On my regular just-checking-out-the-prices trip to a couple of stores resulted this time in “Saw” DVD and a triple pack of CSI games (it was Winter-een-mas, so I guess that was allowed). I had read how horrible the first CSI game was but I wanted to try them out, nevertheless.

The first CSI reminded me of the X-Files game where you didn’t have much freedom of movement, you just needed to spot evidence on the screen, click it and use a proper tool, or go around asking questions in pre-set order. CSI didn’t offer much of an intellectual challenge in the figuring-out part but playing peek a boo with the drops of blood or tiny threads of fiber was difficult enough (although the hotspot cursor spoiled some of the fun, but also saved a couple of moments of frustration). Second CSI, Dark Motives, introduced difficulty levels which allowed me to turn off those active hotspots (cursor changes when there’s something to examine) and other help features. I played with “auto-evidence questions” off as long as I could stand the repetitive reply of “I don’t know anything about that” and “Why you asking me?” every time I dragged and dropped an evidence over a suspect to bring out new questions. In CSI:Miami (in progress), in addition to the continuing “why you asking me” torture, there are more puzzles with crypted emails and torn notes which is nicely refreshing after the first two just-drop-it-on-the-lab-guy games. Alas, it’s CSI:Miami with the Horrendous Horatio.

The characters don’t look much like the real actors but at least they’ve got real voices (I once heard a smile in Nick Stokes’s voice!) and there are too few cases to play but still I’ve enjoyed the brief moments of heureka I get — when active hotspots aren’t enabled.