Atmosphere

Fun lighting tricks

Each of your two pistols is equipped with a "laser sight." The manual explains it as a "Supernaturally Attuned Ectoplasmic Targeting Beam…but they look like laser sights. It's a bit of an anachronism (the game is set in the 20s and 30s), but aiming in third person with a still camera would be difficult without the beams. Panning those "laser sights" over the camera is a really slick effect; you can see little particles diffusing the beam just as they would in real life. The shotgun uses a green targeting cone to show you the spread of the pellets and the effective range - yes, pointing the shotgun at the camera gives you a similar look to the pistol sights. Even niftier is when you pass your flashlight over the camera. You'll be treated to a really nice looking lens flare effect! Nocturne looks so stunning that Kenn and I spent a good deal of time just running around the levels and admiring how the flashlight lights up different objects and casts realistic looking shadows.

Pistol sights

Shotgun targeting cone

For your ears only

Visuals are only half of the story when it comes to creating a mood or atmosphere. Good sound effects are key when it comes to horror films and games. After all, it's sound and the threat of being attacked that heightens the player's anxiety and tenses his/her nerves. Echoing footsteps, dripping water, creaking doors - all these types of aural cues create atmosphere, and guess what? Nocturne's got it. Nothing's more disconcerting than clearing out an area of zombies only to walk through it later and hear the characteristic groan of yet another zombie. Hearing a werewolf snarl or zombie moan when you're not expecting it is enough to make you jump out of your chair!

Now that's a lens flare

The Stranger is a pimp

Voice acting

One thing that surprised me a little bit was how good the voice acting is in Nocturne. The Stranger has a low pitched, dispassionate drone, just as you would expect from a would-be hero with a sketchy past. He never gets frazzled, and never shows any fear. In contrast, the townspeople sound like they're very rattled by what's going on, particularly the priest. It's also interesting when the prostitute's voice turns seductive on you after you rescue her from the bar/bordello. Yet, the Stranger remains characteristically unfazed.