Detective stories have long been the bread and butter of Hollywood. From the film noir classics of the 30s and 40s that helped make Tinseltown what it is today, to the highly acclaimed C.S.I. franchise which has been the most popular dramatic series on television for over a decade, cop dramas make up the very framework of Hollywood, Los Angeles, and entertainment itself. Americans’ obsession with the boys (and girls) in blue has long been a profitable basis for both film and gaming and Team Bondi and Rockstar Games look to cash in on that fixation with their upcoming release, L.A. Noire.

L.A. Noire’s story centers around Cole Phelps; a humble, honest, and well spoken veteran, just returning from the horrors of WWII to find that violence and crime are rising up as fast as the buildings are downtown. When he learns that the City of Angels in the mid-1940s is anything but, he resolves to join the fraternal order of police and help clean up the depravity, drug trade and murder running rampant through the city streets. Cole’s skills, both with his gun and with interrogating suspects, quickly helps to move him up in the ranks from walking a beat to working traffic, vice, and ultimately moving to the homicide department where the shimmering lights of Tinseltown fail to obscure its dark and seedy underbelly.

A marked retreat from the open world gameplay style of Rockstar’s infamous Grand Theft Auto series, L.A. Noire follows a linear storyline, requiring you to finish cases before you can progress to the next. Filled with drama and suspense, L.A. Noire provides an immersive experience that allows you to utilize both your critical thinking skills and your intuition to move the story. As you progress through the game investigating crimes, interrogating suspects and solving cases, your decisions determine the outcome of the game.

Slated for a May 17th release, L.A. Noire combines some of the newest and most advanced motion capture technologies with an evocative and compelling storyline. The revolutionary new MotionScan Technology, originally teased back at E3 2010, is comprised of 32 strategically placed high-definition cameras. This new motion capture process records an actor from every angle, bringing a level of realism never before seen in any other game. Whereas many modern games have featured famous actors providing character voices, MotionScan takes it a step farther and implants the actor into the game itself.

Over 300 actors and actresses entered the MotionScan chamber to re-enact the sordid and compelling history of Los Angeles in the mid-1940s. MotionScan essentially captures every movement the actor’s face makes, from a flared nostril to a furrowed brow to a subtle biting of the lip, the technology then accurately re-creates these movements in digital form allowing for an unmatched attention to detail and depth. Animators then edit the footage and overlay characters’ clothing and accessories like the frequent cigarette, the iconic detective’s fedora, and Cole’s M1911 pistol.

Rockstar Games and Team Bondi deliver an immersive world of darkness, corruption, dames, drugs, and murder. The highly anticipated L.A. Noire is certain to weave a thrilling and dramatic web of lies and mystery into an intriguing storyline that will not only have players on the edge of their seats throughout, but will have them coming back to play again and again. If you’re a fan of the old cinema or simply want to see a modern take on the dark, monochromatic classics of film noir done right, look no further than the trailer below, made entirely from in-game footage.

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