Rockstar Games and Australian studio Team Bondi Tuesday released the new “L. A. Noire” videogame in the US; with the international availability of the game to commence from Friday.

“L. A. Noire” is essentially a hard-boiled detective story, revolving around an admirable, newly-promoted Los Angeles police detective - Cole Phelps, a decorated World War II veteran - who uses his wits to solve crime in 1947 Hollywood.

The game, which has already receiver rave reviews for the cinematic quality of scenes, boasts the most realistic and emotive faces ever seen in any video game; and is being ranked as a strong contender for ‘game of the year’ honor.

In fact, the notable cinematic approach to “L. A. Noire” was for one of the key reasons for an unprecedented move at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival – with the videogame having made an Official Selection at the once-a-year cinema event in New York City!

Noting that “L. A. Noire” chiefly uses motion-capturing technology to infuse animated characters with performances of real-world actors, Rockstar founder Sam Houser said that the game is a wonderful blend of realistic performances with gritty action and real detective work.

About the gist of the game, Rockstar said: “Amidst the boom of Hollywood's Golden Age, players must search for clues, interrogate suspects and chase down criminals to solve a series of cases based on real world incidents”!