Rockstar Games’ next title is a sequel to LA Noire that’s set in San Francisco and features a story based on the Zodiac Killer case, it is claimed.
The alleged information comes from an anonymous 4chan user (via GTAForums member Shahanshah), according to which Rockstar Games’ next title is a sequel to LA Noire, with the story taking place in San Francisco and being based on the infamous Zodiac Killer case. They also claimed that the project is still in “very early stages of development,” suggesting that it may be released by around 2030.
The 4chan post further claimed that Rockstar Games executives are considering bringing back the facial-scanning technology used in the original LA Noire, but on a significantly larger scale. The alleged goal is to make the LA Noire 2 “the best looking game ever made.”
During a recent interview, former Team Bondi writer Daniel McMahon shared details about a canceled LA Noire sequel, titled Whore of the Orient, discussing gameplay systems that would have expanded significantly on the original’s investigative formula. Instead of returning to 1940s Los Angeles, the successor was set in 1936 Shanghai, just before World War II. Players would step into the shoes of a young British detective working in one of the world’s most dangerous and politically volatile cities. According to McMahon, the setting was chosen to facilitate a major component of the gameplay i.e. an RPG-style language progression system that would directly impact investigations.
Because many British police officers stationed in Shanghai couldn’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese, communication barriers became a core mechanic. According to McMahon, the development team envisioned language as an XP system. “The deeper you dig, the more language you learn, the better you’re able to communicate, the better you’re able to investigate rather than just whipping your gun out and killing everyone,” he said.
