Pixel Noir Demo

A movie like Sin City have the unique power to induce a certain mood every time you watch it, thanks to its visual style, story, setting and, obviously, soundtrack. The film noir genre is a tricky one, because it can go wrong in a variety of ways if the producers are not careful. On the other hand, the atmosphere is rather easy to create, as long as you make everything dark and throw whiskey and cigarettes on top.

Pixel Noir is a retro role-playing game that features everything you could want from a film noir flick, which means that it should be quite simple to get in the proper mood. Everything about it is gritty and dark, including the characters, the storyline and the actual environments. Obviously, there’s humor on top of it all to keep things on an even keel, but you may not feel like laughing all the time.

The story puts you in the role of a detective who gets himself into a bit of trouble after he is hired to track down a nasty individual. As it turns out, the detective suffers from hallucinations as well, which means that he is not always sure what’s real and what is not. The writers did a good job at creating homogeneous game world, especially when it comes to the characters that are part of the story. On the other hand, it is rather difficult to tell how everything is going to turn out yet.

Gameplay-wise, you are pretty much free to wander wherever you want on the map, although you should not expect anything like Skyrim. The maps are obviously a lot smaller, but they are littered with interesting things and people you can interact with. Once you enter combat, on the other hand, the turn-based gameplay mechanics come into play. In fact, they are a lot like what you may have seen in classic JRPGs.

Visually, the retro style may not appeal to everyone nowadays, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. Nostalgia is sure to kick in a couple of minutes, especially if you have been around for the old arcade games back in the day. The soundtrack is brilliant as well, with great tunes to keep the atmosphere constant and your mind always on the edge of depression.

All things considered, Pixel Noir is one hell of an RPG when it comes to the story and the general atmosphere. It still needs polishing in the gameplay department, but the gloomy graphics and the brilliant soundtrack should keep you from observing the game’s imperfections for now.

Note: The Pixel Noir developers are currently undergoing a crowdfunding campaign to fund their game, which means that you can help their cause by visiting the Kickstarter page and contributing.