CSI: Miami - PC

For those who like the occasional murder mystery, Ubisoft's Crime Scene Investigation games are a much sought after series in the world of interactive entertainment. The original game and its Dark Motives follow up, though something on a niche amidst an abundance of mainstream offerings, proved popular. Now there's a third in the series, CSI Miami, which follows the trail of a mysterious criminal mind in one of the USA's most infamous cities.

Similar to the likes of the X-files game as opposed to a traditional adventure, CSI Miami doesn't host the usual wealth of glorious 3D locales. Instead, it pits players in a series of beautifully rendered backdrops that set the mood for a chilling tale and an even more challenging puzzler.

Throughout the interactive story, you'll meet and greet a number of familiar CSI characters from the much-loved Stateside TV series. There's genuine voice acting from the stars of the US drama, as well as a variety of sounds, music and locations that are faithful to the real-life Miami scene.

Getting into the game proper, your detective abilities will allow you to make use of the latest and greatest in forensic technology, as well as some more traditional tools, such as fingerprint powder, UV light and adhesive specimen collectors. Make the right choices and you'll move one step closer to solving the case.

CSI Miami, like its predecessors, is very challenging in the mental department. There are lots of puzzles, codes to decipher and fragments of evidence to make sense of. It's a gruelling game, but it's extremely rewarding and well worth the effort. more