Quantcast
Destructoid - Stevil's Community Blog




About Me


A self proclaimed professor of survival horror despite only having a BA (Hons) degree in film. Go figure.

Okay, maybe I should write more here but I once did an interview for Law's blog, which explains everything about me.

In the meantime, I'm just a guy who writes about videogame theory and how the medium can achieve better cinematic emulation (while keeping its own indentity). Though, if that's too boring, you can always find something delightfully fluffy in the following:

Gamer Obscura

Gregory Horror Show
Glass Rose
Michigan: Report From Hell
Hellnight
Steambot Chronicles
Chase The Express
The X Files FMV Game
SOS: The Final Escape & Raw Danger
G-Police & G-Police: Weapons of Justice
Koudelka
Friday The 13th: The Computer Game
Hard Edge
DENNIS HOPPER featuring Black Dahlia
Harvester
The Note
The Police Quest Collection
It Came From The Desert
Blade Runner
Men in Black: The Game
Famicom Detective Club Part II
Toonstruck
Ham-Ham Heartbreak

Unsung Heroes

Brad Garrison (Dead Rising)
Jenny Romano (The Darkness)
Cass (Fallout: New Vegas)

Hey, check out these inane ramblings:

The Vague History of UK Videogame TV shows

Part 1 (Bad Influence, Gamesmaster & Games World)
Part 2 (BITS & videoGaiden/consoleVania)
Part 3 (the worst and the future)

The Assimilation of Eastern & Western Horror in Videogames

Part 1 (The Eastern/Western Horror Assimilation)
Part 2 (Interaction and Narrative)
Part 3 (Case Study)

Random

Skip To The End: Max Payne 2
The Lost Idea of An Adventures of Pete & Pete Game
My Unpopular Opinion: I Liked Alone in The Dark 5
Hey BBC! Where's My Doctor Who Game?!
Loving Dr. Chakwas
The 'Fun Simulacrum' of Movie/TV License Games
Why Devs Don't Get The Colonial Marines From Aliens
It's Okay To Like B-Movie Games
Endings That Made Me Cry...Like A Man
Who Do You Trust?
Dancing With Myself
My Unpopular Opinion: Silent Hill 4 Deserved Better
Theme Hospital & The Embarrassing Operation of Old
When It Comes To Noir in Videogames, "It's Chinatown"
My Irreverent & Irrelevant Awards Show 2010
Amateur Bedroom Critics
Sydney Briar is Alive
The Big Gumbo
Alan Wake's Hallowiener Special
...And So I Watch You From Afar

Nostaljourney

Some poor sap let me onto their awesome podcast. These are the horrific results...

Deus Ex
Resident Evil 2
Duke Nukem 3D

Secret Moon Base

They sent me into space for this podcast. There were no survivors...

Fiddling Nightbear

Monthly Musings

I Suck At Games: Stretching My RPGs Out into A Year & A Half Ordeal

Improving Gaming Communities: We Need A Gaming Fonzie

The Future: Laughing At The Past

Something About Sex: It's A Conquest, Not A Catalyst

Alternate Reality: "My other car is a Trotmobile!"

Teh Bias: Starting At The Ground Floor

Groundhog Day: One DeSoto, Two Carefree Owners

Front Page

Nothing Is Sacred: 'It looks like the lock is broken. I can't open it.'

Love/Hate: Shark Jumping Videogame Writers

E for Effort: The Adventures of Mega & Master (A Cautionary Tale)

The Lament of Solitary Antagonistic Horror

2010 Sucked: Why Cing Will Be Unknowingly Missed

Technical Difficulties: Rainbow Six FUBAR

Cass from New Vegas

Honest Endings for Honest Hearts

Thanks for reading!
Gamer Profile
3DS friend code:
Steam:
Battle:
PSN:
Mii:
Gamertag: kimdealslover
Following (36)
Alasdair Duncan
Andrew Kauz
AwesomeExMachina
beverlynoelle
Beyamor
Bulkmailer
BulletMagnet
Caitlin Cooke
CblogRecaps
CelicaCrazed
Char Aznable
Commentoid
Corduroy Turtle
Deathofthedead
Diverse
Elsa
Enkido
Funktastic
garethxxgod
Jonathan Holmes
Kraid
lapd
LawofThermalDynamics
Lazaro Cruz
manasteel88
Mike Moran
Mr Andy Dixon
Niero
Occams electric toothbrush
ScottyG
Sean Carey
Secret Moon Base
SuitcoatAvenger
Takeshi
Tubatic
Xzyliac
When It Comes to Noir in Videogames, "It's Chinatown"
Stevil | 3:39 PM on 11.30.2010 11 comments




“Nothing says goodbye like a bullet.”

