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AU Shippin' Out May 16-20: L.A. Noire

It has taken over half a decade, but Team Bondi's first game is nearly out in the wild.

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It has been six years since L.A. Noire was first announced, though most of that time was spent behind closed doors. Over the last seven months, Rockstar Games has trickled out information on the title, eventually unveiling a May 20 release date for what could potentially be the biggest game from an Australian developer. Coming out of the Sydney-based Team Bondi, L.A. Noire follows Cole Phelps as he progresses through his career in the LAPD during the 1940s. Part of the reason the game has taken so long to develop is the attention to detail that was put into the characters' facial animations, thanks to a new technology called MotionScan.

The second big release this week is The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, which after one minor edit is all clear for release in Australia. A Namco Bandai Partners Australia spokesperson confirmed to GameSpot AU that the only element that was removed for the Aussie release was a line of dialogue at the end of a side quest, which saw the protagonist offered sex by a non-playable character. Unlike the overseas release, in Australia the game automatically refuses the offer. The spokesperson assured GS AU that the removal of sex as a reward has no bearing on the rest of the game, as no skill points, or experience, were linked to the sexual encounter. Unlike the last game that was based off BioWare technology, CD Projekt Red Studio has built the game from the ground up, using its proprietary RED engine.

For the kids (both young and old), there's also Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. With the fourth film being released around Australia this week, the game gives all four Pirates movies the block treatment. From all accounts, this one sticks fairly close to the formula of silly humour and smashing stuff to collect studs, which the other games are known for.

To find out what else is out this week, check out the list below:

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May 19, 2011
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (PC)
No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise (PS3)
Fable III (PC)
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC, 3DS)
AFL Live (Wii)

May 20, 2011
L.A. Noire (360, PS3)

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