Among the powerhouse franchises of Rockstar Games, there’s also several smaller IPs that haven’t received the same widespread acclaim in quite some time. For as big asGrand Theft AutoandRed Dead Redemptionhas become, Rockstar Games has also published titles likeBullyandMidnight Clubin the past. One of the more recent one-off titles in Rockstar Games' catalogue isL.A. Noire, a high-budget detective game that featured realistic facial simulation as its defining feature. Comparatively speaking, at least as a standalone/one-off title,L.A. Noirewas an incredibly ambitious effort that’s yet to see any kind of sequel or new iteration.
Despite this, Rockstar Games still touts the late-1940s detective adventure as one of its defining video game franchises. Even in spite of successful and similarly dormant franchises likeMidnight Club, the one-hit wonderL.A. Noirehasn’t seen a sequel or spin-off since its original 2011 release date. Considering the triple-A development expense, many would’ve figured additionalL.A. Noire-style games were on the way, and perhaps another entry is in development.L.A. Noirewas an interesting proof of concept, but the game does show its age in a number of ways in 2021. Among Rockstar Games' huge hits,L.A. Noirecertainly deserves another entry/sequel in the future.
The Advancing of Performance Capture Tech is Perfect for a L.A. Noire 2
While thehighly accurate facial capture technology used onL.A. Noirewas beyond its time in 2011, the game hasn’t particularly aged as well in every regard. For its heavy focus on microcosmic investigations and up-close interrogation, the unnecessary open world felt comparatively empty. Some occasional side activities like patrols and petty crime reports could be taken care of by players, but they quickly became repetitive fast. It was clear that the main story’s cases were the focus ofL.A. Noire’s gameplay loop. AnL.A. Noiresequel would presumably solve this problem well; whether that’s through better world-building, or making the game strictly linear.
Even facial and performance capture itself has come a long way sinceL.A. Noire’s release, both in terms of visual fidelity and practicality.Games likeThe Last of Us2,Uncharted 4,Detroit: Become Human, and evenRed Dead Redemption 2have far superior character animation that arguably surpassesL.A. Noire. Even if a potential sequel utilized similar photorealistic facial scanning like on the originalL.A. Noire, performance capture in games is far more practical now than in 2011. The originalL.A. Noire’s development took around seven years, compared to a game with excellent performance capture likeUncharted 4, which took five years.
Investigation/Detective Games Like L.A. Noire Have Seen Steady Popularity
Putting aside technical advancements, the subgenre of detective/investigation-style adventure games has also seen plenty of love afterL.A. Noirereleased.Recent games likeDisco Elysium, theSherlock Holmesseries,Return of the Obra Dinn,Observer: System Redux, all released afterwards to great fanfare. The subgenre is showing no signs of stopping either, withSherlock Holmes: Chapter Oneand several other indie detective games on the way in 2021. Another triple-A effort by Rockstar Games in the detective subgenre would only help emphasize adventure-style games even more, not to mention the brand recognitionL.A. Noirehas received since release.
Seeing another triple-A effort in detective games, in general, can only help emphasize the importance of a subgenre that’s already got so many great games in it. Not only would aL.A. Noiresequel boost other games in that same category, but it could also cement the franchise truly as a mainstay in Rockstar Games' lineup. Obviously Rockstar Games fans aren’t dissatisfied with the company’s focusremaining solely onGrand Theft AutoandRed Dead Redemption, but expanding intoL.A. Noireagain wouldn’t be nonsensical. The game has retained a solid following since its release, and even if the game didn’t initially perform well, it’s certainly a long-term success.
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L.A. Noire Couldn’t Return at a Better Time
Unfortunately, there are several factors that are working against a potentialL.A. Noiresequel, assuming a new entry really is in development. For one thing, the original development team behindL.A. Noire(Team Bondi) has since disbanded aftercontroversy behindL.A. Noire’s grueling development conditions. The huge turnover at the studio and unethical treatment of developers left an unfortunate but important stain on an otherwise successful detective game. Of course, with Rockstar Games' own first-party studios dealing with its own respective issues on crunch, the company would be right to keep development of aL.A. Noiresequel under wraps because of its history.
However, assuming the best-case scenario, working on a new entry in the series with a new development studio could helpinject a new perspective intoL.A. Noire. There’s plenty of potential in the framework ofL.A. Noireexpanding, whether that’s through different settings/time periods, new characters, or new gameplay mechanics. The inherent focus on reading people and determining truth from lies via interviews, at least in the wayL.A. Noirepresented itself, is still entirely unique. Plus, when the game was remastered,L.A. Noirewas given another chance to shine. Another entry in Rockstar Games' detective adventure IP couldn’t come at a better time.
L.A. Noireis available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
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