(Rated M. $29.99 - $39.99) A Ubisoft presentation of a
game developed by Telltale Games and licensed by CBS for Wii, Xbox 360 and PC. Reviewed on Xbox 360.
The crime scene moves to the living room
with "CSI: Hard Evidence," the fifth in Ubisoft's succesful series of
games based on the hit CBS crime drama, and the first available on consoles as
well as the PC. This first-person procedural should appeal to fans of the show
-- including, perhaps, women who don't typiically play vidgames -- but simply
isn't challenging enough to merit attention from a broader audience.
Those unfamiliar with the crime drama shouldn't expect an introduction --
this game was made with "CSI" aficionados in mind.
"Hard Evidence," which is already available for
PC and Xbox 360 and comes out for Wii in November, is played from an anonymous
first-person perspective as players partner up with main characters from the
show for each case. Las Vegas CSI unit supervisor Gil Grissom hands out
assignments and awards points after each case.
Most of the actors from the show, from William Peterson on down, are on
hand, and do solid voice work. However, Ubisoft was able to secure only the
male voices from the series. Soundalikes provide the voices for Catherine
Willows (Marg Helgenberger) and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), though they do such a
good job that only those who look at the credits may notice.
Storylines and scenery are strong points. Each case has a compelling premise
as the player attempts to solve the murder. Intermittent cut-scenes play out
possible scenarios of how the crime might have occurred, as well as showing how
the wounds look from inside the body at impact. A colorful assortment of
But even without using the in-game hints that are offered throughout,
"CSI: Hard Evidence" lacks the level of challenge to match the
interesting cases. It's always fairly easy to figure out where to look for the
next fingerprint or fiber, and when to go to captain Brass' office for a search
warrant. It's difficult to feel a sense of accomplishment after solving a
crime, given that it's impossible to make mistakes that might compromise the
investigation, such as accidentally smudging fingerprints or mishandling an
interrogation.
Haunting musical score enhances the crime-solving experience, although at
times, the background soundtrack drowns out the voiceovers.
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http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117934973&c=1023