Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh.......this one is tough to evaluate. I LIKE artsy, pseudo-intellectual games. I LIKE games that are a little style over substance. I LIKE smart games that don't hold my hand.

I did NOT like this game!

This is sort of a puzzle game/narrative game where you play as a watch-selling (sort of) private eye (sort of), who must solve the mystery of why his lover (Mass.....as in one of the fundamental principles of matter, get it?) is being killed. What ensues are a series of levels that blend scientific cosmology with mythological style explorations of how cultures both primitive and "advanced" have viewed the world and universe around them, mixed with some detective style, 1940s film noire interactions with the world of the protagonist and the low-lifes etc etc that he encounters.

The problem is that NONE of it coheres at all......it meanders from topic to topic with very little to hold it together, it explains game mechanics poorly and in a way that fails to meaningfully link the in-game actions of the protagonist to what passes for the larger story as a whole, and it generally goes so far up its own arse that it should learn to respire methane.

*Positives*

The music and art-style are incredible (unless you don't care for jazz, in which case you're right outta luck!)

*Negatives*

Plot: It doesn't have a coherent, meaningful plot with character arcs you care about, and actions you understand. You just kinda follow the acid-trip flow of the all-but random scene flow.

Gameplay: It is quite varied, but almost nonsensical and so utterly divorced from what passes for a background story that the strange series of (ill-explained) tasks you have to do are completely uninvolving. It is also quite slow, both in terms of game progression and in terms of character movement.

Look, as I said, I generally like artistic, stylized games, even those with paper-thin plots, but this one is so absolutely surrealistic and all over the place in terms of plot/scenes (one minute you're trading jazz licks with a street musician, the next you're trying to arrange scientific instruments to scan the skies properly, the next you're twisting atoms to form molecular bonds to create the first organic molecules of life, and so on and so on with no rhyme or reason) that it leaves you uncaring and uninvolved. And it commits the worst crime any game can commit; it left me utterly bored and dying for the game to be over.

Totally NOT recommended.

Genesis Noir is a mesmerizing journey through time and space. Its captivating visuals and inventive gameplay mechanics immerse you in a unique narrative experience. The soundtrack is a masterpiece, enhancing every moment of exploration and discovery. A must-play for anyone seeking an unforgettable adventure.