Plot: What’s it about?
As a fan of puzzle games, I was interested in James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes, as the 3DS needs more great puzzle games in the library. You start the game as a contestant on a 60s game show and soon enough, a chain of murders unfolds. Since you came off as a genius on the show, the FBI approaches you to lend a hand with the case. Why? Because the murderer is leaving behind clues, but not the usual kind. Instead the killer has dropped puzzles in his wake, which the FBI believes can lead to his capture, if they’re solved in timely fashion. So while this game is about solving a crime, you don’t scour crime scenes or badger witnesses, instead you just solve over 140 puzzles. As you progress, more and more of the story is revealed as well, which is a great extra nudge to finish that next puzzle. The premise is well executed and while solving puzzles to solve murders sounds a little thin, Hollywood Crimes presents the concept in an effective manner.
The game has a brisk pace, which means puzzles flow at a good clip and the story kicks in just often enough to give a brief break from the action. I found the pace to be pretty much ideal, so you won’t feel overwhelmed by the puzzles, nor will you be bogged down in exposition between puzzles. The puzzles are quite varied and with 142 to solve, that is great news. They’re integrated into the plot well, which really helps keep you interested in the storyline. The story is told via some B movie style live action scenes, which suit the film noir vibe to perfection. Some will find these hokey, but I think the tone is perfect for a laid back, campy kind of story. I rarely look forward to cut scenes, but the ones here really entertained. The 3D is well handled as well, so you’ll want to have it enabled for sure. James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes is just what the 3DS needed, another great game to draw in players. This is a well made, very fun puzzle game that genre fans won’t want to miss. So if you’re looking to solve some puzzles and be entertained, you can’t go wrong with James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes.
Video: How does it look?
The puzzles look good, but aren’t that remarkable. But the designs are clean and you’ll never be frustrated by how they’re laid out. The live action scenes are of course a little shaky, but it goes hand in hand with the B movie vibe, so you’ll be too entertained to be concerned there. The 3D elements are also well crafted, as I mentioned above, so this turns out to be a very solid game in terms of visuals.
Audio: How does it sound?
The best part of the soundtrack has to be the voice work, which is a lot of fun. The B movie atmosphere is really enhanced by the voice work and it never fails to entertain. The music comes across well, but isn’t the best I’ve heard. Even so, I was never bothered by the tunes, which is a good sign. So while the audio won’t knock you over, the game sounds good and the voice work is a lot of fun to take in.
Supplements: What are the extras?
N/A
