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Req.: P2 400 MHz Processor, 128 MB RAM, SB, 8MB Video Card DirectX 8.1 Reviewed On: P4 2.66ghz, ATI Radeon 9000 (64 MB VRAM), 256 MB Ram, Win XP Pro | |||
Intro Well, let's just preface this by saying I'm not a Law and Order fan, I haven't been watching the show for the past __ years and I haven't played the first game - so being objective shouldn't be all that much of a problem. Legacy Interactive's latest entry in the "Games Based on TV Shows" division looked promising enough, having been based on one of the longer running and more critically acclaimed shows in recent memory. Gameplay: 6.5/10 Well, here's where the importance of being a fan begins, because if you're looking for a video game somewhere in this point and click de jour, you'll be moderately disappointed. The game starts off with (shocking as it might seem) a murder and you, the stalwart detective and partner of Lennie Briscoe, must find clues and eventually finger a suspect and get a warrant for his or her arrest. Before this, however, you'll be asked to choose from two out of four skills (teamwork, interview skills, case organization, or evidence collection) that you want to excel at. Choose wisely, mon ami, because if you don't you'll have to start the game over to try again should you not make proficient use of your skills. One has to question why this was included as an option at all as there's little explanation of which skills might be the most important. It would seem that an overall difficulty level would've made more sense. You'll begin at the scene of the murder and you'll be introduced to the, um, game play and you'll have to find clues at the scene of the crime. Basically, this will involve you scanning the area until your cursor changes and you can more closely examine that Coke can or mangled bicycle wheel. You'll have to decide whether or not you'll use them as evidence and if you want to have them further investigated by other various branches of the Police department and research teams. This is done by dragging icons to the specific departments that can analyze the evidence, such as the crime lab for example, and when enough time has passed you can talk to the person who did the research and ask questions. Deciding which evidence to put where is about the most non linear thing in this game and the rest of it just cruises along on a predetermined path. For the first hour or two, most of what you find is completely useless and more or less an exercise in how to use the various functions of the game. Fortunately, more relevant clues appear after that and the game starts to get moderately interesting. You can interview subjects (from a predetermined list of questions, of course) and the order in which you ask questions influences the person that you're interviewing and how successful the interview is. If you ask the wrong question at the wrong time, the person might just become tight mouthed and not answer any subsequent questions which renders the interview entirely useless. Here, however, is a major flaw in that you can always "re-interview" the person over again if you screw up the first time. Not all that realistic and it certainly does little to make you really think about what you're going to ask. You'll also be in the position where you can put tails on suspects via surveillance officers and you can do background work on nearly anyone that you might deem suspicious. After you have a suspect in custody, the game then shifts into the prosecution - lawyer mode. You'll have to take all of the evidence, witnesses, expert witnesses, and so on to try to prove the solidity of your case. The defense will cross examine your witnesses and will try to tear down the case that you've carefully prepared. Better get out your Law 101 class textbooks too, because you'll have to throw in the occasional "Objection!" when the defense gets out of line. Woo! The suspense! The defense will similarly raise objections to your improper questions as well. This might all sound as if it's
overbearingly negative, but it really isn't. The story is decent and there are
twists and turns which you'll have to pay attention to in order to solve the case
and it's quite good in that respect. If games like Myst, with little or
no time pressure and a point and click interface, are up your alley then there's
a lot for you to like here. Obviously, there aren't puzzles of THAT magnitude
here, it's more about interface and pace than about brain bending puzzles. Consider
this more along the lines of interactive software than along the lines of video
games. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, just know what to expect. Graphics: 8.5/10 Sound:
8/10 Overall:
6.5/10 [ top ] |
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