Tell Some Story: Foz
The project will not be able to surprise you with ultimatum mechanics or gameplay innovations, but it will try to keep your attention with an intriguing and rich plot, as well as non-standard visuals and atmosphere. The main task was to create an adult and serious story with contrasting visuals, in which voxel and low poly models are mixed.
The game is hardcore enough, in rare moments of shootouts, you have to show considerable ingenuity to emerge victorious from this or that situation. My advice is to read the tips, because any bullet can be the last one. The plot, which unfolds more and more with each level, will lead you to one of twelve endings, the choice of which will depend only on the player.
Features of the game:
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Action-adventure + Third person shooter.
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Specific voxel / lowpoly graphics.
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Dark cyberpunk theme.
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Extremely detailed characters.
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A cozy bar as a location.
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Intense storyline with twelve endings
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Faithful companions to help you on your adventure.
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Realistic damage system affecting both the player and his enemies.
And much more.
Read More: Best Noir Atmospheric Games.
Genesis Noir
Having completed Genesis Noir, I’m not sure how to describe the experience. It is a unique mix of visuals, music, poetry, philosophy, and Big Bang theory. You interact in terms of clicking or moving characters. The biggest challenge is trying to figure out what is required to advance each scene.
The game is split into 12 chapters which have common themes and characters but are very different. Some are super short and others feel like they take forever. Some had obvious ties to the idea of the Big Bang, while others felt like unrelated interludes. At the end of each chapter, you circle back to a central screen with a telescope/cannon (used to select the next chapter) and a display area with collectibles. There is no inventory and the main character pockets items of interest and automatically places them when appropriate. Most of the game is done with black and white line drawings, using gold to accent. Other sections pull in bright colors and feel as if you are looking through a kaleidoscope. The sound track is a mix of jazz, vocals, occasional voice overs, and environmental sounds.
– Real player with 14.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Noir Puzzle Games.
Genesis Noir is quite a strange and scintillating adventure, featuring a time-traveling being trying to reverse the Big Bang. Aside from a few sporadic puzzles, everything is linear and just keeps moving. Otherwise, it’s really not much of a game, as there is very little that you have to do other than follow along the preset path and click on a few items of interest as the game moves forward in its artistic and musical exhibitions.
– Real player with 6.8 hrs in game
This is the Zodiac Speaking
ATTENTION: REVIEW HAS SPOILERS!
First of all, I would like to congratulate the developers of the game for their work, because this is subject I am incredibly interested in.
I remember being 16 years old, and reading a magazine article about the Zodiac, and being equaly frightened and curious as I saw that drawing of the killer in his costume, as it was described by the surviving victim, Brian Hartnell. That, along with the letters and ciphers, is a case where what we expect could only happen in fiction became reality - someone was killing people, communicating with the public by sending letters to the press and challenging everyone to catch him (even making movie reviews, not kidding!). Since my youth, I have been acompanying the forums on the internet which discuss the Zodiac Killer case and all the recent news/info about it.
– Real player with 6.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Noir Horror Games.
Meh. I wish there were a “Meh” button instead of whether I do or do not recommend. It depends.
I had this on my wishlist and anxiously awaited release, and when the first wave of reviews were mixed, and I read about issues with the stalker mode (and knowing my history f’ing HATING games where I’m trying to do puzzles while getting stalked/usually killed), decided to just play the story mode.
Wise choice. Was still spooky without constantly destroying my will to play by making me start over chapters when I would have been inevitably caught. For that, I thank the devs.
– Real player with 5.5 hrs in game
Bear With Me: The Lost Robots
This is a first impressions style of review, as I haven’t finished the game, and I’m part way through what I guess is the prequel.
Firstly, I love the art style. Growing up, seeing some Don Bluth animations, and Space Ace / Dragons Lair arcade games, the cartoon quality animations always made me go “wow”. Now we take it for granted. However this is one of those games that makes you go “wow”, with the film noir 1930’s / 1940’s style, with the modern animation. I really do like it. And surprisingly, the grey scale works amazingly well and fits in with the whole style.
