If you want something different, Night Call by MonkeyMoon might just be the ride you are looking for. A mixture of resource management, this-is-the-job genre and murder mystery, the game put you in the driver’s seat as you navigate Paris when most other people are safe in their bed. You need to pick up fares as well as ask questions about the passengers you pick up. One of them might be a killer.
You awaken in a hospital, the last thing you remember is running for your life. Two weeks have passed and you have escaped a serial killer who is on the loose. The police think you didn’t, that maybe you are the killer and staged this little attack. You are able to buy some time, seven days to be precise, and try to find who the killer is. You return to your job driving a cab, on the night shift of course, and try to make ends meet while you listen to what your passengers have to say. At the end of each shift, you put any clues on your murder wall of suspects. You might be hunting the killer, but they might also be hunting you.
Cab rides are one of those strange experiences where how you are as a person determines what type of ride you get. Talkative people revel more then those who just want to get to their destination. Night Call is all about getting the people who step into your cab to tell you anything. what do you say and how do you say it? The people are not just a business man going to his hotel after a long night. Some deeper issues are touched on, like the policeman who is gay and wants to come out, but is afraid how his department will view him. There are a lot of characters, and their stories change and grow as you get to know them. Things take a surreal turns, like when one of your passengers is not even human.
The main point of the game is trying to figure out who the killer is. There are three different game modes and the killer switches each time. You really have to pay attention as people tell you their stories. The killer will not simply introduce themselves. You have to learn about locations and see if things add up. As dawn breaks, you have to put the clues up on your board. the aspect about this game that I love is that you do not get to just investigate. You are not a cop, just a cab driver. There might be a killer on the loose, but there is still a gas tank to fill.
The art style is gorgeous, a black and white canvas in which all manner of people inhabit. You could see Night Call being played in a movie theater in the 40’s, the style of noir alive and well. The characters are interesting and the game demands that you replay it. There are times where I forgot I was looking for a murderer, I just wanted to know about the two women trying to have a baby. When characters grab you like this, only a few minutes at a time, you know you are doing something right.
Night Call is not a game for those who want a fast paced adventure. This game is about listening and knowing how to react to the right situation. The streets of Paris are dark, but they are not dead. Some people are the hunters and some are the hunted. You just have to make sure which one is in the backseat of your car.
8/10
Available on PC, Switch, PS4 and Xbox
