IGN AU has reported that a design document for Rockstar’s upcoming title GTA: Harbour City has ended up at their offices. The game takes place in Sydney, Australia during the 1970s, and is apparently being developed by Rockstar Bondi, formerly known as Team Bondi. Team Bondi is the developer of L.A. Noire, which technically doesn’t exist yet. But at least we know that the delay of L.A. Noire was for the greater good. Here is some information from the document:
Grand Theft Auto: Harbour City expands and improves on the benchmark Grand Theft Auto IV from Rockstar North, bringing Rockstar Bondi (formerly Team Bondi) into the spotlight.
Set during the 1970s, the story follows Harbour City resident and low-level thug, Tresle ‘Thumb’ Conroy, from his accidental invitation into the high rollers’ gambling circuit through to dominance of the city’s underworld, financial district and celebrity system. The tone pays reference to famous Australian con-films ‘Chopper’ and ‘Dirty Deeds’.
The game’s mission-based structure will remain in place, with a greater emphasis on side-missions, environmental interactivity and destructibility. Harbour City will run on an enhanced version of the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine supported by the continued licensing of the Euphoria animation engine.
Missions will take players across the iconic Coathanger (Sydney Harbour Bridge) and Harbour City Amphitheatre (Sydney Opera House), into the sleazy Knight’s Crown (Kings Cross) and Greenleaf (Redfern) districts, into the surrounding beach communities of Sheldon and through the tangle of city streets and inner-city residential suburbs.
While Harbour City takes cues from Sydney’s urban landscape, a portion of the Australian outback will also feature.
Included above is an in-game screenshot of GTA: Harbour city. The new Rockstar engine is apparently so advanced that it actually looks better than reality. Hell, maybe even better than Photoshop! We’ll keep you posted on this rockin’
APRIL FOOLS.
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