Pixel Noir

Released

Release Date: February 8, 2024

An independent retro RPG, which combines elements of a detective game and a horror. The main protagonist of Pixel Noir is trying to solve a mystery of the tragic events from a decade ago when his partner died, leading to him quitting work as a police officer, as he unjustly was sentenced to jail.

7.1

Steam

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Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Pixel Noir is an RPG inspired by 16-bit classics. The game is a debut project of an independent studio called SWDTech Games and has been funded via a Kickstarter campaign. Among other platforms, the game is available on PC, SWITCH and etc..

Plot

Pixel Noir for PC, SWITCH and etc. takes a player to fictional Pinnacle City, where the main protagonist of the game lives. Ten years before, as a promising police officer, he has conducted an investigation together with his partner (Detective Cold). The trail led them to an abandoned hospital. The mysterious events that took place there have cost the main protagonist his sanity, career, and the life of his partner. As the facility has been burned down to the ground, the man has been charged with murdering his partner and wound up in prison. Upon being released, he began working as a private detective solving minor cases. Eventually, however, the fate has presented him with a chance to answer the questions that have been bothering him for so long. The new trail might finally help him to see the nightmares from the past off and get rid of the hallucinations of monsters crawling in the dark.

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Mechanics

In Pixel Noir for PC, SWITCH and etc., players get to observe the action from the top-down perspective. The gameplay revolves around a classic formula – on his adventure, a player has to explore numerous locations, complete both story-related and side missions, fight the opponents, and develop his character together with his companions. The missions’ objectives are diverse; however, even the seemingly petty cases (like searching for lost dogs and cats) might turn into major investigations on e.g. murders. In order to solve multiple riddles, a player is bound to utilize the so-called investigation mode, which highlights all the useful items and clues.

Also worth noticing are the turn-based encounters featuring multiple opponents. The key to success lies in using the wide weapons arsenal (pistols, Molotov cocktails, carbines, etc.) as well as the multiple abilities featured by both the main protagonist and his companions. The entire experience has been enriched with arcade elements – after proving his reflexes, a player can deal more damage to his enemy. Also important in combat are the interactive elements of the environment.

Technical aspects

Pixel Noir for PC, SWITCH and etc. stands out from other RPGs in of its original formula that combines the elements of noir detective stories and a horror, as well as its neutral coloristic and pixel-art visuals. The entire experience has been enriched with modern visual effects making the game even more pleasing to one’s eye.

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