05 May

[Initial reporting done by Eli English]

Rockstar Games has announced details about the new Social Club features for their-soon-to-be-released title, L.A. Noire. The Social Club will offer players a number of new features, all of which can be found after the jump.


Cole Phelp’s’ Chicago Lightning Suit:

“Hit up the Social Club section within the game from the main menu, enter your Social Club login information, and you will automatically unlock Cole Phelps’ snazzy Chicago Lightning Suit. This Social Club members-only exclusive outfit can be worn at any point in the game after you’ve become a detective (following the Patrol desk cases) and will improve your accuracy when using a shotgun or machine gun. A very helpful extra edge in ability for those cases when heavy firepower is required.”

Ask The Community:

“When questioning any persons of interest, you will be challenged to determine the validity of their statements. Players connected online that wish to get an inside tip can earn and spend special limited-use Intuition Points to take advantage of the Social Club “Ask the Community” feature. “Ask the Community” is a special lifeline-type feature which permits you to see what decisions other players made when facing the same crossroads as a detective via a display of percentages of what other Social Club members chose in that situation. Intuition Points are in short supply, so remember to spend them wisely when using game tips like this.”

On The Web Features:

100% Checklist:

“The fan-favorite 100% Checklist feature that Social Club members loved for Red Dead Redemption is back with L.A. Noire and enhanced for the occasion – with the ability to track every last morsel of action that it will take to reach the coveted 100% completion mark. From cases closed, to street crimes beaten, to landmarks and film reels found and everything else that it takes – the Checklist will track your current progress as well as allow you to compare how you’re doing versus your Social Club Friends down to every item. Our dynamic Los Angeles map will also help you find some items that you may need a tip on tracking down.”

Case Tracker:

“You will be able to access your detective notebook at any time on the web via the Social Club to review clues, findings, notes from suspect interrogations and much more. Virtually everything that gets recorded into your notebook in-game will be reflected when you log into the L.A. Noire section of the Social Club website – so you can always be on the case and connected with your investigation when away from your console at work, school or anywhere online at anytime.”

Advanced Game Stats:

“All the detailed game stats that Social Club members have come to expect, made richer and more robust than ever. L.A. Noire game stats at the Social Club will include properly visualized data with official police department charts and graphs analyzing your personal efficiency, accuracy, speed and many other key detective abilities. Each and every stat can also be directly compared against Social Club Friends for bragging rights.”

Achievements:

L.A. Noire features 40 unique in-game Achievements & Trophies as well as 9 secret ones to add to your Xbox LIVE Achievement Gamerscore or PlayStation Network Trophy Collection. From “Traffic Stop” to “Keep a Lid On”, the Social Club will help you track your progress, and show you which Achievements & Trophies you and your Friends have completed and when – along with exclusive game tips you can access for those tough ones.”

The game makers at Rockstar also announced a partnership with Mulholland Books to create and distribute a short story anthology based on the L.A. Noire. “L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories” will be made available for digital download on June 6th, and will feature tales from famed authors including Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer, Duane Swierczynski and Andrew Vachss. Select stories will be released earlier to select retailers, from May 17th in the States and May 20th in Europe. An excerpt from Megan Abbott’s “The Girl” can be found here.

Do these supplements entice you into a L.A. Noire purchase, E-Gs? Or will you be waiting for our review? Tell us in the comments section!