Noire is notable for using Depth Analysis’s newly developed technology MotionScan, whereby the actors portraying the game’s characters were recorded by 32 surrounding cameras to capture facial expressions from every angle.
Various plot elements reference the major themes of detective and mobster stories such as Key Largo, Chinatown, The Untouchables, The Black Dahlia, and L.A. The game uses a distinctive colour palette, but in homage to film noir it includes the option to play the game in black and white. The game draws heavily from both the plot and aesthetic elements of film noir, stylistic films made popular in the 1940s and 1950s that share similar visual styles and themes, including crime and moral ambiguity. Players must investigate crime scenes for clues, follow up leads, and interrogate suspects, and the player’s success at these activities will impact how much of each case’s story is revealed. Noire is set in Los Angeles in 1947 and challenges the player, controlling a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, to solve a range of cases across five divisions.
