CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Download CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and join the team from the popular TV series to solve a series of mysterious crimes. Use forensic tools and techniques to gather evidence and question suspects. Can you uncover the truth and bring the criminals to justice? Play now!
a game by 369 Interactive
Platforms: XBox, PC (2003)
Editor Rating: 6/10, based on 1 review, 2 reviews are shown
User Rating: 7.8/10 - 20 votes
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See also: Old School Games, Cult Classic Games, CSI Games

Hunting down killers, collecting clues, and making connections are all in a day's work when you're playing CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Based on the hit show, this game adaptation takes you to the glitzy yet secretive city of Las Vegas, where violent crime is more common than you'd expect. Shoved into the grimy criminal world, it's up to you to solve a handful of cases, all seemingly connected in some way. Working with characters from the original show, you'll dig up cold cases, investigate killings, and much more.

Main Game Features

  • 5 unique cases to solve
  • Gather clues and evidence at crime scenes
  • Work alongside popular characters

Story

Just like the hit show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation takes place in Las Vegas, where you work as a rookie investigator fresh on the job. Amid all the gambling and partying in one of the most alluring cities in the world, there are more than enough brutal crimes to solve. As a new employee at the forensics lab, you must accompany more seasoned investigators as they track down suspects and scour crime scenes across the city.

There are 5 cases to choose from, but if you're playing on Xbox, you'll also get to play 5 more cases pulled from CSI: Dark Intent. Your journey starts with the gruesome killing of a showgirl in a hotel room, with the case led by the forensic team leader, Gil Grissom. Afterward, you progress to investigating a case of residential arson with Sara Sidle before moving on to a case of a murdered police officer with Nick Stokes. The original 5 cases end with two murders, somehow linked to the other cases as well as the sudden disappearance of Gil Grissom. Overall, there are some decent twists along the way, but most of the cases are easy to solve if you're smart enough to dodge the red herrings.

Gameplay

As expected, the bulk of your time is spent searching crime scenes for clues, including fingerprints, bloodstains, and other chemical trails. At the start of a case, you'll discuss your options with your superior and can jump around from location to location looking for leads. Occasionally, you'll interrogate suspects and question witnesses, opening up new investigation options. When it's time to collect evidence, you'll crack out your tool kit, which includes a range of adhesives, powders, and devices to help you hunt down clues. Similar to games like L.A. Noire, some clues are simply meant to throw you off the trail, while others can make or break the case.

Once you've collected enough information, you can travel back to the forensics lab, where you'll complete various experiments to determine the validity of your discoveries. You can search for records in the police database, travel to the morgue to examine dead bodies, and even perform chemical analysis on mysterious substances. These sequences include some simple mini-games, which help break up the monotony of investigation. That said, this process can become pretty dull by the fourth or fifth case, growing more repetitive as the game drags on.

Conclusion

Ultimately, if you love the CSI show and enjoy the characters and dark tone, you'll have a good time investigating the various crimes that the game has to offer. When compared to some of the wackier episodes of the show, these crimes can feel somewhat tame, but it's still bloodier and more risque than you might expect. Digging up clues and analyzing them at the lab is fun enough for a few hours, but things slow down towards the end of the game.

6

Overall, the experience is a mixture of ups and downs, but it's generally worth playing if you enjoy the original show.

Pros

  • Interesting cases
  • Fun to collect clues
  • Storytelling is reminiscent of the show

Cons

  • Underwhelming graphics
  • Cases are a bit too easy
  • Gameplay becomes repetitive

Download CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

XBox

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

From The layout of the victim, it looks like we're dealing with a copycat, one who's managed to competently imitate the atmosphere of the television show in its modus operandi. The episodic nature and plotting of this murder/mystery adventure seem to back this up, and previous audio analysis of victim's conversation reveals proof of genuine actors from the series. However, execution was sometimes sloppy, evident from the pools of bad acting gathered around the victim's peripheral characters.

There were no visible signs of a struggle and it's estimated that it took less than a night before the victim was finished off. We have proof that our suspect was able to lead the victim willingly by the hand to an early exit and after digging around for clues, we can confirm that limited interaction with the environment was a major accelerant. Furthermore, dusting for prints on objects not relating to direct completion of puzzles also proved pointless. Initial glances showed probable cause for greater application but the suspect only needed to use basic methods of operation to finish off the victim and wipe the whole ordeal out of their memory after a very short while.

Surveying all the evidence, it's easy to see this is the work of someone attempting to gain notoriety on the back of more well-known cases. However, the execution does show signs of being somewhat intelligent and entertaining. On the basis of this we suggest bringing the quality of the license and the end product in for questioning.

Snapshots and Media

XBox Screenshots

PC Screenshots

See Also

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