No truer words are acted upon than in the finale of Roger Altman’s The Long Goodbye. Elliott Gould’s shambling and laconic take on Marlowe tracks down a conniving, murderous friend and shoots him by the pool side; putting a hole right through the heart of classic noir conventions as he does so.

At the time, it was controversial (Marlowe never kills intentionally) but it also showed that the mythical age of white-knight crusaders was over. So it’s with real apprehension that I’m worried about how L.A. Noire will turn out.

If classical film-noir has taken The Big Sleep, why are videogames only picking up on its original aesthetics now?



The “e” in L.A. Noire sounds like a pre-empted apology for those expecting a true distillation of noir; the trailer coming across more like the police procedural Dragnet than the corruptive and dark L.A. Confidential. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ll be picking it up on release, whatever direction it takes.

I’m a huge fan of anything noir related. My real cinematic love is for noir and the mysteries it assimilates or reinvents. For, arguably, it’s a style rather than an actual genre.

Whether it’s movies or pulp novels, noir isn’t really about burned out detectives, death on rain-soaked streets or dangerous women blackmailing in the perpetual night. As clichéd as those images have become, you only need to read at least one of Raymond Chandler’s poetic novels to realise it’s never about the obvious.

Simply put, noir is human nature.

Most associate that familiar iconography because the murder mystery template is the slinkiest fit for the style. Most developers have a hard time understanding what noir truly is too. Rarely do they stay on track; always paring it with the overbearing fantastical. Ripper and Black Dahlia are perfect examples, while the Tex Murphy adventures tick off the boxes with a light-hearted obligation.



It’s not entirely their fault either. That’s more the fault of videogames by design.

Your participation is needed and in turn, you have to be constantly engaged. There’s a natural extremity to the proceedings because of both sides wanting stimulation. You can just as easily blame the potential audiences for not truly understanding the subject matter too; opting to champion clichés in the face of something looking superficially different.

Who can forget the uneducated uproar of Max Payne 3’s “not noir” screenshots?

Since noir is a stylistic choice, developers actually get it right sometimes because of its fluidity. Fundamentally, it’s because they choose stories that involve the investigative archetype (and the catalyst for unearthing revelations) and this shares similarities with the player.

We pursue a videogame’s conclusion as much as the detective seeks out full disclosure.

Though it’s not hard to feel short-changed when videogames masquerade the noir narrative and don’t utilize the contextual benefits. The original Max Payne is predominately a third person shooter, using the narrative to set-up more action. Though in its defence, the sequel stays true to idea of noir, eschewing set-pieces for character developments.



Objectively, it’s impossible to say that noir hasn’t been properly represented in videogames. We’ve already seen the abrasive femme fatale relationship appear in Silent Hill 2. The theme of duality is explored in the Blade Runner game; not suprisingly, considering the film's futuristic take on identity.

Famicom Detective Club Part 2 deals with a microcosm hierarchy at school. Hotel Dusk & The Last Window is primarily about one man’s guilt-ridden past and how he isn’t alone in his attempts to outrun it. Deadly Premonition comments on the crimes of passion, with Agent York occasionally lamenting the romanticised view of “innocent girls”.



What makes these titles work is all down to the characters; more specifically, character flaws. That’s what noir is truly about - people improvising decisions but becoming undone by their own misconceptions of others.

Developers should be looking towards the likes of A Simple Plan or The Treasure of Sierra Madre as their inspiration for characters and motivations. Though will we ever get a true noir videogame like the films mentioned?



By which I mean, the true meaning and not the familiar, black and white appearance; which was attempted in the forgotten Noir: A Shadowy Thriller. Admittedly, we’ll never have creations like Chinatown or find a truly terrifying antagonist like Blue Velvet’s Frank Booth because videogames will never be able tackle those kinds of sadomasochistic themes nor have an understanding majority following them.

