Current and Upcoming Noire Games on Various Platforms
Continuing with the noir trend in popular culture, there are numerous titles around right now and coming in the near future which are well worth playing. For users of the hugely successful Nintendo Switch, of which Nintendo shipped more than 4.7 million units in the first four months of release, there is This is the Police from Nordic Games and EuroVideo Median which came out on October 24, 2017 for the platform. The strategy game, which is also a crime thriller, was initially released for Microsoft Windows in August 2016, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in March earlier this year, but the Switch may be the ideal medium for it. For those that prefer to play games on other platforms such as mobile, there are offerings which can be enjoyed from the smaller screen while on the move. One of these is the Lady in Red slot machine game from Microgaming, which is available to play at Betway Casino. The game features noir themes, including the classic “femme fatale”. Puzzle game fans will enjoy Mirror of Death from Windmill-Games, which was last updated in December 2015. It requires players to complete challenging crime conundrums while on the hunt for a missing author. Another intriguing title is the episodic Who is The Killer? by Guts United, which was last updated in March 2017. In it, players have a period of seven days to solve each murder by interviewing witnesses and investigating crime scenes.
Some of the Most Notable Titles in History
There are some noir games that just don’t lose their shine, and can be picked up and played no matter how old they are. This is why a lot of the games of old are now being remastered and resold to modern audiences. While L.A. Noire has been one of the most lauded dark crime games in recent years, there have been a number of other games that have garnered similar reputations. Heavy Rain is a prime example, and another game that was afforded a rejuvenation on PlayStation 4. The 2010 PlayStation 3 title developed by Quantic Dream and released by Sony Computer Entertainment featured four different protagonists, who were embroiled in the mystery of a serial killer nicknamed the “Origami Killer”. It won multiple Game of the Year awards, and sold over 3 million copies when it was originally released. Since being remastered, total sales have risen to over 4.5 million, which is an impressive feat and highlights just how lucrative bringing back classic games can be.
Grim Fandango is another title to have earned a makeover for the modern gamer, as well as older players seeking to replay one of the greatest noir games of all time. The game was developed and published in 1998 by LucasArts, who is also well known for creating the timeless classic The Secret of Monkey Island. The adventure game which featured Manuel “Manny” Calavera drew inspiration from film noir classics including The Maltese Falcon, On the Waterfront, and Casablanca. At the time of release, the unique and engaging title earned critical praise, and went on to later be regarded as one of the best games ever made. For this reason, a remastered version was released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux in January 2015.
Noir themes are still hugely popular, as highlighted by the success of these remastered games. There will be more original content coming in the near future as well, with Detroit: Become Human from Quantic Dream being one of the most eagerly anticipated games of 2017.
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