Walking Down The Dark Alley Of Detective Games

In anticipation of L.A. Noire's release next week, we decided to take a look back at some of the gaming mysteries that have enthralled us over the years. Some of the following titles stick strictly to noir standards like dark tones, wordy inner monologues, and dames in distress, while others import investigation sequences into other varied genres. Check out our list of old and new games alike and add your picks in the comments.

Déjà Vu
(1985)

This early Macintosh adventure game is one of the first noir-inspired titles out there. It's quite rough to revisit these days, as you always have to adjust the size of the inventory windows and there are numerous instant deaths and ways in which to paint yourself into the corner. But private eye Ace Harding's quest to regain his memory and clear a trumped up murder charge is straight out of the pulp novels.

Tex Murphy Series
(1989-98)

Private eye Tex Murphy got his start in the late '80s with Mean Streets, set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco full of mutated humans. Four more games followed with the franchise eventually fully embracing live-action, full-motion video actors instead of animated characters. The pinnacle of the series, Under a Killing Moon (above), remains an adventure classic.

Gabriel Knight Series
(1993-99)

Mildly successful New Orleans-based writer Gabriel Knight debuted in Sins of the Father as he got pulled into investigating the voodoo murders as part of some research for his next book. Gabriel's sexual tension with is assistant/partner Grace blends well with revelations about his lineage and connections to the murders. The trilogy starts with classic point-and-click adventuring, then moves to FMV, and finishes off with a 3D polygonal look.

Blade Runner
(1997)

This gaming take on the classic sci-fi noir film actually did the source material justice somehow. Rookie Blade Runner Ray McCoy hunts replicants during the same time period and locales of the movie. In addition to traditional adventure-style investigations, players can also perform a Voight-Kampff test on suspects to determine if their human/replicant status. Multiple choices throughout the game lead to several different endings in which McCoy is or isn't a replicant himself.

Grim Fandango
(1998)

So Manny Calavera isn't a private eye or a detective, but his role as a travel agent through the Land of the Dead takes him down a similar path. Set over four years (the time it takes a sinner to reach the Ninth Underworld for rest), Manny uncovers corruption in the afterlife and aids damsel Meche Colomar. This LucasArts/Tim Schafer classic still holds up visually, unlike many other titles from this era, due to the simple and distinct art style.

Ace Attorney Series
(2001-Present)

Ace Attorney got its start long ago on Japanese Game Boy Advances, but continues to this day even without original hero Phoenix Wright. Unlike most detective stories in which the protagonist solves the case and sends the culprit off in cuffs, Phoenix handles the investigations and courtroom duties alike. It makes you wonder what the hell everyone else is doing in the law enforcement and legal system.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
(2005)

Protagonist Jack Walters is an ex-detective and current private Dick. Call of Cthulhu may not have much in the way of investigation, but its noir-ish tones blend interestingly with H.P. Lovecraft's supernatural world. Reviews were mixed when this came out, but this Xbox and PC release has become a cult classic over the years.

Condemned Series
(2005-08)

Ethan Thomas' first-person hobo beatdown adventure was one of the first games to come out on Xbox 360 and the eerie atmosphere and sharp graphics shined. The followup, Bloodshot, was chock full of impressive set pieces and improved mechanics. Both are extremely underappreciated, and feature plenty of fun techno forensics.

Batman: Arkham Asylum
(2009)

With Batman's impressive fighting, swooping, and driving skills always on full display, it's easy to forget that he also has the reputation as the "World's Greatest Detective." In Arkham, Batman tracks scent clouds and runs finger prints all with the help of his detective vision. Though some argue that it's too tempting to leave this filter on all the time and miss out on the stunning visuals of the environment.

Heavy Rain
(2010)

Heavy Rain is the strongest straight up detective game in recent times (as you can see from the previous entries). While only two of the four characters are official crime solvers, Ethan and Madison more than pull their own weight in solving the case of the Origami Killer. Multiple branching paths ensure that even after a player beats the game, there's still plenty of incentive to return and see how different story threads play out.