Review for Nine Noir Lives
Silvernode Studios’ Nine Noir Lives is an excellent point-and-click adventure in which magnificent graphics, sound design, music, puzzles, and voice acting are yoked together, telling a story that shines a humorous light on the classic Noir genre. Did I mention that you play a talking cat?
Yes, you play a talking, bipedal cat—specifically, two such cats; Private Investigator Cuddles Nutterbutter and his partner, Tabby Marshmallow. Cuddles is an amalgam of Sam Spade and Garfield. Tabby reminds me of a cross between Nancy Drew and Garfield’s kitten nemesis Nermal. Cuddles is soft-hearted and sarcastic. Tabby seems to be the more professional and competent of the duo but still appreciates humor. The chemistry between the two characters is palpable. It made guiding them during their adventure a pleasurable experience.
Directing the characters is accomplished using a point-and-click-interface. Right-clicking cycles through “look at,” “interact,” “lick,” and “select.” If one clicks on another cat, “interact” becomes “talk to.” If an object is clicked on, “interact” becomes “use”. Lick is my favorite command. I enjoyed Cuddles’ reactions when he licked different parts of the screen. An inventory bag icon is on the screen's lower left portion. When the bag is clicked on, it is possible to examine items using previously discussed commands. Once an action or an item is selected, it is executed by left-clicking on the desired part of the screen.
The facile interface makes it possible to guide the protagonists to many beautifully rendered locations in the city of Meow Meow Furrington, where the story occurs. I greatly enjoyed the garden and the Knitty Kitty Club. I spent most of my time at the club and loved the brightly colored garden. The music was also great, particularly the song at the title screen, which did an excellent job of setting the tone for this Noir story.
Murder is afoot in Meow Meow Furrington. If the culprit isn’t found soon, war will erupt between the city’s rival crime families, the Catulets and the Montameeuws. This was somewhat reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet because it explains how two individuals coming from opposite sides can affect family dynamics. Cuddles and Tabby need to stop the potential conflict with help from you. I was not expecting the conclusion to be so emotional, but I found it to be appropriate.
Cuddles and Tabby are both playable characters. They both solve puzzles and investigate. Experienced players should be able to find everything they need to triumph. The game has two difficulty levels: normal and story mode. In the story mode, which I played, the information from the notebook is more detailed. There were three timed puzzles I found challenging that could be difficult for those with not-so-nimble fingers. The first required stealing a peanut from a bartender. The second involved pilfering a key while the lights were off, and the third entailed quickly pulling a lever while someone was walking across a trapdoor. All of these puzzles needed quick reflexes to solve.
I'm thrilled that I experienced Nine Noir Lives. It's so challenging to tell a Noir story while maintaining humor, but Silvernode Studios accomplished it with style and panache. Nine Noir Lives is definitely worth playing, and I can't wait to see what Silvernode Studios comes up with next!
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