Skip to main content

Rockstar to release a crime thriller anthology setting the scene for L.A. Noire

When it comes to cross-promotion, Rockstar Games is on the ball. Although perhaps that is fairly limited in scope, maybe it is more significant than just promotion. Maybe expansion is a better term.

If you are a fan of games, odds are you have heard about L.A. Noire. Set in Los Angeles during 1947, the game draws heavily on the film-noir genre of the time period, which traditionally belonged to crime fiction. It is a mature subject matter that is meant to be totally engrossing, as you attempt to solve cases that range from the suspicious to the gruesome. The gameplay will factor in, of course, but Rockstar wants you to become part of the detective mysteries that you will face, not just grab a gun and go to town as you might in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series.

To further prove the point that L.A. Noire is more than just a typical action game, the title recently became the first game ever to be admitted to the Tribeca film festival. It features a script that is over 2,000 pages long, and you can expect future cases to be made available through download in the future. In what may either be irony or just poetic justice, there is also talk of a possible film (although it is just talk, something Hollywood loves to do).

But to push the game even further, Rockstar is branching out in a new direction, and has partnered with Mulholland Books to bring us an anthology of short crime stories written in the noir style and based on the game. The anthology will feature eight renowned authors: Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer, Duane Swierczynski and Andrew Vachss.

The stories will all draw on the L.A. Noire in different ways. Some will feature plots and characters related to the game, while others will add depth and setting to the city and time in which the game takes place. Certain stories will be made available before the launch of the game in two weeks, while the book itself will hit shelves on June 6.

As for the game, L.A. Noire will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on May 17.

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
PlayStation Plus’ most notable free April offerings come from Microsoft
Four players stand together in the 4v4 PvP mode of Minecraft Legends.

Sony outlined all the new offerings PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers can expect in April; surprisingly, Microsoft is the company behind two of this month's four offerings, Minecraft Legends, and the Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle.

On April 2, PS Plus can get those two things free of charge in addition to Immortals of Aveum and Skul: The Hero Slayer. Immortals of Aveum is a single-player shooter where players use magic instead of weapons. Although the thing it's most notable for is flopping upon its release, Immortals of Aveum is still a solid shooter that you might have missed out on, and you should give it a shot now that you can get it through PS Plus. Meanwhile, Skul: The Hero Slayer is a tough 2D platformer roguelike that should entertain fans of that genre for quite some time.

Read more
These are the 10 best gaming PCs I’d recommend to anyone
Graphics card in the CLX Hathor PC.

We review dozens of gaming PCs each year. In 2024, there are a ton of great options, but we've narrowed down a list of the 10 best gaming desktops that deserve your hard-earned money.

In 2024, we still recommend the Alienware Aurora R16 due to its fantastic design, solid performance, and decent value. However, there are several other options depending on your needs and budget. If you want a deeper look into how we evaluate gaming PCs, make sure to read our post on how we review desktops.

Read more
Mecha Break’s robot customization shakes up the battle royale formula
Mecha Break robot head with glowing blue eyes

Mecha Break isn't the kind of multiplayer game you can master right away.

You might equip a lance that you barely know how to use because it seemed like a good idea, and spend the rest of a round attempting to bash yourself into enemies to help your teammates. It incorporates action that's more similar to that of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon than it is to the shooter-focused gameplay in Gundam Evolution, Bandai Namco's multiplayer mecha shooter that shut down last year. Overwatch does come to mind, but in a way where mechs are still the focus rather than the pilots within them.

Read more