Summary
Film noir is an often overlooked genre modern day since it has all but vanished. Even neo-noir content has become much rarer. However, there are a number of great games that have drawn some sort of inspiration from film noir, either by becoming neo-noirs or by taking different parts of the style from this classic genre.
These games are often on the more artistic side, resulting in well-respected narratives set in fascinating worlds. Across a variety of genres, some of the very best games drawing from the film noir style are RPGs that allow players to explore these worlds in a more fascinating and wide-reaching manner as games are inspired byor themselves become neo-noirs.
The argument has gone on between fans for fifteen years now about whetherBioShockis actually an RPG. While it is technically described as an action-adventure game or as a first-person shooter, the originalBioShockactually shares so many elements with role-playing games that it is difficult to shut it out of conversations about the genre.
Set inRapture, an incredible underwater citybuilt during the 1940s and remaining very much trapped in that time period,BioShocktakes a lot of inspiration in music, design, and style from film noirs. The whole plot is similar to old noir stories about detectives exploring a city for clues to a mystery. WhileBioShockis regarded as one of the greatest games ever, much of its success is down to this inspiration, and the fantastic narrative and multiple-choice ending will fit a style film noir fans will love, though manystill wish for a full RPG-style gamein this universe.
TheDeus Exfranchise is fascinating, and the first game in the series is often cited in lists of the greatest video games ever made. This is because of the ambitious narrative and world creation, as well as the mixture of different gaming genres. One of the main elements is a role-playing game, and it is used fantastically.
The best part for fans of film noir aboutDeus Exis definitely the world, which is Cyberpunk and dystopian in style, taking inspiration from films likeBlade Runner, which in turn take all their inspiration from classic film noirs. The style of the game, described as genre-busting at the time, helped players feel more situated in the real world than any previous game had managed,making them question every decision, which helped with the grittiness of the style, another great feature of film noir.
The story of Cloud and the planet retroactively named Gaia made for possibly the greatest video game of all time.Final Fantasy 7is set in a unique science-fiction world that takes a lot of cues from beaten-down worlds in classic film noir stories. There is a lot of neo-noir about the style of Gaia, although the eco-terrorist themes are something quite different.
The classic battle against a huge corporation that seems all-powerful and was literally draining the life force from the planet makes for a fantastic narrative with amazing characters. But besides that, Final Fantasy 7 is clearly the strongest narratively and in terms of character growth, not to mention world-building, which makes it perfect for fans of classic film noir style.The dark ending also helps it fitwith the classic film noir style.
An unusual game for fitting the film noir style because it is a side-scroller, the narrative ofDexmanages to make up for the lack of immersion in the world. The game is set in Harbor Prime, another corporation-controlled world resembling neo-noir style. Players take control of a young woman who becomes a member of a resistance fighting against the Complex, the secret organization controlling her world.
Dexis a fascinating game because the RPG elements are not often found in a side-scroller, and the narrative is surprisingly intense. Every mission given to the player has multiple possible endings, and the player has to choose which route to follow every time. This indie game was funded on Kickstarter and has been heavily praised for its nostalgic style, inspired by old film noir in many ways.
One of the primary themes of film noir was hard-boiled detective storieswhere morally gray protagonistsattempted to solve winding mysteries.Disco Elysiummodernizes this style better than any game has ever managed to do. Players take control of an amnesiac detective in a fictional city recovering from a civil war and must solve a fascinating case in a dialogue-heavy style.
Most RPGs have a lot more action thanDisco Elysium, which manages to use strong narrative, fascinating characters, and ground-breaking world-building to become one of the greatest games of the past decade. The team behind the game created the world of Elysium, featuring 6000 total years of history, prior to developing the game. This helped them create a world that has hardly ever been surpassed in gaming for completeness and intricate detailing. Film noir fans will love the dialogue-heavy style and focus on solving the mystery throughout the game.
A game with a wild history,Cyberpunk 2077was initially released in 2020 but was removed from stores for months after brutal complaints about bugs. However, it has received new life since its return, and with the release of Update 2.0 and thePhantom Libertyexpansion, it has found a huge player base that admires what the game has managed to become over time.
Focusing on a mercenary living in Night City, California,Cyberpunk 2077even allows players to choose a life path as it sends them on a journey through a fascinating open world that is incredibly reminiscent of the style of film noir, albeit a futuristic version. The darkness of the city and the strange main plot about Johnny Silverhand and his memories lead the player down a fascinating path, but film noir fans will love the world-building in this game beyond what they could find almost anywhere else, filled witha huge number of decisionsthat players can make.