So this brings us back to noir being about mistrust. It shouldn’t be too hard for an indie developer to make something as paranoid and confined as The Petrified Forest. It probably wouldn’t be that far removed from the “dinner party from hell” simulator Façade either.



It’s a welcome sight to see anything remotely to do with noir in videogames, but it’s doubtful that L.A. Noire will pave the way and finish it off one attempt, much like Red Dead Redemption did with Westerns.

Noir will always turn up in a constant classical state and honestly, the pessimism is really to do with my cinematic experiences. I’ve seen all it has to offer from its Golden Age and currently enjoying recent reinventions from the likes of Memento, Brick, Oldboy and even Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

For now though, it’s good enough that someone out there is giving us a chance “to play it Bogart” and that it’ll open the doors for a whole new audience willing to see true noir concoctions.

Hopefully, one day, we might even get “to play it Gould” too.



Is this post awesome? Vote it up!

14

Those who have fapped:  RingoDeathStarr  


Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

11 comments | showing # 1 to 11
prev next

Mr Andy Dixon's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/30/2010 16:37
Mr Andy Dixon
Fapping has never felt more appropriate.
Occams electric toothbrush's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/30/2010 16:40
Occams electric toothbrush
Front page it but that's nothing new.

The thing that drew me into noir was that the style was the substance. One was never sacrificed for the other. Movies like The Third Man opened my eyes to a genre of films and books that I had only heard about from my dad. It's pretty damn ace stuff and I am thankful for my local library and Criterion for allowing me to see so many amazing movies.

I do so enjoy your thoughts.
Kraid's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/30/2010 16:45
Kraid
I have seriously nothing to add. This is great! Really great.
LawofThermalDynamics's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/30/2010 17:05
LawofThermalDynamics
I enjoyed the hell out of this only if ever because I love noir
CelicaCrazed's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/30/2010 21:19
CelicaCrazed
Great read! Reminds me that I still need to pick up Hotel Dusk.
knutaf's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/01/2010 09:10
knutaf
I hadn't really given much thought to the meaning of noir beyond the superficial aesthetics. Now I have, at least a little, so... mission accomplished?
Mr Andy Dixon's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/01/2010 10:41
Mr Andy Dixon
I will never understand why more people don't comment on your stuff.
Elsa's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/01/2010 11:16
Elsa
Wonderful blog!! (the pictures were absolutely AWESOME!) I've never been a huge fan of noir myself, but it does have a je ne sais quois that I like in video games rather than film.

fapped!!
Occams electric toothbrush's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/01/2010 12:01
Occams electric toothbrush
@mrandydixon: Same here. Baffles my tiny ape brain.
Stevil's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/01/2010 12:17
Stevil
As usual, thanks guys! What's with the Stevil love-in? You're soooo gay. Even the women. Anyway, time to reply:

@Dixon: Probably because my name isn't Andrew Kauz. Ha! Seriously though, I think it's because my "game theory" stuff is more way serious. The Gamer Obscura blogs are way more popular because it's basically me making a wisecrack ever few lines a la AVGN or Spoony (before he went nuts and bit shit). It's an easier read, I guess.

@Occams: Oh, they still front page stuff? ;D I was aiming to talk more about "in colour" noir (which I tend to prefer), but at least I got the point across.

@Kraid: I would have accepted "Blah!" as an addition to the discussion too.

@Law: YOU FUGGIN' LOVES IT, BUTTY! Ahem...sorry, a bit of Welsh just slipped out there.

@Celica: Yes, pick it up. It moves at a glacial pace, but the writing is superb. Then pick up the sequel and cry that Cing went bankrupt! That's what I did anyway.

@Knutaf: Yes, you understood my pretentious words! Mission Accomplished!

@Elsa: Thank you. I get so freakin' embarrassed with those pics sometimes. You can sort of tell I was a film student though! I think that way about horror games too. I don't care for horror films or books at all. I think it's always worked better in videogames.
Alasdair Duncan's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/01/2010 12:45
Alasdair Duncan
The Blade Runner game was so fucking good, but that's probably because it borrowed a lot from the movie. But having the replicants randomised in the game (apart from some core ones) made the game pretty tense. I'm sure a game could one day adopt an approach to a genuine detective noir thriller; where you're free to make your own choices but with randomised suspects. Also, really looking forward to LA Noire as well.
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!