LA Noire 2 began trending in gaming circles over the weekend as a rumor made rounds that its former developers are making a new thriller set in the 1940s. The rumor stemmed from an Instagram post by Australian composer Freyja Garbett, and while she did indeed work on an LA Noire based project, it wasn’t quite what we thought.

Fans renew demands for LA Noire 2

In a now deleted Instagram post, Garbett uploaded photos of a recorded session for something called “Sowden House.” “From the creators of LA Noire comes Sowden House, a psychological thriller set in 1940s LA that will have you questioning your sanity,” she wrote, expressing excitement for working on a video game.

Sowden House is a reference to Black Dhalia murder as its prime suspect once owned the residence in LA.

The studio behind the project, Video Games Deluxe, is exclusively working for Rockstar Games. Unfortunately, however, an official statement debunking the rumor revealed that Sowden House was just a tech demo.

“We commissioned some music from a local composer Freyja Garbett for a VR project that we were working on a number of years ago when between projects,” the statement reads. “It is based on a case from LA Noire that did not make the cut but was more of a tech demo than anything else. We have no idea whether this will ever see the light of day but we decided to finish the score commission to support a local composer.”

Garbett has since deleted the Instagram post.

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Rockstar Games has lost veteran writer Michael Unsworth, whose works include Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption games. Unsworth’s departure was revealed by a recent update to his LinkedIn profile.

Michael Unsworth worked on GTA IV and V and both Red Dead Redemption games

In a career spanning more than 16 years, Unsworth worked as a creative lead on a number of projects. Other than the GTA and Red Dead Redemption series, he worked on Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire. His most recent role at Rockstar was vice president of writing.

According to Unsworth’s LinkedIn page, he left sometime this year. It’s unclear if he worked on GTA VI or not since his profile makes no mention of the game. It’s possible that he purposely skipped any mention of GTA VI to avoid speculations and unwanted attention.

Unfortunately for Unsworth, the update to his LinkedIn profile was enough to spark speculations. Fans have expressed concerns over the timing of his departure, especially considering his seniority at Rockstar.

While GTA VI is confirmed to be in development, there’s no word of its release or even a reveal. Rumors continue to swirl about the game’s launch window, but so far, we’ve seen nothing concrete.

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LA Noire was remastered on PS4 a few years ago, but is it coming to PS5? When released on Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2011, the detective game was a hit, so it would be reasonable to expect a modern remaster.

Is there an LA Noire PS5 release date?

There is no LA Noire release date for PS5. Rockstar has not announced any remaster for the detective thriller, let alone a release date.

Is LA Noire coming out on PS5?

LA Noire is not coming out on PS5. While Rockstar could announce a remaster for current-gen consoles, at the time of writing, there are no plans to release the game for PS5. However, there is some consolation for PS5 owners.

However, you can still play LA Noire on PS5 — the PS4 version is backwards compatible, meaning that

Secondly, Take-Two announced last year they would be developing sequels for multiple existing IPs. While we haven’t heard anything regarding an LA Noire sequel for PS5, this statement technically covers the detective game.

In other news, the Overwatch 2 roadmap teases new events and heroes, and our Humanity review praised its satisfying puzzle mechanics.

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Most of the focus in Take-Two Interactive’s financial results was on the success of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, although several others like Red Dead Redemption, Borderlands and NBA 2K also received mentions. However, one of the things the company’s CEO Strauss Zelnick also said was that they would be releasing sequels to many “beloved franchises”. This has got fans’ hopes up for a sequel to long dormant franchises like Midnight Club, LA Noire, Max Payne, and Bully.

Will we ever get Bully 2?

Rumors surrounding the development of Bully 2 have been going on for years with several claims of the game being in development before being canceled multiple times. The latest claimed the game was still in development despite Rockstar’s announcement of the next game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. This was after the game was supposed to be shown at The Game Awards but was pulled from the lineup at the last minute for unknown reasons. Zelnick’s statement in the company’s earnings call, as transcribed by Seeking Alpha, has only served to fuel those rumors, after he said the future pipeline for their studios included sequels to many beloved franchises:

We have the strongest and most diverse pipeline in our company’s history, comprised of new intellectual properties, as well as sequels to many of our beloved franchises. We look forward to delivering many of these titles in the coming months and beyond.

