Private Eye Takes A Little Bit Of Heavy Rain With A Whole Lot Of Noir

A new first-person detective game is prepping to head to Kickstarter called Private Eye. The game goes knee-deep into noir territory, sporting the look, sound and atmosphere of a thriller that seems like it comes right out of the 1950s.

VR Focus does a fine rundown of the game, giving gamers a basic idea of what to expect from the title. Players will take on the role of private investigator Sam Sunderland after he wakes up in the hospital following a near-fatal crash.

The demo video above kind of gives a flashback on what led up to the crash and how it happened. The gameplay is very similar to games like Beyond: Two Souls or Heavy Rain, with a dash of Team Bondi's L.A. Noire.

There's a large focus on the minutiae of mechanical functionality within the game – or rather, player-function. Opening books, taking notes, surveying situations and interacting with the game world is handled with detailed player-interaction and precision, even down to seemingly infinitesimal details such as changing the radio station or flipping to an empty page in a notebook to take down a license plate.

One of the things that really helps sell the game is the audio design; it's superb. The clarity of the effects and voices really shine through. The team really set a very high standard for the demo and I do wonder if the rest of the game will be able to maintain that level of quality. The directional effects also help play a pretty big role as far as immersion goes.

The music is also a real standout point in the game's design, with Joff Winks scoring the soundtrack for the game. The whole theme is based around the classic psychological noir-thrillers of old, and it audibly shines through with just about every single note, especially during the part of the demo following the flashback, where Sam is sitting at the desk looking for clues.

The whole visual setting and thematic aesthetic really come across as top notch. I'm very impressed with just the way the game looks and plays (assuming the rest of it will live up to the standard of the demo).

Private Eye is designed to be used with virtual-reality headsets like the Oculus Rift, so you can take on the experience in a very visceral way.

There's no actual date on when the Kickstarter will go live. I think that the demo alone is of higher quality than a heck of a lot of other AAA games out there. So personally? I can't wait to see what else the developers have in store. Private Eye reminds me of a throwback to classic point-and-click adventure games of old from the Amiga and Sierra days.

You can learn more about Private Eye by paying a kind visit to the game's official website.