If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what should we make of partnership? Rockstar Games, developer of the wildly popular "Grand Theft Auto" franchise, today announced that it has joined forces with Brendan McNamara, best known for the GTA-inspired PS2 game "The Getaway." Of the numerous GTA clones that the Rockstar folks will only privately admit are pissing them off (ni hao, "True Crime"; holla back, "Saints Row"), "The Getaway" alone had a bit of a soul, and its stark presentation--no health bar, ammo boxes, or aiming reticule to clutter the screen--gave it an unsettling documentary-like immediacy both unique and welcome.

According to the press release, Rockstar's Sam Houser will executive produce the new title--set against the backdrop of a series of grisly slayings in 1940s Los Angeles--while McNamara will serve as the game's director. Hat tip to Kotaku for the the appropriately noirish teaser above; a longer trailer will make its debut at the official Web site on October 5th.