| Noir: A Shadowy Thriller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | TSi, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Cyberdreams |
| Producer(s) | David Mullich |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Noir: A Shadowy Thriller is a 1996 adventure game developed by American studio TSi, Inc. and published by Cyberdreams for Windows. [1] Noir was Cyberdreams' last released game before the studio shut down in 1997.
The setting of Noir places the player in Los Angeles in 1940 as a private investigator. The player is tasked with completing six non-linear 'cases' presented as the unresolved files of their missing partner, Jack Slayton. These cases can be completed in any order or concurrently. Once the player has solved all cases, they will discover the cause of Jack Slayton's disappearance. [2]
Gameplay in Noir is consistent with other point and click adventure games, with the player navigating the environment through a series of still images. Whilst the player may examine or pick up objects with the cursor, there is no inventory system and the game will automatically use appropriate items as relevant. The game also presents multiple difficultly levels which affect the number of hints available to the player and the context clues represented by the cursor. [2]
Noir was developed by TSi, Inc, a short-lived company that developed computer graphics and proprietary software for motion capture in animation. [3] The game was written and directed by Jeff Blyth, a director whose primary experience was documentaries shot in Circle-Vision 360° for Disney attractions and the 1989 Walt Disney Pictures film Cheetah . The full-motion video footage was filmed with a full cast, with photography taking place at Los Angeles landmarks including the Bradbury Building, Bernardo Fernandez House and James Oviatt Building. [2]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer Gaming World |    [4] |
| GameSpot | 4.9/10 [5] |
| Next Generation | [6] |
| PC PowerPlay | 61% [7] |
Noir: A Shadowy Thriller received mostly negative reviews. Reviewers focused on the player's passive relationship to the story through FMV sequences, with David Wildgoose of PC PowerPlay writing that the sequences feel detached from the rest of the game, even though they are central to the plot. The reviewer noted that players cannot talk in the game, but just stand there, watch and listen. [7] Many reviewers noted that automatic animations running when a player has the correct items to progress a puzzle limits the involvement of the player in the puzzle solving process, with Ron Dulin of GameSpot remarking that the players don't have to do anything, but just look everywhere in the right order. Next Generation agreed, noting that players will be left with the underlying feeling of being led to the answers rather than discovering them. [6]
Retrospective assessments of the game have been more forgiving, focusing on the verisimilitude of the film noir setting. Phil Salvador of The Obscuritory noted that, in spite of the "confusing plot", Noir's presentation is "spectacular" and "really is like stepping into the gritty haze of an old detective film". [8]
The Dig is a 1995 point-and-click adventure game developed by LucasArts for PC and Macintosh. Like other LucasArts adventure games, it uses the SCUMM video game engine, as well as the last SCUMM game on MS-DOS. It features a full voice-acting cast, including voice actors Robert Patrick and Steve Blum, and a digital orchestral score. The game uses a combination of drawn two-dimensional artwork and limited, pre-rendered three-dimensional clips, with the latter created by Industrial Light & Magic.
Starship Titanic is an adventure game developed by The Digital Village and published by Simon & Schuster Interactive. It was released in April 1998 for Microsoft Windows and in March 1999 for Apple Macintosh. The game takes place on the eponymous starship, which the player is tasked with repairing by locating the missing parts of its control system. The gameplay involves solving puzzles and speaking with the bots inside the ship. The game features a text parser similar to those of text adventure games with which the player can talk with characters.
Myst IV: Revelation is a 2004 adventure video game, the fourth installment in the Myst series, developed and published by Ubisoft. Like Myst III: Exile, Revelation combines pre-rendered graphics with digital video, but also features real-time 3D effects for added realism. The plot of Revelation follows up on plot details from the original Myst. The player is summoned by Atrus, a man who creates links to other worlds known as Ages by writing special linking books. Almost twenty years earlier, Atrus' two sons nearly destroyed all of his books and were imprisoned; Atrus now wishes to see if his sons' imprisonment has reformed them. The player travels to each brother's prison, in an attempt to recover Atrus' daughter Yeesha from the brothers' plot.
Discworld is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Teeny Weeny Games and Perfect 10 Productions and published by Psygnosis. It is based on Terry Pratchett's novels of the same name. Players assume the role of Rincewind the "wizzard", voiced by Eric Idle, as he becomes involved in exploring the Discworld for the means to prevent a dragon terrorising the city of Ankh-Morpork. The game's story borrows elements from several Discworld novels, with its central plot loosely based on the events in Guards! Guards!
