Well, that’s surprising. Right in the middle of the most manic week in all of games (Super Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein 2, and Assassin’s Creed Origins, all on the same day? The gods of gaming are both kind and cruel in their ways), Rockstar has dropped a new trailer for the upcoming, current-gen remaster of LA Noire. Though that’s Rockstar for you. Playing by no-one’s rules, because frankly, it doesn’t need to. Hell, you’re reading this article, aren’t you? See. It worked.
Anyway, here we are. The super enhanced, super HD version of Team Bondi’s ‘40s-set detective game. Ambitious, accomplished, and damnably, cleverly interesting throughout, LA Noire (Rockstar’s spelling, not mine), is the open-world crime game from the other side of the tracks, replacing underworld protagonists with hard-boiled detectives, and madcap, drive-by action with methodical detective work and intense, face-reading interrogation.
Pioneering at the time of its release, and unmatched since – thanks in no small part to its groundbreaking performance-capture technology, which lets you spot and interpret every little twitch a suspect might make while trying to bullshit their way to freedom – it remains one of the more unique games in Rockstar’s storied history.
As such, it definitely deserves another crack of the whip. And what a sharp crack it looks too. Upgraded to native 1080p – or 4K if you’re playing on PS4 Pro or Xbox One X – the new LA Noire has all manner of graphical tune-ups, from better textures and lighting, to new cinematic direction. If you missed it the first time around, this version should have your attention. And if you’ve already played through it, well, it might still be worth a look.
The new version of LA Noire is also coming out on Switch, minus the 4K, but with a whole bunch of gesture-based Joy-Con controls and touchscreen inputs to really make the most of Nintendo’s console, whether played on a TV or on the move. All versions are set for release on November 14, but for now, just ogle the vintage prettiness. Pretty, isn’t it?