– Real player with 26.8 hrs in game
A trully masterfully made little game that at first glance seem to have no right to actually be as good as it is.
Bear with me is a mix of a noir style detective narrative, with some clever humor sprinkled in that at times is way to cynical to be targeted at children, so don’t be fooled by the graphics style. To top the noir atmosphere there’s a very layered narrative that can be enjoyed both by kids on a surface level (with the cute looking characters) or on a deeper level by adults who might reminis about their past. The DLC even has a bit of twin peaks thrown in for good measure and is generally darker than the main game.
– Real player with 24.8 hrs in game
Chicken Police - Paint it RED!
Great game, couldn’t put it down until I’ve finished it.
Really hope there’s another one in the pipeline, I’ll definitely get it.
If you like detective games, and/or noir then it definitely will worth your while.
The concept of using animals in the art while weird at first glance, really grew on me, especially when I heard them talk.
There’s just so much effort put in the art and voices it’s hard to overstate.
I’m actually super interested in some unexplored areas, like the hive and Roachtown.
– Real player with 15.9 hrs in game
I usually don’t play visual novels, but Chicken Police made me interested and curious immediately when I saw it on Steam for the first time. I decided to buy it because of its distinctive art style and the fact that I love crime/detective games like L.A. Noire, The Wolf Among Us, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, Grim Fandango and many others.
Chicken Police has a very special noir look combined with very sharp colors when the game wants you to really NOTICE something, for example a text painted RED or stunning GREEN eyes on one of the characters. I absolutely love the contrast. The idea of having human bodies and animal heads is amazing! Also it gave the game a great opportunity to make good animal related jokes.
– Real player with 14.7 hrs in game
Welcome to Goodland
You could never have known you would end up in a situation like this, yet here you are: helping a Mexican cartel with money laundering. The cartel doesn’t listen to excuses, and it rarely gives second chances. You would not wish to disappoint them. You know what happened to the last person who did.
And so, you start small in a secluded town in Minnesota; a place surrounded by beautiful forests, yet filled with dark secrets. There are several factions already in play here and they will not want to share their influence with a rising force… but can you survive without allies?
You will need all your courage, ingenuity and perseverance if you wish to overcome the challenges laid before you. Even those closest to you might betray you, but you might also find allies in the most unexpected of places.
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Plan your actions, acquire businesses, protect and promote your business
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Balance your reputation with the police and two local criminal gangs lest your unreliable comrades turn against you
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Make choices and face consequences that aren’t always immediately apparent; there is no such thing as a perfect solution
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Embrace the corruption and climb the ranks in the cartel, try to ask the FBI for help… or find another way to ensure your safety and independence
Blues and Bullets
Game is dead like a beached whale.
My personal experience is probably a lot like most people on here. When a sale season hits, you go out a buy a crap-tonne of anything and everything that has had a price reduction on your wishlist. Like a hungry vacuum cleaner sucking up your wallet, purse, handbag, life savings, superannuation and assorted licorices, you just buy buy buy! without really looking at the forums or the latest info or even if the game is finished yet.
Which brings me to my point. This game wasn’t finished, and never will be.
– Real player with 8.7 hrs in game
I do not really review episodic titles without having all episodes at hand with a complete walkthrough. With Blues and Bullets I did an exception as the title with its heavy noir atmosphere kept calling me. “A Crowd of Monsters” made an interesting and enjoyable game and I’m sure we’ll hear more about them in the future.
In the center of the game we have Eliot Ness who is based on the real Eliot Ness - an agent who enforced the Prohibition in the early 20th century and was famous for being part of the so-called Untouchables, a group tasked with getting Chicago rid of its corruption and - most notably - putting Al Capone behind bars. Here, the story is fictionalised - Eliot has already retired when he gets a visit from one of Capone’s henchmen. The kingpin wants to bury the hatchet and offers the agent a job most unexpected: finding his granddaughter as Sofia Capone was kidnapped.
