• PC

by LadyLuck on 10.11.09

CSI is back with all new crimes. With a new variety of cases, it covers a wide array of crime from someone killing to protect their business to revenge to a crime a passion. CSI: Deadly Intent covers it all. As you progress through the game, your individual case skill as an investigator will be challenged. Using the evidence it is up to you to figure out how to best obtain it and use it.

Continuing on with the Las Vegas CSI’s Catherine, Nick, Riley, Langston, Greg, and the other cast members, you help solve another 5 cases, only this time you have more forensic tools, evidence, and more to complete with each case. Again you will play as the newest CSI to the team. As you proceed through the cases, you will come across the different cast members from CSI. Sometimes you will have a chance to help them out when they are truly stumped. This is also beneficial to you, because by helping those who cannot complete their tasks you will get some additional achievements in the game.  

The game format is presented to you like you’re watching an episode on TV. You have the beginning introduction with Brass letting you know what has happened. You work alongside another CSI searching for evidence. Plus if you get stuck you can ask the other CSI for help or wait for an email with a clue as to something else you should be looking for or doing. Dr. Robbins is still in the morgue, helping to dissect each victim and extract extra evidence from cause of death to DNA samples.

One of the things that add more difficulty to the game is the additional equipment you get to use. Each item can be broken down to further areas. For example in prior CSI titles you were only able to choose between those given to you. However, in Deadly Intent you are able to choose markers to search the database for to bring up further options.

Each case you are given a score on Cunning, Skill, and Thoroughness. These also correspond to different achievements you can receive if you do better than 65, 80, 90, and 100% on these areas. A basic rule to apply is to be thorough with everything, and you can pretty much cover most of these. There is some skill required in getting the 100% in Skill category. For example, asking a question with the option to prove their lying. If you ask it and do not use the correct evidence to prove they are lying will result in a deduction to your overall score.

My biggest complaints in the game are the graphics, the replay value, and the limited controls. It is very much a point and click game, however the controls can cause some frustration with the sticky clunk like controls. Graphically the game has its ups and downs.

The cut scenes when you are heading to a new location in Las Vegas are the most realistic, while other areas such as the following of eyes can be blocky or just look off. If the Developers had spent a little more time to polish things, I feel it would have added more realism to the game.

The biggest downfall to me in the CSI games is the lack of replay value. Once complete its game over. The evidence doesn’t move. So unless you are trying to improve your case scores, there really isn’t a reason to go back and replay.

The sound quality and audio of the game is good, but there are some areas that are off. A great example of this is the lip sync, because the audio doesn’t match up with the graphics of the character. They did use all of the cast members for the cast voices except for Catherine. However I was disappointed with the low quality and ambient noise that tends to appear in the background.

There are two lab areas this time around, the materials and computers labs. The materials lab contains: photographs from the current case, microscope and document analysis, substance analysis computer (DNA/Chemicals), and the assembly table. While the data lab contains: audio/video analysis and the Medical Records/Fingerprints directory. Each piece of lab equipment is easy to use and very self-explanatory. There is even a tutorial option if you prefer.

Overall, CSI Deadly Intent feels more like a game add-on, than something entirely new. It doesn’t have any ground breaking appeal in the video game realm, but was still a fun title to play. (Not to mention an easy 1000 points. The only ones that can be a little more difficult for some users would be the skill, cunning, and thoroughness achievements.)

However, I feel the game would have been a lot better if they would have had better controls and graphics. It may not be my favorite Ubisoft franchise (developed by Telltale Games of Sam & Max fame), CSI: Deadly Intent is great choice for fans of the show, easy achievements seekers (if they are willing to take the time), and point and click game lovers. 

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