Forget Red Dead Redemption 3, An L.A. Noire Sequel Is What’s Needed Right Now

I still can’t believe it has been 12 years since I walked the mean streets of downtown Los Angeles as Cole Phelps, a war veteran turned LAPD detective solving cases inspired by real-life crimes from the 1940s. In the age of true crime fascination, it leaves me confused about why we still haven’t gotten a game that matches this tried and tested formula and why many Rockstar fans are still hellbent on wanting a sequel to Red Dead Redemption 2 when it ended so permanently with Arthur, so to me, unless there are other worthwhile character spin-offs, it doesn’t warrant a continuation.

What does, though, is L.A. Noire. A gritty and innovative narrative for its time, Noire has so many avenues it could go down if Rockstar developed a sequel that I believe would give many newer games on the market a run for their money and, in the process, give players enough substance that RDR3 would be a distant memory.

The Possibilities Are Endless For L.A. Noire 2

There’s nothing more appealing to me in a game than uncovering secrets and exploring a deep, dark narrative. 2010’s Heavy Rain somewhat whet my appetite for this with its philosophy of choice while tracking down the Origami Killer, but something was missing. Although enjoyable, its clunky controls and sub-par storyline let it down to the point it unfortunately never reached its full potential. Thankfully, a year later, Team Bondi and Rockstar Games unleashed L.A. Noire onto the gaming world and all was forgiven.

Over the years, players have been frothing at the mouth for Rockstar to get a move on with GTA 6, and as exciting and deserved as that is, now that we know it’s finally happening, a sequel to Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn’t make any sense to me when there’s absolutely nothing new the series could add that wouldn’t tear down the underlying meaning the last two games reinforced so well, especially when there’s still so much that can yet be accomplished with L.A. Noire.

When L.A. Noire was first released, facial motion capture technology was still in its infancy but to my fresh eyes, it blew me away with how incredibly realistic the characters’ faces and environments looked. Although, granted, looking back now it may not feel as impressive as it once was due to being spoiled by the enhancement of Unreal Engine, I can only imagine when adding in hyper-detailed models, capturing micro-expressions, and utilizing the latest tech, how Noire would look and feel if made today.

True crime has fascinated humans for centuries, caressing that curious and sometimes morbid fascination that, nowadays, seems to be more acceptable to express love for. Coupled with podcasts and endless Netflix shows dedicated to the genre, L.A. Noire 2 could easily feed back into this obsession by including even more gritty real-life crimes than ever before. Previously, Rockstar and Team Bondi interjected true crimes inspired by real homicides throughout the 40s, like “The Black Dahlia”, inspired by the famous 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, or “The Silk Stocking Murder,” similar to the 1947 murder of Rosenda Mondragon who was strangled with a stocking.

L.A. Noire 2 Has More To Offer Than RDR3

In keeping with the same 1940s era because, in my opinion, this particular decade works best when offering a gritty narrative due to the pentacle of classic film noirs like The Maltese Falcon and Mildred Pierce, L.A. Noire 2 could explore true unsolved gruesome murders like the death of fashion designer Vera West, The Texarkana Moonlight Murders or the murder of oil heiress Georgette Bauerdorf who was found dead in her bathtub in 1944. However, that doesn’t mean the series couldn’t dip into the 70s at a time when serial killer Ted Bundy was running rampant across the states, or John Wayne Gacy was dressing up as a clown in Chicago, Illinois. The narrative potential is endless.

There’s also the fact that Red Dead Redemption was given another chance to shine when a second game was made, and the same can be said regarding Grand Theft Auto’s multiple entries due to player demand and how successful its franchise is. L.A. Noire has never been given this opportunity, even though its sales garnered over five million copies coupled with highly positive reviews.

That’s not to say RDR3 couldn’t go places if Rockstar found an angle that would actually entice players back into its Wild West world yet again and offer something new, like continuing with Jack Marston, seeing where Sadie Adler’s travels in South America takes her, or even exploring a completely new perceptive through the eyes of the Indigenous people who were there first but for me, it’s merely going over the same old ground that would offer nothing new.

L.A. Noire was revolutionary when it came to deep, compelling narrative and technology, but also how it integrated its interrogation and investigation mechanics, allowing players to hone their detective skills in a murky, seedy world filled with bent cops and everything filmgoers loved from Oscar-winning movies like L.A. Confidential, that it would be a crying shame to cast to the side in a time when societal problems and true crime fascination are at its paramount.

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