In 2011, developer Team Bondi brought new technology to the world of gaming in the form of L.A. Noire. With its new facial performance-capturing MotionScan technology, facial animations were more believable and lifelike than ever. In just a few weeks, the cop drama returns with refined visuals. Rockstar Games released a new trailer on Thursday, October 26, to show off the game in 4K Ultra HD.
To truly appreciate the 4K visual upgrade, viewers will need to go full screen on a 4K-enabled monitor. For everyone else, there are still enough notable improvements to warrant picking up the new L.A. Noire. Some of the changes include better lighting and clouds, new cinematic camera angles, and high-quality textures. All the extra downloadable content has been added as well. The aforementioned 4K resolution is available to anyone with a PlayStation 4 Pro or an Xbox One X.
If portability is more interesting than 4K resolutions, Rockstar is also bringing the game to the Nintendo Switch. This is a rare move by the developer since few of their games ever make it to Nintendo consoles. Beyond the extra DLC, there will be Switch-specific features not found on other consoles. These include gesture-based controls, contextual touchscreen controls, and HD rumble. It has not yet been confirmed what the gesture controls will be used for.
Alongside the console releases, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files brings HTC Vive owners into the virtual world of 1940s Los Angeles. While not the full game, players can enjoy examining seven vases from the game reworked for VR.
When L.A. Noire was first released, it was met with critical acclaim. We said it was “a refreshingly different interactive experience for those who are open to embracing it.” Despite selling close to two million copies shortly after release, developer Team Bondi closed its doors due to complications between founder Brendan McNamara and Rockstar executives. Six years later, Rockstar’s re-release may signal interest in finally developing a sequel.
L.A. Noire releases November 14 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The VR Case Files release the same day exclusively for the HTC Vive.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.