CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence

"A killer title for the 360? I think not."

So here's what I learned from CSI: Hard Evidence: If you were murdered, chances are you were a jerk in real life. Tally up enough people annoyed at your actions and boom! Someone's going to want you dead, and at the end of the day that someone's gonna succeed.

Second lesson taught by CSI: Hard Evidence: If you happen to be a suspect in one of the game's five cases, the best thing to do with any incriminating evidence is not to destroy it - no, because that would be too logical! Rather, the best course of action is to leave any threatening letter or torn-up photo out in the open, like, say, in the middle of a hallway or on top of an otherwise empty desk. Besides, it's no use trying to fool the feds into thinking you're an innocent man because 1) the evidence speaks louder than any faulty alibi will, and 2) the good guys are smarter than the any guilty party. Case closed.

Or so the game would have you believe. You see, here's the problem with the title: It's easy. Really easy. Most of the time, you'll know exactly what needs to be accomplished because the next step is staring you right in the face, quite literally. If you need to examine a piece of evidence, the suitable lab station will flash an exclamation point across its computer monitor. All places that have been completely searched will be checked off with a green marker, and the same goes for all traces that are thoroughly researched at those lab stations. The game tells you when you have gathered enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, and that same blue pop-up screen will emerge when you have searched enough leads to make an arrest. The bottom line is that there is absolutely no way that you can fail a mission, and with a clear path paved from start to finish, the whole ordeal can leave some players feeling a bit removed from the interactive experience that video games are supposed to give.

And if you're ever stuck, just turn to your partner for a hint. This person's sole job is to dispense countless pieces of advice for virtually no penalty (think red skull in Phantasmagoria). The number of hints you receive directly correlates to your evaluation report, which Grissom hands out at the end of every mission. These evaluations give you a rank based on the aforementioned hints you needed, pieces of evidence collected, thoroughness points (which will be discussed in a minute), and the number of insects you capture for a bug enthusiast in your force, ala Silence of the Lambs or The Collector, except that, you know, these other men were unhinged individuals and you are focused on delivering a cold serving of justice. Or beetles. Whichever. In the end it doesn't matter if you find a single cockroach (that's oh so cleverly concealed behind a glaring piece of evidence), since the rank you earn doesn't do very much in the grand scheme of things. You will unlock an achievement for the level even if you had your partner baby-sit you through the entire case, so unless you were dying to acquire that last bonus video for achieving the “master investigator” status, you can feel safe turning to your partner to speed things along.

These investigators are polygon renditions of the actual characters in the television show. Most of the characters are voiced by their respective television actor and all are voiced extremely well (though I swore the woman Catherine was hitting on me with her growling every line of her dialogue in my direction). In addition, all the members of the cast sport detailed facial models, so you can easily count each eyebrow hair and freckle that Warrick and Greg have while they size up their suspect. But while each of the investigators looks like someone well suited for a 360 title, the same cannot be said of the suspects. Take the perpetrator you interrogate in the training level. A cop is accused of scarfing down somebody else's doughnut, and when you haul him into the investigation room, you'd be surprised at how much the man looks like a Sim you might have created a few years ago, right down to the nervous gummi lip bite that the Sims do when they're anticipating a steamy round of woo-hoo. The backgrounds get the job done - nothing more, nothing less - though locations are rather small, and the objects placed therein rather flat. Articles of clothing you might search appear as though they've been starched into cardboard squares and a condom you acquire during your first mission looks more like a tube worm than a device for sexual protection; conversely, the lack of graphical garnish on these objects allows you to locate evidence like fingerprints and residue fairly easily, which might have been lost on a more detailed gun, or cell phone, or whatever other shiny object you discover during the game's five cases.

These five cases won't take you very long to complete, either. Even if you set out to get 100% completion in each level - which consists of you processing all the evidence and finding all the insects/thoroughness points in every location, you're looking at a grand total of six hours playtime. These two extras take little time to seek out; there's roughly one insect “hiding” in each area and thoroughness points consist of little more than clicking on one of the objects manufactured by a sponsored corporation; doing so will result in you receiving a congratulatory ding and a big heaping of product placement. Sure, there are hoods of Chrysler vans and Hewlett-Packard computers to stare at in all their polygonal glory, but it doesn't really do much to enhance gameplay; in fact, when Brass begins his speech about the “good folks” over at Visa, you might actually find yourself rolling your eyes and wishing that there was less advertising and more crime solving in CSI: Hard Evidence. Thankfully, these exploration bells and whistles don‘t factor into the bulk of your investigation. Rather, most of the time you'll be talking to the other inhabitants of Las Vegas, and this is where the game really shines.

The dialogue is, for the most part, well-written and well-delivered. The characters speak and react like actual people, though there are certain moments of stiffness that can make you question certain suspects' honesty when they're offering their alibis. For example, the way one of the parents reacts upon receiving news of his son's death in the fifth story can lead you to think he's more guilty than he actually is. Certain characters seem too stupid to commit the crimes they did and other innocent parties are too confrontational to be seem anything but guilty. Of course, this is all a ploy created by Telltale Games to throw the player off from the real killer, and they'll resort to the same tactic again, and again, and again. In the end of playing CSI: Hard Evidence, this is what you should have learned: The most compliant individuals are always the guilty ones. Follow this sole piece of advice, and you'll be paving your “clear paths from start to finish” in no time.

Fans of the show will love these cases, and despite all the flaws, the casual gamer might find himself entertained for an afternoon. This game functions like an extended version of the Condemned crime scenes; there is a certain amount of anticipation to uncover the murder weapon and motive. There is a certain amount of satisfaction at seeing the perpetrator behind bars. And if you can stand annoyances like product placement and a barrage of puns that the investigators fling around like their lives depend on it, then you might have a decent playing experience. And if there's one thing to teach people after playing CSI: Hard Evidence, it's this: Unless you're a serious fan of the series, this title is definitely a rental-only.


Pros:
- Some of the graphics, like the CSI team's character models, are molded extremely well.
- Voice acting is top-notch and script, for the most part, is written well.
- Uses panning views of Las Vegas, and sped-up photography to give the game a similar cinematographic feel that the series has.

Cons:
- Game is extremely short, with well under ten hours needed to complete the entire thing.
- Game is also extremely simple to complete, with almost no penalty for hints and no chance at failure.
- Virtually no replay value, with only the promise of a higher ranking and bonus videos upon completing each case a second time.
- Excluding the cast, the character models are a bit lacking and backgrounds are a mediocre collection of boxy furniture and flat pieces of evidence.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/07

Game Release: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence (US, 09/26/07)