I hadn’t really heard much about Milanoir, until I randomly stumbled upon it on Steam with the official description starting like this – “Inspired by the Italian crime flicks of the ’70s revered by Quentin Tarantino”, and the first trailer looking like this:
I was immediately hooked, and wanted to know more. So, Milanoir is a 2D action game, with a crime-heavy story, and tons of great characters. The art style is vibrant pixel art, and looks gorgeous, and the aesthetic strongly resembles the movies it takes inspirations from.
Set in Miian, you play as Pedro, a member of an Italian crime family, who had been framed for murder. He is now seeking revenge on the person that framed him, by murdering more folks along the way. While the plot might sound fairly straightforward, the game has a ton of flavor and style to it that makes it a ton of fun to play.
The characters you meet along your journey have colorful personalities and back-stories, and are fun to engage with. Some of them help and accompany you on missions, and this adds even more variety to the gameplay.
You’ll be shooting, stabbing, and chasing down enemies, and the mission structure often involves some mix of these actions. It’s a great fun romp, that amps up the action constantly and delivers a fun story along the way. The game can be a bit difficult at times, but not in an overly frustrating way. It’s a good challenge, and you will need to slow down at times and consider your plan of attack.
Milanoir also supports co-op which is an added benefit. Having someone by your side helps ease some of the combat scenarios. And, while you’re at it, why not pop open a few beers and laugh along with the over-the-top story.
Overall, I had a great time with Milanoir. It was one of those games I was totally not expecting to be this much fun, I was pleasantly surprised. If you’re looking for an enjoyable romp through some noir-inspired crime-action story, Milanoir is good pick.
