A new CSI has been released with CSI: Fatal Conspiracy. If you have played any of the other CSI games that have recently hit the consoles then you have basically played Fatal Conspiracy. When I started playing I was really surprised that the development used the exact same assets and character models from the previous title. It didn’t look like anything was changed from the previous iteration except for the story itself and the different cases. For those who haven’t played one of these titles before, the CSI games are point and click adventures. There are five cases for you to solve and each case has its own story to go along with the over arching story that connects everything. You will partner up with members of the CSI cast that you see on the television shows as you try and solve your case quickly and in the most efficient manner possible.

CSI: Fatal Conspiracy takes place in Las Vegas and shots of Las Vegas interspersed with the game from time to time. You will have to compare DNA sample, reconstruct broken objects, analyze videos and various other things. The Xbox360 and PS3 versions are simply ports of the PC version and lazy ports at that. The cursor moves really slow using a d-pad and it is clearly an interface designed for a mouse. I am having trouble understanding why they couldn’t adapt it to a controller since they were putting it on consoles. It is also hard to identify with your character or form any kind of connection with him since this game is played from the first person perspective and you are simply a nameless new guy in the CSI offices. Telltale Games clearly knows how to make point and click adventures with successes like Sam and Max as well as Wallace and Gromit. It’s kind of baffling then that this game is done so poorly. A CSI game could potentially be a really good game if it was done right. Sadly there hasn’t been a development team that has done that yet.

CSI: Fatal Conspiracy is another licensed title that is a big disappointment. With a franchise as popular as CSI this could have been a really amazing title. Instead (like the others before it) it is simply a quick port and it only exists to try and get some money from the CSI fanbase. If you happen to be a fan of this type of game then I would recommend renting it. There is also a demo available so go download it to see if this is the game for you. CSI: Fatal Conspiracy is a great source for Achievements/Trophies so if you want to pick up an easy thousand gamer score or an easy Platinum then you might want to give this game a try as well. Other than that there are so many other amazing titles out right now that you can bypass this one and not worry about missing anything.

Score: 5/10

Originally posted on Totally Gaming Network