CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Dark Motives

The Good
The new five crimes are awaiting to test your skills and your wit, as you play as yet another CSI rookie. You are accompanied by the actors (from the series, both visually and audible) which will be there to assist you on your case and to see if you meet their criteria for being a good detective. The graphic and gameplay is on the level of its originator, slightly enhanced due to time difference. Music is a bit more noticeable and gives a wide support to the background of the cases you'll be investigating. It may seem at first that this game is short because it only spans five different cases, but it's quite the contrary, it took me 10+ hours of constant gameplay, investigating clues, interrogating suspects, and thinking through my own strategies. Dunno why, but both CSI games so far are so addictive you just can't stay away from them until the very end. I tried to tell myself "one case per day, ol' chap, one case per day", but to no avail. It held me close until the very end. The script is very well done and is as suspenseful as its predecessor.

The Bad
A bit on the downside, your partners seem to be dumber than ever, and the fact you lose evaluation points on getting some non-helping squeamish hint from them is kinda lame. I mean, they don't even help you. Looks to me more like you outsmart them by a longshot and they can only pretend to be pros. Also, the game tried to achieve something the first one did great, which is to connect final case somehow with the older ones... and did more or less fine, but nothing so good like the original CSI surprised us with.

The Bottom Line
Another one on three compact discs with interesting and overly thrilling cases will keep every investigator on the toes and guessing for suspects. These games sure are a reason why I gave the series a second chance. No doubt, an excellent port of the series, and a proof of video game beating the tv, again. Can't wait for CSI: Miami with their regular cast to be released.