Cole Phelps is the new Mike Hammer, Sam Spade, or Philip Marlowe.
Aside from that, the story in the game is what shines. In a film noir the story is one that criss-crosses the line of morals, ethics, and how far is someone willing to go to be good or bad. In Kiss Me Deadly, Mike Hammer is pulled into a case that is bigger then he could have for seen, but he sticks it out to find the truth. Even if that means people close to him die, if he needs to give someone a little incentive to talk, or getting beat up himself, he tries to stay on the good side of the line. Cole on the other hand is trying to redeem himself for something during World War 2. That story line is amazing and helps propel the story forward near the end. Each case is handled well and they all feel different from beginning to end. With each one having multiple outcomes there are many way for the story in a case to go.
The City of LA looks great. The buildings are all in great form and the famous locations just make the city feel more alive and real. The cars on the other hand are all over the map. Some are fast and handle well, others are slow and handle like a brick, and others are somewhere in the middle. The people of the city talk more and move more realistically. They get out of the way of a speeding car or falling lights or what ever it is your hitting with the car.
Now the acting in the game is amazing. The technology they used gave the characters more weight and made me feel that I should care more about what is going on. I got anger when I was working the homicide desk cases. I really wanted to get the person by the end of each case. Then the Vice Desk made me feel disappointed in Cole from the flashbacks, yet by the end of the game I forgave him and got an amazing feeling of seeing a great noir story unfold in front of me.
If you have never seen a noir film, there are plenty that you should see, most are from the 40's to the 50's. So black and white is the color scheme, but if you want something more modern and with people you may know there is The Friends of Eddie Coyle with the late Peter Boyle. The film is set in the 70's so bell bottoms and cheesy 70's music. If you want even more up to date there is Memento by Christopher Nolan or Blood Simple from the Coen Brothers from the late 80's or if your feeling extremely ambitious there is David Lynch's Blue Velvet.
Overall the game is amazing from beginnig to end. The world is alive and great to look at. The cases are all unique and exciting to play through. The music is well down and accompanies the game very well. The acting makes the characters feel real and more weight is given to the players relationship with them. The down side is some of the cars handle poorly, no way to disarm a criminal to then take them in on side cases, and you can't pull your gun out when you want to, only when the story calls for it. Thou you will be looking for clues more then chasing a suspect down the road. A great noire that is one for fans of the film genera to play and for people that like to feel a story being them in and hold on till the end.