Video Game Reviews
Title: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Review rating: ***
Platform/console: PC
Release date: March 2003
Genre: Strategy
Players allowed: 1
ESRB rating: M (blood, gore, violence, mature themes)
Production company: Ubi Soft
All eight of the main cast members of the TV show of the same
name lend their voice talent to this truly interactive game
that doesn’t take very long to understand and has a
deeply involving process within five replayable crime scenarios.
For some gamers, five might not be enough, but the considerable
task of finding all the clues, viewing some enthralling reconstruction
visuals of the crime (once you’ve done the work) and
the possibility of mastering every level should satisfy most
of you. A perfect score on every level also unlocks additional
bonus material.
When you’re ‘scoping’ out the crime scene,
the mouse arrow will turn green when you find a selectable
item for use in your investigation. Click once to select/use
your selected tool (swab, tweezers, etc.) and twice to get
detailed information about the selected tool. Then you place
the item into evidence as a trace/print, document or item.
After the physical work, you can continue with some people
skills and click on various characters to ask questions. You
can even drag evidence items to people and instruments, mostly
in the lab, for further investigation. Be familiar with your
tools so you don’t get annoyed by characters repeating
your misuse of tools/techniques and you don’t worry
about leaving items in the lab microscope and/or computer
(which could’ve lead to more potentially annoying reminders
like “Did you forget something?”
All the information you collect gets stored automatically
in your all important case file. It can be helpful to visit
a location more than once and check in regularly on the morgue,
detective office or interactive lab when you’re stuck.
Write some notes while you play if you want to minimize your
mistakes and conquer the game quicker. Just be careful not
to grill a suspect before you have enough evidence and don’t
too ask for too many hints because it lowers your ending score/evaluation.
Overall, a great game that tests your skill in problem solving,
analysis and logic. The closed-captioning option enhances
gameplay and makes the game available to a wider audience.
This game is ripe for a sequel with several more crime scenarios.
You have to play within a set of fairly limiting parameters,
so maybe a free range training level would also bring more
appeal to the next possible game installment. One example
of the limited parameters is the lab computer. It would’ve
been nice to have access to the search & compare, web
chat, audio analysis and internet dictionary on the lab computer
at anytime during the game. It might have increased the replay
value, been more realistic and could’ve produced some
amusing scenarios.
Review by Michael Siebenaler
© Ubi Soft
®
