5 Best Noir Games of All Time, Ranked

The noir genre arose in film during and after World War II. It featured cynical motivations and dramatic depictions of crime, which reflected that of life post-war. Its rise gave us some of the genre's earliest films like The Maltese Falcon and Laura, both of which were detective-based films, which is why crime and detective work have often featured as part of the noir premise. However, the genre has since spread to a variety of mediums, including video games. Now there are numerous games that classify in the noir genre and we want to see what games rank as the best of all time.

5. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Episode One and Two

All of the main BioShock entries had noir elements, but not enough to make the game fall entirely into the premise. However, there were enough elements in the story for a full noir-themed spin-off game, which we got in 2013 with Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea. The Burial at Sea spin-off features two episodes, the first being roughly 90 minutes, with the second running just over 3 hours. Both games are great representations of the noir genre in video games, and we believe them to be one of the best of all time.

Set after the events of BioShock Infinite, Burial at Sea takes us back to the underwater city of Rapture which is a walking noir visual in and of itself. The plot follows a classic detective theme, with Elizabeth asking private detective Booker DeWitt to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Sally, who is thought to be dead, but Elizabeth has evidence to the contrary. From here we can't dive into any more of the plot without getting into some spoilers, but the first game is easily worth the playthrough.

4. Grim Fandango Remastered

Grim Fandango was one of the first videogames to successfully tackle the noir theme back in 1998. That's why the game deserved a remastering, not in terms of story, but of gameplay, so it could run on newer consoles, which we got in 2015. And despite its undead cartoonish style, the game is as fully fletched noir as it can get.

Grim Fandango Remastered is set in the Land of the Dead where recently deceased souls, illustrated as calaca-like figures, travel before arriving at their final destination. You take on the role of travel agent Manuel “Manny” Calavera, who must sell enough afterlife travel packs to good-willed clients in the ninth underworld in order for him to also reach his final destination. His ticket out is by finding new arrival Mercedes “Meche” Colomar and pitching her his afterlife travel pack That's where the story begins to take a wild and adventurous spin.

What people tend to enjoy most about Grim Fandango is how it combines noir tropes with witty dialogue that does not deviate from the game's main noir themes. It's why the game was one of the best noir games of 1998, and its remastered version is now one of the best noir games of all time.

3. Max Payne 3

The Max Payne series from Rockstar Games is up there with Grim Fandango for one of the earliest and most classic noir games. Most notably, we enjoyed the narrative and events of the most recent one, Max Payne 3 the best. However, all three games in the series have delivered in terms of gameplay and narrative, so it's difficult to dismiss any of the entries. While we have Max Payne 3 as the third best noir game of all time, credit goes to the entire series.

In all three games, you play as the main character, Max Payne, a troubled New York cop and detective who is constantly struggling to find his kidnapped loved ones, or in later titles, other loved ones. Let's just say that as much as we like Max Payne as a character, we would be hesitant to be a part of his family because they are frequently the focus of his storyline. However, it does make for a great noir-themed narrative that spans all three titles, most notably the first and third.

2. The Wolf Among Us

The Wolf Among Us is developed by Telltale Games. Because it is a Telltale game, which is consequently a story-driven genre, the noir theme surrounding the game perfectly works into its narrative with noir movie-like gameplay and scenes. Based on the Fables comic series, you play as Fabletown's sheriff Bigby Wolf, who is tasked with solving a series of murders in the town. And we won't lie: with its noir-style depictions, this game is nothing short of grim and gritty.

The Wolf Among Us has five episodes, all of which have been deemed notable entries to the series. With that, the game delivers an awesome, but consequential, narrative that constantly has you making decisions that affect the storyline. This responsibility weighs heavily on you as the sheriff of Fabletown since there are consequences to your decisions. But what comes from that is one of the most compelling story-driven Telltale games, in the noir genre, we've ever seen.

1. L.A. Noire

If you want the purest noir experience in a video game, L.A. Noire is without a doubt the genre's best game of all time. The game is full of cynical and grueling crime themes that throw you right into the middle of the action as rookie detective Cole Phelps. The plot unfolds gradually over a number of cases, some of which are based on true-life events, that you investigate and solve firsthand.

Playing as detective Cole Phelps, you gradually rise through the ranks, and the cases begin to intertwine. As it doe's it becomes almost irresistible to put down the controller as you're clinging to uncover the truth of each case. Although we will warn you, being one of the purest depictions of noir and crime, there is a good amount of graphic content that comes with the game. This may pique your interest even more, given that L.A. Noire holds nothing back.

Honorable Mention: Heavy Rain

While we couldn't agree on a place for Heavy Rain on this list, it is unquestionably a noir game worth playing. Its narrative features one of the darkest storylines in video game history, but it also happens to be one of the best. Heavy Rain is a good choice if you want a noir-themed game that will make your stomach turn. But we must warn you that it is not for the faint of heart.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Are there other noir games that you think are the best of all time that we should know about? Let us know in the comments below or over on our socials here!