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Face Noir Reviews!

Started by KatieHal, July 24, 2013, 07:55:23 AM

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KatieHal

A collection of Face Noir reviews!

Adventure Gamers 3.5/5
Hulking Reviewer 9/10
Capsule Computers 7.5/10
Ragequit (Greek) 79/100
Videogame.it 3/5
CultureMass 7.9/10
MiastoGier(Polish) 7.5/10
Z-Giochi (Italian) 7.5/10
BrainLazy 7.3/10
Awesome Out Of 10 Hardboiled/10
Armless Octopus 3.5/5
Gamersaurs
True PC Gaming
TIG News
Calm Down Tom 4/5
Critical Indie Gamer 7/10
The World's Empire 8/10
Z Giochi 7.5/10
Softpedia 7/10
Testmania 84/100
Games Gazette

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

KatieHal

And some quotes!

From the adventure game pros at Adventure Gamers, a 3.5/5!

QuoteFace Noir's absolute strength is its delicious film noir soundtrack. The moaning of a sad muted trumpet frames the dour mood of the investigation and sounds exactly like what you'd want to hear wandering the streets of old NYC in the middle of the night.

Quote...Face Noir has good storytelling sense, and breaks up monotony by inserting multiple sequences that allow you to play as a different character integral to the story, proceeding through events earlier in the day. There are some really neat Memento-style revelations, where your actions as this alternate character create a reality that you've already played through as Del Nero.

From Hulking Reviewer, which scores it at  9/10!

QuoteFace Noir is an extremely enjoyable adventure game and has all the elements one would want in a crime fiction starring a private investigator. The thrilling story is filled with enough intrigue to keep you engrossed for hours and the rich atmosphere will transport you to a world where everything isn't black and white (even if the noir styled graphics suggest otherwise) and help you understand the motivations of each character. I expected to enjoy Face Noir but the actual experience exceeded my expectations and confirmed for me once again that this is a genre that is uniquely satisfying. If you enjoy adventure games, crime fictions or video games in general that place a priority on great story telling I highly recommend Face Noir. It'll leave you wondering the true meaning of destiny...or at the very least wanting more in the best way.

BrainLazy, who gave the game a 7.3/10:

QuoteAnother part I liked was the "put the pieces together" mechanic [Reflection/Detective Mode] that came up now and then .... In conversation, you are sometimes given the ability to ask a special question. When you choose it from the menu, the game shows you a list of facts you've learned. Two of them will relate to a single assumed fact relevant to the conversation. You have to select them both in order to ask the right question. Simple, but kind of a neat way to get my brain involved in an otherwise simple exercise of walking a dialogue tree.

JayIsGames review adds:

QuoteFace Noir does an excellent job at immersing you in the game world. There are interactive close up scenes which let you feel more involved in the action. For example instead of just clicking a switch to flip it, you may have to use the motion of your mouse to push the switch in the right direction. While the animation is nothing to write home about, the detailed backgrounds are lovely. The grimness of each scene helps you feel like you are there, and the soundtrack is worthy of any noir film. As you examine your surroundings, you pick up clues that help you later in the game. During certain conversations or scenes the screen will pop into detective mode. Here you have to pick out the two clues relevant to the situation in order to make a deduction about things. It really forces you think like a detective and is a unique concept I haven't seen implemented before.

CultureMass gives it a 7.9/10:

QuoteBut then it came to me like a sunrise after too-many shots of tequila: Chandler-esque detective stories and the classic adventure game were made for each other.

Okay, enough with my sloppy impression of hardboiled detective fiction and on to the review. Face Noir is an adventure game which is heavily inspired by hardboiled detective fiction and film noir. As an homage to its namesake Face Noir is excellent. The atmosphere, character design, and overall style fits snugly within the usual hardboiled tropes.

Capsule Computers scores it at 7.5/10, and also did an Indie Spotlight of the demo!

QuoteProgressing from one puzzle to the next, I began to think that there was a light at the end of the tunnel with a clear "bad guy". Well, I am going to point out right away that I could not have been been more wrong. A crime invested organization known as the "Black Lily" has been growing immensely on the west coast and reached its hands out towards New York. During Jack's time being a cop, Black Lily had developed an entity in the area controlling not only businessmen but also the same police force he worked for. Unbeknownst to Jack, his partner Sean had seen involvement in the organization and took the fall for some of its members' undoings. Unfortunately, this is how our private detective saw jail time – being indirectly involved with a crook.

Finding out about the betrayal years later isn't the only thing that stinks. A police captain pushes limits and accusations about Jack's involvement in Sean's murder. It sure smells like a cover up. But when it is all said and done, the finger you want to point to place the blame has no owner. The only finger that remains pointing is at yourself and your own 'destiny'.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

KatieHal

Awesome Out of 10 gives Face Noir a score of "Hardboiled/10" with their unique system. :)

QuoteThe story's absorbing, the mechanics are simple and entertaining, and the music's evocative. And although the character art, dialog and voice acting could be better, the settings, lighting and gameplay more than make up for it. Overall, Face Noir's a lot like the quintessential Noir hero: Tough, smart, and a little rough around the edges. To end, I'll flagrantly misquote Chinatown villain Noah Cross, "You've got a nasty reputation Face Noir. I like that."

