At first, it looked like the former developers of L.A. Noire were working on a new game set in the 1940s, but unfortunately, the truth is not quite what it seems.

Let’s start at the beginning. Australian composer and performer Freyja Garbett revealed on Instagram that she is working on a project called Sowden House. She wrote the following: “From the creators of L.A. Noire comes Sowden House, a psychological thriller set in 1940s LA that will have you questioning your sanity. I never thought I’d be writing for a video game, but I’m grateful for the opportunity! This was the second video game session recording and it features the ‘Jazz Band’.”

Sowden House refers to the home of Dr. George Hodel. Hodel was one of the prime suspects in the Black Dahlia murder (a case that took place in 1947), and Hodel’s son later claimed that the victim, Elizabeth Short, died in this house. And the developers of L.A. Noire, Team Bondi, were forced to close the studio shortly after the game’s release, but many stayed together. Video Games Deluxe was formed and went on to work on L.A. Noire: The V.R. Case Files. In 2020, the studio’s LinkedIn page said it was working on a VR project for Rockstar: “After completing the critically acclaimed L.A.Noire: The V.R. Case Files, we are gearing up for a new project, a AAA open-world title in VR for Rockstar. 2020 will mark our 7th year working exclusively for Rockstar in Sydney and we are excited to take on this groundbreaking project.”

But it turns out that what Garbett is working on is not a new game. Video Games Deluxe released this statement regarding the project: “We work exclusively on projects for Rockstar. We commissioned some music from local composer Freyja Garbett for a VR project we were working on in between projects a few years ago. It was based on a case from LA Noire that did not make the cut, but was more of a tech demo than anything else. We have no idea if it will ever see the light of day, but we have decided to finish the score commission to support a local composer.”

What a shame!

Source: VGC, LinkedIn, Instagram