Like all the best noir, the characters here are deeply flawed, life is snuffed out, and cold and calculating villains crash against steely protagonists. Noire is a police procedural, originally released in 2011 to a muted reception, but in the years since it has built up a cult following for the game's tone and atmosphere. A former Marine Corps officer, Phelps is trying to keep the city safe and fit back into the world that's changed while he was away at war. Cole Phelps, the game's protagonist, has his own post-war stress to work out.
It's 1947, and the city is boiling over with post-war stress. Los Angeles glides past, our black car prowling the streets like a spectre, ready to protect and serve. I can't stand Bekowsky, but his one redeeming feature is he's happy to drive. I've just made detective, and he patronises me for it endlessly, telling me to ask him for help every time he's not complaining about everything within his field of view. Stefan Bekowsky hasn't been my partner for long. Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, Switch (VR content available on certain platforms but not touched upon in our review) Developer: Virtuos (original by Team Bondi)
