CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Dark Motives

Although it’s not the most obvious subject matter for a video game, the first CSI game was a huge hit and quickly led to this new sequel, subtitled Dark Motives. As fans of the series would expect, there are no action skills required of you in the game, just a cool head and the ability to approach each of the five different cases in a logical and methodical fashion. Dark Motives casts you as a new recruit to the Las Vegas CSI department and as such partners you with a variety of characters from the show. All of the original cast provide their own voiceovers, including William Petersen and Jorja Fox, and thanks to the newly improved graphics they all now look much more like themselves than before.
The actual process of solving a crime and playing the game is little changed from the previous title, as you slowly explore a crime scene, examining the subtly highlighted physical clues and interrogating suspects. The first game was criticised for being too easy and too linear and although Dark Motives still makes it a little too obvious as to what you should do at each stage there is a greater feeling of freedom as you go about your investigation.