Rockstar Newswire

One of the best parts of noir as a genre — especially film noir — is the tradition of arresting, moody imagery. The best noir posters & covers are filled with femme fatales, knowing glances and dramatically drawn guns. These images play out like self contained, mini narratives all their own, with all the drama distilled into one picture.


"The Third Man", "Gun Crazy" & "The Postman Always Rings Twice" posters via Posteritati.

The Japanese versions of noir poster art (like giant monster movies and efficient small cars) are intangibly, arguably even better. Part of it may be the geometric flair of the kanji itself. When contrasted against the imagery, the curved and angular lines of the lettering jumps out at you. There's also an added element of enigma (at least to Western eyes), as the unreadable text becomes not only a design element, but a subconscious visual riddle. As you look at a Japanese poster (or game packaging) you not only appreciate its aesthetic, but part of you is also put in the shoes of the story's detective — trying to work those clues to suss out their meaning.


Related: 
Kojima: L.A. Noire Technology is Fantastic (via CinemaBlend)
Famitsu's 39/40 Review of L.A. Noire (via 1Up)
L.A. Noire is Japan's Bestselling Game (via Kotaku)