Of course, there are some sequels that we already know about. There’s the aforementioned Grand Theft Auto game (assumed to be called GTA VI) and Kerbal Space Program 2. While not technically a sequel, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands could count within that statement, as could the upcoming WWE 2K22. The statement was also made the day before the release of OlliOlli World. Regardless, there is always the possibility that there are those that are yet to be announced. Interestingly, Zelnick also mentioned new intellectual properties, implying multiple new IPs in development. So far we only know about Marvel Midnight Suns, so there are definitely unannounced projects here too.

In other news, a second PS5 system software beta will start tomorrow alongside another PS4 beta. Both consoles will get to try open parties while the former will also get to try voice commands. Elsewhere, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Pacific Season 2 will introduce chemical warfare and armored vehicles on February 14.

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Rockstar has announced they will be ending the online services for GTA Online, Max Payne 3, and L.A. Noire on PlayStation 3. Max Payne and L.A. Noire will be closing in September wile GTA Online will be available until December.

The developer will be closing the PS3 online services for GTA Online because they will be concentrating on the launch of Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Services for the game on PlayStation 4 will be unaffected. On September 16, 2021, players will no longer be able to purchase Shark Cards on PS3. The PS3 online servers, including website stat tracking via the Rockstar Games Social Club, will then be closed on December 16, 2021. From this point, players will be able to play the campaign but will not be able to play any of the online modes.

Once the PS3 version is closed, players’ progress on this version of the game will be lost forever. There is no way of transferring progress or character profiles to the PS4 or upcoming PS5 version of the game. Any unused Shark Cards on PS3 will also be lost as these are platform specific and their value can’t be transferred to another platform.

GTA Online is not the only game to be affected by server closures. Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire will also have their online servers closed and lose all website stat tracking via the Rockstar Games Social Club. Both games will see their servers closed on September 16, 2021. Like GTA V, players will still be able to access the campaign and other offline modes after this date.

Both Max Payne 3 and Grand Theft Auto V have online trophies that will be affected by the server closure. If you haven’t earned these trophies by the time the servers are taken offline, this will also make the Platinum trophies unobtainable for you.

[Source: Rockstar Games (1, 2)]

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Gordon Hall, one of the founders of Rockstar Leeds, has passed away aged 51. News of Hall’s demise was first shared by Games Industry, who cited various industry professionals in the Yorkshire development scene, where Hall was based for a long time. A cause of death is not known.

“Gordon was simply brilliant to be around, incredibly motivating and ever positive,” Team17 co-founder Martyn Brown told Games Industry. “His pursuit of excellence was staggering and he formed a great, trusting bond with those who chose to work (hard) alongside him. As a close friend, he was truly inspirational and socially speaking a real energetic one-off who could endlessly entertain at the drop of a hat, holding everyone in the palm of his hand. Gordon will be very sadly missed.”

Hall worked on titles like Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and GTA: Chinatown Wars. In 2009, he worked on Red Dead Redemption with the Rockstar San Diego team, and also lent his talent to L.A. Noire. He co-founded Rockstar Leeds (formerly Mobius Entertainment Limited) in December 1997.

“We were very saddened to hear of the recent passing of Gordon Hall,” a Rockstar Games spokesperson told IGN. “During his time with us, Gordon helped create some truly amazing games and was instrumental in the creation of the classic, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. May he rest in peace. Our condolences go out to his family and friends for their loss.”

Hall is survived by his son. Our thoughts go out to his colleagues and loved ones.

[Source: Games Industry, IGN]

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In 2017, Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive brought Team Bondi’s L.A. Noire to current-gen platforms. PC players received a different version of the title around the same time, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files. Eventually, this particular release made its way to Sony’s PlayStation VR, as well. Interestingly, the studio behind The VR Case Files, Australian-based Video Games Deluxe, is hard at work on a new VR adventure. In fact, said adventure is an open-world project for Rockstar Games in Sydney.

Video Games Deluxe shared the news in a recent announcement via LinkedIn. The brief post describes the project as a “AAA open world title in VR for Rockstar.” Video Games Deluxe’s announcement continues, “2020 marks our 7th year of working exclusively for Rockstar in Sydney and we are excited to taking on this ground breaking project.” Finally, the post concludes by noting that a number of positions at the studio’s Sydney location are presently open. The team is hiring for Senior Programmers, Engine Programmer, Designer, and Animator.

At the time of writing, little else is known about the new AAA VR project. In addition, Rockstar Games has yet to formally announce plans concerning the game. Since it sounds as though production remains in its early stages, more concrete details are unlikely to surface anytime soon.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files provided players a new perspective. Similar to the base game, players had to drive around L.A., visit crime scenes, question witnesses, and interrogate suspects. It’s quite unlike any other VR experience. As such, it’ll be interesting to see how Video Games Deluxe expands its horizons in a new open-world VR project.

