While there have been quite a number of solid detective games that have worked in a more adventure-like direction, when it comes to titles that try to deal more directly in crime scenes as a sim of some kind, the results haven’t been great. It isn’t just that following the adventures of someone like Poirot or Holmes are a bit more exciting because of the character interactions, on a mechanical level they’re often pretty streamlined to keep the focus on quickly collecting clues and moving on to their analysis. Like its handful of peers before it, this crime scene sim appears to favor a more realistic approach, and in general I’d say that works to its detriment.

The idea here is no doubt to appeal to fans of crime dramas, who’ve observed more than their fair share of investigators on TV, looking to dig in and get a feel for the full crime scene experience. Using various pieces of equipment including evidence markers, fingerprint kits, and even some sexy new technologies, you’ll be tasked with taking in the game’s 9 cases to work out what has happened, and more critically whodunnit. 

If you’re willing to continue through the ride, these do attempt to include some sordid details to add some flavor, which is appreciated, but dealing with the mechanical means of actual gameplay unfortunately is the game’s Achilles heel. This being a full simulator experience, you’ll need to plod around between the scene and your mobile base, picking up one thing at a time, using it, going back, getting something else, and so on. The fact that you’re apparently incapable of carrying more than a few things that you could use a shoulder button, or something to simulate going through your pockets, just feels unnecessary and makes everything drag out. None of that is helped by the pointer controls obviously being geared more for a mouse and working very clumsily with a controller, and a simple lack of basic direction to help you understand mechanically how to use certain tools at your disposal. That said, if you love CSI and the like, and have been looking for a way to participate in that sort of work in some way, this may be your way to do so.