REVIEW | Genesis Noir, your private universe
According to the most accepted theory by Science, our universe was the result of an explosion of proportions never seen before (well, they could not be seen at all, since neither Time nor Space existed yet).
All the material was gathered in a single point smaller than the head of a pin. Then, suddenly, no more than suddenly, BOOM! The Big Bang happened and a shower of cosmic elements filled the void giving life to galaxies, stars and planets.
It sounds like an incredible story to explore in a video game, doesn’t it? But what if we mix the world of jazz, with a noir aesthetic alongside point n ’click mechanics? Well believe me, this combination works better than you can imagine.
Let there be light!
Genesis Noir is a creation of the North American studio Feral Cat Den, which only got the opportunity to launch its first game for the consoles (with the help of publisher Fellow Traveler) after a successful campaign on Kickstarter that collected more than 48 thousand dollars.
And you can see from the beginning of the game that this money was well invested. With a unique style that wisely uses the monochromatic tone to create a world of simple visuals, but that allows a lot of interpretation, the developers deliver an adventure with an aesthetic that stands out in the indie games scene.
If you’re in doubt about what having a “noir style” means, just watch some mid-20th century classic like Twilight of the Gods, The Third Man, The Mark of Evil, or even recent hits like Sin City or maybe the Spider Man Noir, from Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.
But it’s not just the aesthetics that Genesis Noir uses wisely: it’s the way he creates a jazz metaphor and a detective plot to tell more about the creation and destruction of the universe.
Here you play as an unnamed man who goes into a spiral of depression after ending a relationship with a beautiful jazz singer. With nothing to do, he returns to his watchmaking profession.
However, everything changes when he witnesses the band’s saxophonist trying to murder her love. Before tragedy can occur, he manages to stop time. But how? Well, do you remember that I commented on this game being a great metaphor about the creation and destruction of the Universe?
Our dear nameless protagonist is a representation of Time itself. Already his great love represents the mass of the Universe and, his possible killer, represents the energy. It looks like something out of an equation in the Theory of Relativity, doesn’t it?
And it is in the midst of this mass and energy madness that our fearless protagonist decides to enter to change the destiny of his beloved (and who knows about the Universe too?). From there, what follows are several crazy sequences, full of metaphors and allegories that try to explore the birth of the Universe and the creation of the Earth.
At that moment it is clear that the developers’ choice for noir aesthetics was brilliant because, combined with the excellent jazz soundtrack, it manages to create a unique atmosphere that creates a fertile environment that, even full of simple elements, can give wings to our main character’s imagination.
Time, space and love
From the moment you try to prevent the death of your loved one (witnessing the “Big Bang” itself), you are thrown into a sequence of almost random events that allow for a series of different interactions with the environment. You can play with stars, seeds, sound waves, almost any elements of the Universe are at your disposal to interact in the most unusual ways.
Without revealing many spoilers about the story, suffice it to say that all the events that our punctual protagonist witnesses (and participates in) are essential for him to find a way to save the beautiful Miss Mass. In the best style of noir films, Genesis Noir builds an engaging story of mystery that is thought-provoking to follow and, best of all, to be its main protagonist.
If you expect some kind of puzzle challenge, Genesis Noir may disappoint you. The puzzles here work more like a mechanic that allows the character to interact with his environment than an obstacle to reach his final goal. They are not overly simple, but you will have no trouble completing any of them, as they are all designed to be very intuitive.
Perhaps Genesis Noir’s only flaw is using point n ’click mechanics in this type of adventure. Okay, I can’t imagine any other form of interaction that could fit better into the game’s proposal, but the way it’s in Genesis Noir, without precision and not always so intuitive, makes me think that the developers could have broken their heads one a little bit more to create a better mechanic for the players.
Genesis Noir is available for PC, Xbox and Nintendo Switch and, if you are looking for a simple game, but with a different aesthetic and a story to make you think, then go deep and dive into this deconstructed universe to play.
Final Opinion: Very Good
By Luis Antonio Costa
