Rockstar Games' marketing strategy hasn't gone accordingly to plan the last few days. As they attempt to maintain secrecy and silence about Grand Theft Auto 5, to keep media and gamers focused on introducing L.A. Noire, rumors, speculation and other craziness have centered in on GTA potentially release as a launch title for Nintendo's new console, Project Cafe.

Since there's nothing official on either of those two fronts yet, let's return to the here and now where L.A. Noire does exist and is about the hit shelves in a matter of weeks. Rockstar has a brand new L.A. Noire trailer to show you, titled 'Rising Through the Ranks.'

Let's go back to 1947 and follow protagonist Cole Phelps. Detective Phelps has several partners throughout the game and this LA Noire gameplay trailer delves into each of those characters as Phelps moves up the LAPD ladder, moving between five different "desks," starting as a patrol officer. The video showcases L.A. Noire's ranking system, how players will utilize 'Intuition' points to work cases and how to work on sidequests, which in this game are dubbed 'Unassigned Cases,' appropriately. And don't worry, in traditional Rockstar fashion, you can drive around in your classic car of choice.

Watch and enjoy to see why L.A. Noire is one of our most anticipated games of 2011:

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It's unfortunate that stills and other images can't service this game at all. L.A. Noire is something you need to watch and experience to appreciate. From the innovate game design of solving cases to the MotionScan technology implemented to bring life to the character's facial animations.

A lot of credit needs to go to Rockstar for not falling back on the usual. They brought us Red Dead Redemption last year which won a plethora of awards, and instead of jumping back to the Old West or returning to the cash cow Grand Theft Auto franchise, they've again opened their wings to bring another unique period piece and more importantly, another unique and deep single player experience to the gaming industry.

L.A. Noire looks to be one of the most promising games of the year and its story plays as an interactive film.

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Follow me on Twitter @rob_keyes.

L.A. Noire releases for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on May 17, 2011 in the US and May 20, 2011 in Europe and Australia.