REVIEW: Calvino Noir

Author: drboskonovitch

Steam: Released

Developer: Calvino Noir Limited

Publisher: Calvino Noir Limited

Genre: Adventure, Indie, Stealth

Release date: 27th August 2015.

Welcome to 1930s European criminal underworld.  Calvino Noir is a stealth 2D scrolling noir adventure game where you play as several characters,  each of them has unique abilities. Combining those abilities is crucial to finding the clues and completing the missions. Your main character Wilt is a loner who got involved  in some serious investigation of corrupted political business. As you investigate through streets, rooftops, cellars, sewers…etc. you encounter some of Wilt’s old friends and foes  and meet new ones aswell. Siska and Arno are two of many characters you will be able to play with. I mentioned them because they are, lets say, your secondary main characters. Every character has its own story, own dark past which defies him or her in this quite dark story. Those characters often help you in your investigation.

The atmosphere of the game is noir as hell. Constant rain, jazzy music and absolutely amazing art makes you feel like you are watching a detective movie or even better, reading an old noir novel. The game is all in greyish color bringing the noir atmosphere even closer to you. Every chapter of the game is narrated by a sarcastic narrator that never minces words. His descriptions are often funny even if he’s not trying to be funny. The dialog between characters is very interesting and the story itself is what keeps you going. The character voice overs are very well made and thanks to that the characters are, well, very alive.  2015-10-10_00002

The gameplay is point-click based. Toogle Q W E R for walking/running, flashlight  and different abilities. You have to sneak past guards in order to find someone or something so you can proceed with your investigation. There are a few ways you can complete the mission, either taking out all of the guards or sneaking past them.  Remember, patience is the key of completing every mission. Trust me, you can get pissed off easily. Some of the missions are more complicated than others, of course. If you are a true adventurer you can go for achieving all  40 achievements. In every mission you can find and collect coins, but that’s up to you if you want to do that or not. The exploration is very fun, nevertheless.2015-10-16_00001

I have encountered some bugs in the game, such as guards being able to see your flashlight through the walls and get alerted but it doesn’t affect the gameplay much, it’s just a small issue. It can get a bit frustrating if the guards kill you because you must start from the beginning or from the last checkpoint. As I said, you must have patience for the game. Don’t judge too quickly.2015-10-10_00007It’s a quite fun game to play, especially thanks to the art. The artists (or artist) did a crucial part of making this game enjoyable. You can enjoy all the details and the mood of the game is so realistic it will easily take you over. I recommend playing the game with lights off and with your headphones on.

RATING 80/100

Written by
Dead Parrot
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