Late last year Rockstar Games announced its next major title was going to be a cross between an action game and a detective movie set in a seedy 1940s-era Los Angeles, dubbed L.A. Noire. The studio released a trailer with in-game footage back in November, and now the company has come forward with official release dates for the game: May 17 in the United States, followed by a May 20 launch in Europe.
“L.A. Noire breaks new ground for us,” said Rockstar founder Sam Houser, in a statement. “Its intense blend of action and real detective work defies genre conventions to create a unique and captivating thriller.”
The title will launch for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and put players in the role of Cole Phelps, a war vet-turned-detective who makes a name for himself by solving some of Los Angeles’ most atrocious crimes and murders. The game will feature action as well as interrogation-based role play that will have players trying to read the unspoken emotions of characters to figure out what’s really going on—Rockstar and partner Team Bondi have utilized a series of 32 high-def cameras to capture motion data for actors faces and bring their facial expressions to the title in high detail. Rockstar says players will even be able to read the lips of in-game characters.
Pre-orders are available now for $59.99.