More murders for the CSI team

CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) is the most popular television series in the world. It has already sired two video games. Now it is the turn of CSI: Miami, the equally successful spin-off series, to give rise to a third.

If you have played the earlier CSI adventures, you will feel right at home with this one.

You investigate a homicide case alongside one of the cast members from the show who is on hand to offer tips and guidance when you get stuck.

Mind you, if I were David Caruso, pictured right, I'd wonder if someone wasn't having a joke with my gaming facsimile. He looks totally bizarre.

The five cases are made up of the traditional CSI ingredients: greed, jealousy and a big, bad serial killer. It's not surprising really, as the whole script was created by Max Allan Collins, one of the writers on the TV show. He throws in a staged night-club death, a woman strangled on a yacht and murder (or is it?) by alligator.

If you follow the game through to its logical conclusion, you will also find that the four seemingly unrelated cases you solved are all linked to the fifth and final denouement.

The basic interface is a point-and-click style. You hover your cursor over the screen looking for crucial evidence.

It's a bit more involved than the usual point-and-clicker because you also have to gather trace evidence - clues (such as fingerprints or gunshot residue) that only reveal themselves when you apply your CSI acumen back at the laboratory.

As well as the scene of the crime, you'll also spend a fair bit of time down the morgue (cue some gruesome autopsy footage), the lab and the police station.

The cursor alerts you when it is near something important. Click on it and the picture enlarges to show you what it has found. Beware, though, because there may be more than one clue to find. If you miss it be prepared to spend hours going over "old" crime scenes before you crack the case.

It's the same cross-checking evidence. I found it frustratingly easy to miss something and when I did the whole game came to a grinding halt.

I suppose this is probably quite realistic (police work can be mind-numbingly boring and teeth grindingly-frustrating at times) but I'd prefer a more Hollywood-esque approach in the game.

The CSI: Miami cast have recorded the script which makes for a seamless transition from television to PC. The incidental characters are also well acted. Similarly, transitions from one location to another are accompanied by a flashy jump cut of Miami life, just like the TV show. Nice.

Fans of this series have been forced to endure a miserable autumn/winter waiting for the new series to air on Channel Five. If you simply can't wait any longer then CSI: Miami, the game, is the next best thing and, at less than twenty quid, it's a lot cheaper than a DVD box set.

SONIC HEROES, Publisher: Sega. Format: PC, Price: £19.99: Family friendly? Yes.

SEGA'S legendary mascot Sonic The Hedgehog hasn't had a very fruitful relationship with the PC.

His original adventures were ported from the Mega Drive by way of an emulator, Sonic 3-D (a hand-me-down from the Saturn console) was truly awful and even Sonic Adventure DX felt better when it was played on the Dreamcast. Now we have Sonic Heroes - a game that has already appeared on the PS2, Xbox and the GameCube.

Like those versions, Sonic Heroes for the PC is all about teamwork. Your favourite characters have to work together if they are to negotiate the massive levels.

For instance, Team Sonic comprises Sonic's breakneck speed, Knuckles' power, and Tails' ability to fly. Whoever leads the group dictates the powers available. This trio are up against Team Dark, Team Chaotix and Team Rose - all stacked with famous Sega characters.

All the familiar sights and sounds are back again but Sega seems to have put lots more effort into the level design for this game. Each stage contains multiple branching paths and lots of missions for maximum replay-ability.

It plays as well as it ever did and, if you have an up-to-date PC, looks even better than the console versions.

However, the bargain price is a reflection of the fact that Sonic Heroes remains a PC version of a game that was out on the consoles months ago - and is therefore already old hat.

If you haven't already sampled it and have a nostalgic yearning for another Sonic adventure then Sonic Heroes is a great way to spend the money your auntie gave you for Christmas.

Published: 31/12/2004