– Real player with 6.2 hrs in game
BUSTAFELLOWS
Probably the highest quality otome game that’s been localised into English so far. I have yet to play a game with this many immersive elements, I’m shocked that this isn’t the standard. There’s animated CGs, dynamic voice work, characters with multiple outfit changes and poses. Their eyes even move to the speaking character if they happen to be on the same screen. This game has THE smoothest intro to main menu transition I have ever seen in my damn life.
So let’s look at our lovable cast:
- Limbo is the confident and suave type who always seems like he’s in control. He’s funny, and supportive, but he’s actually a lot more childish than one would think. He’s a really good poster boy.
– Real player with 118.2 hrs in game
In short, I like reading Bustafellows. Although it has many places where it underwhelms me.
The stories in this game are kind of all over the place. It seems there are too many topics the game wants to tackle on, but fails to do so in depth.
A lot of the settings are far-fetched and unrealistic, like Crow being a super genius all-powerful hacker. The existence of magical plastic surgeries. Our 5 fixers, who are supposed to do things hidden, expose all of themselves to the enemy, or even worse, to the internet. Villains who conveniently put everything that would prove them guilty in a nice
! USB drive for us to read.
! Nanobots entering one’s body, powered by “body energy” which the only plausible meaning is glucose in the blood (right?), but they stopped working after the person goes in to cardiac arrest, but in no sense would going into cardiac arrest take away all the glucose in the blood. I know I shouldn’t expect realism in this kind of games, but not doing so would require me to lower expectations.
– Real player with 51.4 hrs in game
Interrogation: You will be deceived
Interrogation: You will be deceived
Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived, is an amazing Visual Noir Novel with a compelling cast of characters that complement the rich story-driven detective-noir experience really well.
Playing as a lead detective trying to solve small-time crimes, gathering evidence, interrogating suspects and putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, it seems like just another day at the job.
*– [Real player with 50.0 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198329404521)*
Okay so first, let me be clear. I ABSOLUTELY love nearly every aspect of this game! However, due to strenuous replays and a little bit of lack of guidance, the tediousness has far outweighed my enjoyment which is saying a lot as I've really enjoyed everything else. This review is spoiler free aside from game mechanic discussions (fail conditions)
Pros:
Story - The story is truly engaging. Nothing's worse than a visual novel with a bad story. Interrogation gives you the sense of every character whether you've met them briefly or if they're your go to partner on the task force.
*– [Real player with 15.4 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198000248322)*
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## MAMIYA
At the time I’m writing this review I have yet to experience _MAMIYA_ fully and to completion. I’ve seen all its endings (and _not endings_, for that matter); however, there are still some stories and details to uncover in three more not-exactly-routes closely related to three more characters (whose existence is a bit spoilery). I will absolutely read everything that is there to read, and I mean _everything_, because each and every word of _MAMIYA_ is a heavenly treasure I hold very close to my heart.
*– [Real player with 53.3 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198072628589)*
**Target Audience:** Those with a soul
**Summary:**
To say that Mamiya brings out the best in emotional writing that tugs at your heartstrings is like saying that EA brings the worst out of monetization strategies. Mamiya may have supernatural elements and interesting twists within its 15 hours of story. With strong characters who you connect with almost immediately, to dark themes that really dive into some interesting subjects without any fear, Mamiya is something that I really don't want to spoil anything off: because even the most basic elements of the story should be experienced without any sort of spoilers. I mean, I could go in how the twists are realistic and yet really satisifying, that all the substories work in a variety of ways and hit a range of themes, and that the writing is down to earth and yet is a style that feels a little bit different then others out there. It's all done with a mysterious story that makes those who pay attention to small details have it pay off for them.
*– [Real player with 51.4 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198016432675)*
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