Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (2010). Play online

Summary

Last Window: The Secret of Cape West continues the noir‑ish charm of Hotel Dusk, putting detective Kyle Hyde a year later in the cramped Cape West Apartments of 1980 Los Angeles. Cing, the Japanese studio behind the original, created its final title before going bankrupt in early 2010, and Nintendo published the DS exclusive.

The DS is operated in a book‑like vertical orientation, echoing the paper‑journal aesthetic of its predecessor. The environment feels like a late‑70s pulp mystery, complete with grainy cityscape sprites and a minimalist synth soundtrack that enhances the gritty atmosphere.

A distinctive “Ignore” system lets players dismiss unhelpful dialogue lines, but misusing it—or letting Kyle speak out of turn, be caught with contraband, or wander into the landlady’s forbidden zones—triggers early game overs. Each cleared chapter unlocks a page in the in‑game novel, a meta‑story that reshapes according to player choices.

Finishing the main plot reveals the quirky Pinkie Rabbit Land arcade mini‑game, a throwback to handheld electronic games of the era, while a classic 9‑ball pool side activity becomes freely accessible after completion.

Storyline

The Secret of Cape West takes place in Los Angeles in December 1980, a year after the events of the original Last Window. Ex‑detective Kyle Hyde has just been fired from Red Crown for slacking when a mysterious letter draws him back to the soon‑to‑be‑demolished Cape West Apartments, owned by Margaret “Mags” Patrice. While probing the building’s tangled residents, Hyde uncovers a link between a priceless diamond called the Scarlet Star, a long‑forgotten murder and fire on the sealed fourth floor, and the death of his own father, Chris Hyde.

His investigation reveals that one of the guests was an old partner of Chris, that a crime ring named Condor operates under the larger Nile syndicate, and that an employee of the apartments is secretly working for Nile. A hidden room controlled by Condor can be accessed through the elevator using a secret code, explaining the elevator’s chronic glitches. Hyde also reunites with Mila from the first game and even regains his job at Red Crown for a time.

In the climax, Kyle locates the Scarlet Star, discusses its fate with Mags—who had already discovered the secret room—and ultimately sends the diamond to a museum, bringing closure to both the case and his family’s past.