L.A. Noire And Bully — Rockstar’s Lost Gems That Deserve A Sequel As Much As GTA

If there’s one game that essentially shaped the childhood of many gamers alive today, it’s GTA. I don’t know about you, but GTA was like an inseparable part of my life back then, particularly Vice City and San Andreas. I remember coming back from school and firing up my PC to go on a killing spree and driving like a literal 8-year-old. 

Even now, whenever I see these games, it reminds me of the simple times I thoroughly enjoyed without worry. Kids of today can never know the joy of writing the entire string of cheat codes on a piece of paper and digging that page out before every session, it was pure bliss. And I owed it all to Rockstar, without even knowing stuff like developers and publishers existed. But now, I know, and I also know that GTA wasn’t the only Rockstar game, either.

Rockstar Has A Favorite Child, And You Know It

Ah, GTA. The beautiful and era-defining series is not only beloved universally, but Rockstar loves it the same, too. As such, the series has continued to go strong ever since its inception, and it still is. You and I remember GTA as Vice City and San Andreas, but the gamers of today know and love GTA 4 and 5 a lot more than these old-school classics.

And now, even GTA 6 is around the corner, with two protagonists this time around and a ton of potential. That’s all great and I can’t wait to dive into it, but my point is, is there nothing besides GTA? There’s Red Dead Redemption, true, but many people only know and have played the second one. GTA on the other hand, every gamer in existence and then some more knows about it.

What happened to Rockstar?
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GTA may not be the only Rockstar game, but it certainly seems so. A lot of gamers out there don’t even know that Rockstar has games other than the GTA and Red Dead Redemption series. And it’s not their fault, either. Rockstar abandoned those gems a long time ago, gems I wish to let you know about today, particularly L.A. Noire and Bully.

L.A. Noire — The Other Side Of The Coin

First on my list is L.A. Noire. What is this game, you ask? In GTA, you play as a law-breaking citizen. Now, imagine what it’s like to be the person who has to chase you down and bring you to justice. That’s who you are in L.A. Noire, an LAPD cop tasked with solving a string of meticulous cases and getting to the truth of a very brilliant narrative-driven experience.

LA Noire is like Bully – it’s one of those games I wish @RockstarGames would make a sequel for

Maybe in the future 🙏 https://t.co/Yfh9Xg4ITE

— Liam (@billsyliamgta) March 24, 2024

L.A. Noire is one of my favorite games precisely because of the superb story and how well it flows. It’s an open-world experience a lot like GTA, except the tasks you have to perform are more rule-enforcing than breaking. The world design and gameplay are fun, sure, but that is still not the game’s focus. It truly shines when you have to solve creative cases, and go through all the clues and witness testimonies.

Oh, and did you know? L.A. Noire was a technological marvel for its time. Facial expressions and animations in that game told a complete story, complementing and even elevating the overall detective experience. The sound design and movement gestures brought a whole new meaning to the word immersion, to the point you wonder if it’s truly a 2011 game even if you play it today.

Just Finished L.A. Noire, A must-play unique experience.
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With a fascinating cop story that keeps you on edge right till the finale, realistic and immersive case-solving mechanics, and an enjoyable open world to tie it all together, L.A. Noire ingeniously plays to the strengths Rockstar established with GTA.

Bully — Video Game Creativity At Its Peak

If you thought “Hey, L.A. Noire is looking pretty unique,” wait till you get to Bully. For me, this is where Rockstar’s display of creativity peaked, and it’s truly a shame this game never received a sequel it so rightfully deserved.

So, as you might have guessed from the game, Bully is all about the ugly reality of society which although controversial, is an inescapable truth we need to raise awareness for. And the game was a genuine attempt to display the hideousness of this act as explicitly as possible, no matter how many eyebrows it raised.

Bully the bullies
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Follow Jimmy, a regular delinquent in a new boarding school, aiming to climb the ladder of the institution’s student hierarchy in an attempt to escape the cycle of bullying. You can go to classes to “raise your stats,” and complete side tasks and minigames to improve your image among the game’s awfully accurate depiction of apathetic teens. 

Bully was completely different from what Rockstar has ever done, and it still stands as one of the developer’s and also overall all-time most creatively unique video games. Punch your bullies in the face to get revenge and teach everyone who takes it lightly a lesson in Rockstar’s violently accurate take on the concept.

GTA 6 Is Great, But I Need A New L.A. Noire And Bully

My purpose in discussing L.A. Noire and Bully today was to remind you of their greatness or let you know about them if you weren’t aware before. It was done as an honest attempt by me to make it known that GTA and RDR are not the only Rockstar games and that there are still multiple gems Rockstar has abandoned and needs to bring back.

Those years were peak Rockstar.
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GTA is still getting a sequel, and while it’s not like I’m against GTA 6 in any way, I feel like these games deserved a turn as much as GTA did, if not more. If Rockstar had released a sequel to these instead of GTA 6, the world might be in an uproar, but honestly, I would’ve preferred that. However, no rule states we can’t get the best of both worlds. After GTA 6, it’s time Rockstar considers giving these gems their rightful spotlight.