk/category/design-technology/design/20th-anniversary-special/

Check out some of the latest previews to hit of L.A. Noire, including OPM UK's cover story exclusive look at the Vice desk case, "The Black Caesar".  Calling the game a 'crime classic,' the magazine lauded the blend of technology and gameplay:

"The faces, the faces. Play L.A. Noire for the first time and it's impossible not to be drawn in... They're immediately striking, with Motionscan technology providing a level of detail that I've never seen in a game before." - OPM UK

Here's just a sample of a few other new previews from around the web:

Giant Bomb: "Certainly you know you are looking at a game character, but I can't recall a time when I've seen anything this believable and realistic. Lip movements are phenomenal and accurate, with none of the awkward fish-mouthed movements one tends to associate with games. More impressive are the eyes, which don't just dart around based on random algorithms or stare straight ahead at you, like a dead-eyed automaton. Interrogating a suspect, you see the subtle movements, the wrinkles in their brow, the throwaway looks downward that signal something might be amiss. I'm trying to avoid hyperbole because, again, this was just a 30-minute demo. But over the course of that demo, I saw such a wide array of expressions and facial features that frankly, I just couldn't help but be impressed."
Read more: http://www.giantbomb.com/news/sleuthing-through-the-back-alleys-of-la-noire/2981/

Examiner.com: "Rockstar may be known for developing games that push the envelope of what should be viewed and done in games – especially with the Grand Theft Auto franchise... L.A. Noire is looking to deliver a strong, mature, and adult experience that no game before it has been able to produce and, with this type of delivery, forever change the way people view mature games... without question, L.A. Noire was the PAX East 'Game of Show'. That isn't a knock to any of the other great titles on the expo floor, because there were plenty, but what was shown by L.A. Noire felt revolutionary and has the opportunity to be a true game industry changer."
Read more: http://www.examiner.com/video-game-in-national/pax-east-l-a-noire-preview-pax-east-game-of-show

G4TV: "...a near-literal translation of L.A. Confidential into an actual video game experience, with a lot more scope added to it. Seeing Los Angeles from the late 1940's turned into a living, breathing world is amazing, and Rockstar [and Team Bondi] motion-scanned over 400 extras to populate the world with people who help complete that illusion. I've left a lot of detail out here, as I don't want to spoil this game and the excitement of investigation for anyone. It's enough to hear or read about this game, but to see where it truly shines, you really need to experience it for yourself."
Read more: http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/51451/la-noire/articles/73884/LA-Noire-PAX-East-2011-Preview----The-Red-Lipstick-Murder/

Previously:
L.A. Noire at PAX East: Recap & Previews Roundup
The Gaming Press Goes Hands-On With L.A. Noire
Life And Crime in 1947 Los Angeles: L.A. Noire Interviews and Previews from IGN, Fast Company & More

This past weekend, we packed up several large trucks and took L.A. Noire on the road, playing through 30 minutes worth of the "Red Lipstick Murder" case live for fans in a custom-built exhibition theater on the show floor at the Penny Arcade Expo in Boston.

Cheers to everyone who ventured out to the show and made it through the line to see the game - with the non-stop tunes from our resident DJ, and lots of giveaways of Rockstar and L.A. Noire stickers, tees and posters - the booth was indeed buzzing.  A very special shout to all the fans who fed back to us via Twitter and Facebook too - the response to the game was phenomenal, and we really can't wait for you guys to all experience the full game for yourselves this May.

For those that were not able to make it, fortunately the gaming press turned out in force for PAX as well, and we've got a roundup of new L.A. Noire previews from the show below. Also look for the t-shirts and posters we handed out to be available at the Rockstar Warehouse very soon.

"Rockstar’s pedigree for engrossing story and characters, combined with L.A. Noire’s unprecedented ambition and tech from Team Bondi, will make it the first of its kind." - GamesRadar

"Grand Theft Auto was Rockstar's innovative open world game, Red Dead Redemption was an innovative western, and L.A. Noire is set to be an innovative experience as a police officer from the 1940s with a realistic bent. Cole will experience a wide variety of cases as he moves from the traffic desk, to homicide, and beyond. If the entire game plays out like this single case shown at PAX East 2011, L.A. Noire will be one impressive game." - Escapist

"The amazing part of the demo were the mannerisms of characters being interrogated. Someone is being honest? They look Phelps right in the eye. Liars? They're cagey and fidget. Some of it is completely obvious; some of it is subtle; all of it was fantastic." - Shacknews

"Two minutes into the demo, one thing was immediately clear, Rockstar isn’t content to let their critically acclaimed winning streak fizzle out. Not only is LA Noire a technical achievement, it’s poised to offer the most unique, and subtle, gameplay experiences in the studio’s celebrated history." - Game Rant