Discworld Noir is a 1999 adventure game developed by Perfect Entertainment and published by GT Interactive. The game is set in Terry Pratchett's satirical Discworld universe, and follows its first and only private investigator as he is given a case leading him into the deadly and occult underbelly of the Discworld's largest city.
Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans is a cancelled graphic adventure game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and Animation Magic from 1996 until 1998. Set in the Warcraft universe after the events of Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, it followed the orc character Thrall in his quest to reunite his race, then living on reservations and in slavery following its defeat by the human Alliance. Assuming the role of Thrall, the player would have used a point-and-click interface to explore the world, solve puzzles and interact with characters from the wider Warcraft series.
Star Wars: Yoda Stories is a 1997 adventure video game based on the Star Wars franchise developed by LucasArts. The game is the second and last title in LucasArts' Desktop Adventures series, preceded by Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures. The game was released in March 1997 for Microsoft Windows and ported to Game Boy Color by Torus Games in December 1999.
Cyberdreams Interactive Entertainment was a video game publisher located in California that specialized in adventure games developed in collaboration with famous names from the fantasy, horror and science fiction genres between 1990 and 1997.
Torin's Passage is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1995. The game was designed by Al Lowe, author of the Leisure Suit Larry series.
Lighthouse: The Dark Being is an adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was the first and only game designed by Sierra On-Line art director Jon Bock.
Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins, is a point-and-click adventure game released in 1994 by Cryo Interactive for MS-DOS, and later ported to the 3DO video game console. The game was a commercial success, with sales of 300,000 units by 1997. An emulated version was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS in 2013.
Casper is a series of action-adventure games based on the 1995 film of the same name. Two different games were released in 1996 and 1997 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, by different publishers, in different regions. A third game was released for the 3DO, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Game Boy Color, published by Interplay Productions. There was also a Game Boy game developed by Bonsai. A PC game, Casper: The Interactive Adventure, and a Game Boy Advance game, simply titled Casper, were released in 1997 and 2002 respectively serving as sequels.
Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny is a 1997 action role-playing game, second installment of the Lands of Lore series, a sequel to Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. It brought about a drastic change in gameplay style from its predecessor, opting away from the original's D&D turn-based style in favor of more action elements. A sequel, Lands of Lore III, was released in 1999.
Drowned God: Conspiracy of the Ages is a 1996 science fiction adventure game developed by Epic Multimedia Group and published by Inscape. The game propounds the conspiracy theory that all of human history is a lie and that the human race's development and evolution were aided by extraterrestrials. The player attempts to uncover the truth through the course of the game by traveling to a variety of different worlds, interacting with historical and fictional characters, and solving puzzles.
The Cameron Files: Pharaoh's Curse is an adventure video game released in 2002, developed by Galilea and published by DreamCatcher Interactive and The Adventure Company.
Alice in Wonderland is an action-adventure video game published by Disney Interactive Studios. Based on Tim Burton's 2010 film of the same name, it was released in the same week as the film for the Wii, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Zeebo, with the soundtrack being composed by video game music composer Richard Jacques. The Wii, DS, and PC versions were released in March 2010. The DS game is completely different from the Wii and PC versions.
Curse of Dragor is a 1995 fantasy role playing video game for the Macintosh, developed by Banshee Software and published by Domark.
Anastasia: Adventures with Pooka and Bartok is a puzzle video game based on the 1997 animated film Anastasia. Developed by Motion Works, published by Fox Interactive and distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, the title was released on November 25, 1997. It was produced by David Wisehart, who also served as voiceover director. The game had an estimated budget of US$800,000.
Traitors Gate is a 1999 graphic adventure game developed by Daydream Software. Set in a reproduction of the Tower of London, it follows the story of Raven, an American special agent trying to steal and replace the Crown Jewels of England to safeguard them from a rogue operative. The player assumes the role of Raven and solves puzzles within the Tower while evading the guards. Progression through the game is nonlinear and under a time limit: the player may solve certain challenges in multiple ways, but must win before 12 hours elapse.
Later Alligator is a 2019 point-and-click adventure game developed by American studio Pillow Fight in collaboration with SmallBü Animation. The game tasks players with exploring Alligator New York City and playing various mini-games to solve a mystery. It was released in September 2019 for Microsoft Windows, and MacOS, followed by a Linux version in December. A port for the Nintendo Switch was released in March 2021.