Although a co-op experience was scrapped from Max Payne 3, Rockstar Games should consider revisiting the idea for L.A. Noire 2. The sequel to the open-world detective thriller hasn't been officially announced, but a recent earnings report from Take-Two Interactive - Rockstar's parent company - suggests that there are plans for it. Gaming hardware has come a long way since the release of the first L.A. Noire and Max Payne 3, and Rockstar's game design could use a break from its tried-and-true formula, so developing a co-op title would make sense.
Originally planned for 2009, Max Payne 3 released in 2012. A source familiar with its development recently confirmed that Rockstar spent a year working on a co-op multiplayer prologue for Max Payne 3. In this prologue, players would have taken control of Max and an old cop partner as they went through various modified single-player maps. It would have begun in New York before taking the duo to Brazil, where the main game is based. Ultimately, however, the prologue was canceled after the studio struggled to incorporate co-op mechanics into a game designed primarily around the single-player experience.
Talks within the Rockstar fandom about an L.A. Noire sequel haven't really stopped since the game's 2011 release, but they've picked up serious momentum in recent months thanks to the earnings call. In fact, although not a full sequel, a spiritual successor to L.A. Noire was in the works not long after that release. Developed by Australia-based Team Bondi, the original game found praise for its hyper-realistic facial animations using the proprietary motion capture technology MotionScan. Playing as beat-cop-turned-detective Cole Phelps, players spent the bulk of their time in 1940s Los Angeles investigating crime scenes and interrogating suspects, usually with a partner along for the ride. These partners were just as charismatic as Phelps, and while Max Payne 3's co-op never saw the light of day, such a concept may actually be a better fit for L.A. Noire 2.
How Co-Op Would Work In L.A. Noire 2
With Cole Phelps out of the picture at the end of L.A. Noire, discussions about a sequel usually center around potential protagonists. A likely candidate for the role in L.A. Noire 2 would Jack Kelso, a fellow veteran of the Second World War who players took control of at the end of the game. Phelps died when he was washed away in the sewers just minutes after solving the biggest case of his career and discovering corruption at every level of the city's government and law enforcement. The game's final scene, at Phelps' funeral, shows corrupt Vice bureau Detective Roy Earle honoring his ex-partner. He then introduces the city's new assistant district attorney, a man who seemingly struck a deal with the ones he told Kelso he'd work to take down once he took office. The cycle of corruption, despite everything Phelps and Kelso went through, hadn't changed. That could pave the way for a revenge plot in the sequel.
Making L.A. Noire 2 a co-op experience would be a great idea because, throughout the first game, Phelps almost always had a partner by his side anyway. It would also present an opportunity for Rockstar to make L.A. Noire 2's open-world even better than RDR2's. Together, two players could work together chasing down runaway crooks, interrogating people, and collecting evidence. With its titles A Way Out and It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios has shown the industry what kinds of unforgettable moments are possible within the co-op space, and the buddy cop formula has already proven to be immensely successful in films. Taking a similar philosophy and applying it to L.A. Noire could make a sequel a worthy successor to the original. As for Kelso's partner, the studio would likely bring a fresh face into the mix. Phelps' partners were all strong characters, but a sequel should always introduce new characters in addition to the new adventures.
In terms of new games, Rockstar has remained tight-lipped on what the next few years will hold. While Grand Theft Auto 6 was officially confirmed recently, talks about games like Bully 2, L.A. Noire 2, and even Red Dead Redemption 3 have been purely speculative. New sequels are likely to come following the release of GTA 6, however, and hopefully, L.A. Noire 2 will be one of them.