Summary
There are a variety of noir andcrime-themed gamesavailable,such asMax Payne,LA Noire, and most notably theGrand Theft Autofranchise. However, a great deal of these games are played from a third-person perspective, while other titles - such asThief Simulator- don’t involve any gunplay at all.
While not all crime games put players in the shoes of criminals (some of them instead put players on the side of the law), the following examples focus mostly on criminal characters. Furthermore,each of these games features gunplay and first-person combatas a core mechanic of their gameplay.
This science-fiction first-person shooter casts players in the role of Riddick as he’s incarcerated at Butcher Bay in the universe ofThe Chronicles Of Riddickmovies. Despite being a movie tie-in,TheChronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bayis a surprisingly capable first-person shooter with elements of the immersive-sim genre woven in. The morally questionable character of Riddick is immediately recognizable, and the story, characters, and environments will be particularly appealing to fans of the film franchise.
Graphically,Escape From Butcher Bayhas aged tremendously well, having been released all the way back in 2004 (though there was a remaster of the game coupled with the release of its sequel,Assault On Dark Athena). The gameplay is predominantly a slick combination of action and stealth, and while it may not master either of these elements, both are competent enough to get players through the narrative without a hitch.
This cheesy, over-the-top, and unabashedPaydayclone stands out with itspulpy B-movie charactersand quality-of-life features. As a result,Crime Boss: Rockay Cityplays essentially like a modernized version ofPayday: The HeistandPayday 2. While it’s often derivative, and the game had a poor reception upon release, updates have made it a worthy alternative toPayday 3.
Getting into the game is extremely easy, and the moment-to-moment gameplay, while perhaps not as weighty as that ofPayday,is more accessible than its inspirations. Overall,Crime Boss: Rockay Cityhas come a long way since its initial release, offering a breezy experience that’s regularly engaging.
Cyberpunk 2077isa story-driven gameset in a heavily-populated furutistic neon city, packed with criminals and all manner of shady characters. While not entirely focused on committing crimes,Cyberpunk 2077is chock-full of criminal activity, both in and out of its main quests.
One particular standout moment inCyberpunk 2077is an early quest, “The Heist”, which sends the player along a twisting narrative through Night City. This culminates in an intense encounter in a penthouse apartment, followed by a daring escape.
This brutal90s first-person shooteris a hyper-violent action game that puts players in the shoes of a morally-loose criminal in a grimy underworld. The game’s environments and graphical style have aged surprisingly well, with plenty of dense and immersive levels that provide an ample atmosphere.
One particularly unique gameplay mechanic inKingpin: Life of Crimeis the ability to hire NPCs. These goons follow the player through levels and assist them in combat, with surprisingly well-realized artificial intelligence that makes them worth having around as more than just enemy distractions.
This latest title from Newblood Interactive (the publishers behind games such asDUSKand the smash-hit,ULTRAKILL) is a crime-noir first-person shooter withweighty melee combatand immersive-sim elements.Fallen Acesputs players in the shoes of a hard-boiled detective, featuring a pulpy gangster theme and a stylish comic-book art-style for its characters and textures. The pulp-comic cutscenes are a particular standout.
The game’s voice-acting, environments, and occasional gags are consistently entertaining, elevating the already-engaging FPS gameplay loop. The immersive-sim elements are mostly present in the game’s non-linear level design, allowing players to approach encounters through stealth, or go loud with a variety of weapons.
This intense, often hectic first-person shooter puts players in the role of an armed robber, pulling off heists in a squad of up to four players.Payday 2is full to the brim with unique heists to tackle, enemies to take down, and deep character customization. The game’s extensive progression system and variety of heists, as well as the sheer number of ways to approach each mission, also make it highly replayable.
Players always have multiple options inPayday 2, both before and after a heist begins.Customization and loadoutsare extremely important in determining how a heist is going to play out, but each decision made during a heist can also have a major impact. The main decision to make inPayday 2is how stealthy to be; whether to sneak in and systemically take out guards, or to burst in guns blazing and take the place by storm. What would otherwise be simple decision-making is made more granular through a series of immersive systems and simulated elements that apply consequences for every action.
