Alongside the inventory are icons to send you to the options screen, move to a new location, or view the case file. The case file is used to basically summarize what you know about the case thus far, as well as log the hints that you have received. As you come across new suspects, they are added to the file with all information that pertains to their possible involvement in the crime.

While the gameplay mechanics have undergone only minor changes, the game engine is a completely new one, although its implementation still shares a lot in common with its predecessors. With the old engine, you would move from one node to another and at each spot you could rotate 360-degrees. The characters were all modeled in 3D but the backgrounds were static and often very muddy looking. The new, updated engine renders the backgrounds in real-time 3D, and character models are much sharper and improved in detail and lifelikeness. The benefit of the new engine is its ability to let you zoom in on objects and rotate the view for better perspectives. However, the freedom in close-ups doesn't translate to a freedom of movement overall. Despite being in 3D, the game is still rooted in node-based, point and click navigation, and now there is no 360-degree rotation. In fact, you are generally only able to see about half of the location you're in at any given time. So anyone walking into this game expecting complete freedom to investigate will be disappointed.

Despite all of the attention given to the new engine, the game's biggest improvement is in its cases and storytelling. Over the course of the game, you will solve five new cases. I found all of the cases to be longer and much more involved than in previous titles, with each taking approximately 2-2.5 hours to complete. The twists in the stories are generally well executed and I often felt a sense of accomplishment every time I uncovered a critical piece of evidence. One that I enjoyed in particular was the "First Person Shooter" case, which deals with the state of the gaming industry and contains various veiled references to the doomed fate of a particular highly-ancticipated adventure. Anyone who has been to a gaming convention will get a kick out of some of the inside jokes, yet the mystery is interesting enough that even those unfamiliar with the references will still enjoy themselves.

Also helping to make the stories stand out more is improved dialogue, giving each character a sharply defined personality. This is supported by above average voice acting all around – not just for the main characters but also for every character you encounter. Occasionally, however, you will run into errors in the dialogue system, like talking to a suspect about something that they aren't supposed to know yet, only to tell them that piece of information later on in the conversation. Slight inconsistencies like this are generally easy to overlook, though, since the cases themselves are so engrossing.

The game proved relatively stable in my experience, although I did encounter a few glitches, such as seemingly random freezes at the loading screen. These were thankfully infrequent, but notable problems nonetheless.

3 Dimensions of Murder definitely shows improvement over the rest of the CSI library while staying true to the formula established by those games. The small enhancements to graphics and storyline, along with the increased engine capabilities, all add up to make what is clearly the best game in the series, though still leaving plenty of room for further improvement. If you have played and enjoyed the previous CSI games, there is no doubt that this is a game you will want to pick up, and if you are new to the series, this is definitely the one you want to start with. The game will certainly appeal more to CSI fans, but even for those with little knowledge of the television show – such as myself – there should be enough here to interest the amateur crime scene investigator in all of us.