[Source: LinkedIn via VG247]

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In a surprise announcement, Sony took a bit of time out of its State of Play broadcast to confirm that L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is coming to the PlayStation VR. Even better? It hits the PlayStation Store today. At the time of writing, the title has yet to go live. As such, pricing details, download size, etc. remain under wraps. However, the $30 price tag on Steam is likely indicative of what PSVR owners should anticipate cost-wise.

We also know that it will come with three new minigames just for PSVR owners:

• Boxing: Step into the ring as Cole Phelps and take on 12 different opponents
• Speedcar Racing: Race classic 1940’s “Speedcar” vehicles against AI opponents on three new dirt tracks
• Shooting Galleries: Keep your eye in with target practice in four different shooting galleries, each with their own challenges, targets and weapons

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files coming to the Sony platform wasn’t an unknown possibility. Last month, a PSVR version appeared on a listing for PEGI ratings, the EU equivalent of the ESRB ratings board. This all but confirmed a PSVR port existed in some capacity.

With the original L.A. Noire experience having launched a couple of years ago on the PlayStation 4, The VR Case Files’ arrival is especially good news. It allows fans of the short-lived series to experience another handful of cases from Cole Phelps’ perspective. In The VR Case Files, the LAPD Investigator must solve seven brand-new cases that weren’t in the initial Team Bondi-developed title. Each new case file on Cole’s desk is derived from real LAPD investigations in the year 1947.

This particular L.A. Noire project was designed from the ground up with virtual reality in mind. Still, fans of the console game should not feel too alienated when diving into the VR exclusive. Driving to pertinent locations, investigating various crime scenes, and interrogating characters remains at the core of experience, regardless, and perhaps enhanced by the VR inclusion.

The post Reassume the Role of Cole Phelps in L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, Out Today on PSVR appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

In late 2017, Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive rereleased Team Bondi’s L.A. Noire for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. Another version of the game, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, launched on PCs for VR devices, such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Valve Index. Now it seems this iteration of the detective-centric experience will soon come to the PlayStation VR, judging by its recent European rating.

On PEGI’s official website, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files for PSVR appears listed alongside the PC version from December 2017. The PC listing correctly identifies the game’s original December 15th release date for that year. However, the PSVR version is tagged with a date of August 12, 2019. Clearly, this date is correct, as the game did not launch on the platform yesterday. Still, such an inaccurate detail may hint at something else. Perhaps a PlayStation VR release date for L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is imminent. If so, this information will likely surface sometime in the near future.

Like the L.A. Noire experience from which it is derived, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files places players in the shoes of LAPD investigator Cole Phelps. Set in 1940s Los Angeles, California, it draws directly from real LAPD cases of the era, particularly those from the year of 1947. In this version of the Team Bondi title, Phelps is in charge of solving a total of seven cases, all built from the ground up with virtual reality in mind. Also similar to the original game, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files sees Cole Phelps work his way up from traffic cases to arson, homicide, and so on.

Beyond the inclusion of VR, it doesn’t function too differently from L.A. Noire. For instance, players still drive to their destinations, investigate scenes, and build their cases by interrogating relevant characters.

[Source: PEGI via Gematsu]

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Grand Theft Auto is my favorite game series of all time. That sounds like a basic answer to a tough question, but I’ve put a lot of thought into it, almost as much time as I’ve given to the series. Not only have I played through all of the single-player games multiple times, but I am also still quite addicted to Grand Theft Auto Online. Rockstar has other IPs obviously, as we prepare for the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, another good series with a few less entries, and the Max Payne trilogy, which is so much fun. The company has become known for their sprawling open worlds, attention to detail, and tons to do in these rich environments, but they have also produced a ton of racing games, a music tie-in title with Timberland, and even did Table Tennis. 

However, they only seem to be remembered for the mainstays. This means many people have missed out on the rest of their works, older games that laid the foundation for these newer titles, and those great projects that just went under the radar. Those gems outside of their main series are what I want to speak about today, in hopes that someone will pick them back up and see the genius of the company’s secondary library.

The Best Rockstar Games, Ranked

How would you rank Rockstar’s secondary library for the PlayStation? Let us know in the comments below!

Essential Reading:

• These are the Best Movies and TV Shows to Get Your Red Dead Redemption 2 Fix
• Red Dead Redemption 2 Horse Balls – Why Frozen Testicles Are Important 
• Red Dead Redemption 2 – Take the Second Left After the Field of Rocks

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