A recent Instagram post by composer Freyja Garbett revealed the music and name of an upcoming video game from the original developers of L.A. Noire, hinting that a spiritual successor to the hit title may be on the way. L.A. Noire achieved massive popularity thanks to its early use of incredibly detailed motion capture, and Garbett's social media post seems to confirm that yet another thrilling game is in production.
Taking place in the 1940s, the story of L.A. Noire sees players taking on the role of detective Cole Phelps, as they investigate a series of crimes across post-war Los Angeles. While the original studio behind the game, Team Bondi, disbanded shortly after the title's release, a number of the core development team reformed as Video Games Deluxe and have been hard at work on this title.
According to the Instagram post by music producer Freyja Garbett (and first reported by VGC), the creators of L.A. Noire are developing a new open-world psychological thriller called Sowden House, which will return players to 1940s Los Angeles for a mind-bending experience. The post features a jazz band recording session in which fans will instantly recognize the familiar musical stylings of L.A. Noire. Garbett notes that this game is a "HUGE" project and still has a lot to be unraveled. For fans of games like L.A. Noire, Sowden House could scratch the itch for an open-world detective experience. Though Garbett avoids naming this in-development title as a true sequel to LA Noire, the similar genre and music hint at the possibility of a spiritual successor.
Sowden House
Sowden House is the name of a home that was owned by Dr. George Hodel, who was a prime suspect in the notorious Black Dahlia case, which itself features heavily throughout the investigated crimes in L.A. Noire. Furthermore, Hodel's son once claimed that the victim, Elizabeth Short, was in fact killed in the Sowden House, though no official investigations have verified this statement. The music and setting of Sowden House are perfectly in line with L.A. Noire, and the creators of the original game are involved in this new project, per Garbett.
L.A. Noire set a new standard for motion capture in gaming and offered a thrilling detective video game experience that many feel has never truly been rivaled. Sowden House looks to return players to a familiar time and place, though it remains to be seen if this title will greet fans with the same jazzy gusto of L.A. Noire.
Platform(s) PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , PC Released May 17, 2011 Developer(s) Team Bondi Publisher(s) Rockstar Games Genre(s) Action , Adventure See at Official Site$22 at Amazon