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

KatieHal

Armless Octopus gives the game a 3.5/5 as well:

Quote...the environments Frank visits are extremely lovely, some of the best in the genre. Each screen is impressively filled with detail and character, perfectly invoking that crime drama vibe. The constant rain pours on stylishly slick streets, offices are populated with varieties of objects both utilitarian and personal, and bars are colorful with unique flair. To complement the experience, an excellent jazz soundtrack pervades each scene, really driving home the essence of the genre without being intrusive.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

KatieHal

Two more reviews in!

Gamersaurs had this to say:

QuoteFace Noir is far and away one of the best looking adventure games I've ever played; its rolling storm clouds alone are simply breathtaking. I also liked the pace of the game; it fits the type of story very well. I was impressed by the 3D inventory and its layout - I've not seen one like it in adventure games before, and it's a nice touch. Then there's the music... I mean wow. The amazing jazz that plays in the background just brings the game to life, and it puts you so firmly in that era. It probably helps that I absolutely love that kind of music, but it really fits with this game. Then there is the story. I actually really liked it, it's well put together save for the few hiccups I'll mention later, it's compelling, funny in places, serious in others and it depicts some of the more desperate feelings of the Great Depression very well.

True PC Gaming also very much enjoyed the noir story and gameplay.

Quote...Face Noir a fantastic piece of point-and-click adventure.  The puzzle design has some interesting moments.  Figuring out how to distract a police officer on guard at the pier was satisfying, as was another situation where you needed to get a certain person out of a room so you could look through his stuff. There are a few physical interaction puzzles as well, which sees you picking locks, cracking a safe, and doing other tasks by manipulating dials and picks and handles.  These were all entertaining.  A stealth sequence and a couple mazes also make things interesting while avoiding the annoyances that usually accompany such additions.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

KatieHal

#5
TIG News loves noir, and loved Face Noir!

Quote

  • My favorite part of the game was when you had to connect the dots between two snippets of information you heard earlier to formulate a new question that you could then ask an NPC. This is a great mechanic that was done really well.
  • There are many references to old film noir movies. For instance, Jack's cigarettes are called "Old Marlowes" -- a tribute to Bogart's private detective character in The Big Sleep. There are others, but I'll let you figure them out.

Calm Down Tom gives Face Noir 4/5 stars!

QuoteThe game has beautiful graphics and great music (if you like soft slow jazz like me). The dialogues are usually in close up view and with great voices. There is a nice touch when you have to come up with a new idea, it shows on the screen the main facts you have learnt so you can combine them, however, you can only combine two.

Critical Indie Gamer says 7/10!

QuoteThe soundtrack is superb: soulful, slow jazz with trumpets that always seem to swell just at the right moment, perfectly encapsulating the vibe of 1930s New York.
...
The real strength of Face Noir lies within the storytelling. Like any good mystery, when one question is answered, a few more are always asked, aiding in the player's desire to keep venturing forward to uncover the whole truth.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

KatieHal

Chicago Now loves it--4/5!

Quote...I really enjoyed Face Noir! I liked the added "reflection mode" and that you control a couple different people throughout the game. I also liked the mood and feel of the story, that it was serious but also a bit lighthearted as well. Also, Jack likes to break the fourth wall a couple times and point out that this is indeed a game, so make sure to click on the scenery to get some rather sarcastic descriptions!

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

Intendant S

#7
The World's Empire gives Face Noir an 8/10!

QuoteFace Noir does a fantastic job at keeping the player occupied in the game world with all the interactive close up scenes which let you feel like you are actually there at the scene and in the action. The idea of having a 2D and 3D option is great for many people who get into games easily such as myself.

Z Giochi gives Face Noir a 7.5/10!

Softpedia gives Face Noir a 7/10!

Quote...the environment does incorporate the feeling of a past era, having everything shown through a faded film-grain filter. Players shouldn't expect too much color, as there will be a wide pallet of grays, golds, browns and, of course, black.

The music fits perfectly into the NYC background, the moaning of sad muted trumpets blending with the sound of the pouring rain, delivering a genuine film noir vibe. Truth be told, it is one delicious soundtrack, especially if you are into jazz music and anything related to it.
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't find the Major intoxicating. I mean, after all she is me - or the next best thing to me. "

Intendant S

Testmania gives Face Noir an 84/100!  Since I can't read German and I'm too lazy to use Google translate, I'll just leave the link here.
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't find the Major intoxicating. I mean, after all she is me - or the next best thing to me. "

Intendant S

Games Gazette gave Face Noir a positive review!

QuoteThis is a high quality adventure with a strong storyline that really does capture the spirit of the detective noir era. Great stuff !
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't find the Major intoxicating. I mean, after all she is me - or the next best thing to me. "