One of the main complaints of In Memoriam was the number of timing puzzles demanding dexterity. Thankfully, only a couple of these are present in EVIDENCE, such as a Tetris-style word game where the correct letters have to be quickly placed into the right slots to form the correct word without being intercepted by skulls (which make the letters disappear). The result of this focus shift is a far more consistent sense of deductive puzzling, as opposed to a collection of disjointed mini-games.

The live action video clips featured throughout the game follow the thread of two storylines. The first features a familiar face in Jack Lorski (from the original game) and Manuela Ortiz, who are on the trail of a serial killer who appears to have a different M.O. than the Phoenix, while the second has Jessica Moses on a search for her missing brother, assisted by her best friend Sharon. These clips are unlocked gradually by the Phoenix as a "reward" for solving particular puzzles. The acting featured is spot on; you really can believe that the individuals involved are genuinely starring in their own documentaries and not part of a game. Somewhere near the middle of the game, the two storylines converge into one and develop into a dramatic climax, although it's a somewhat disappointing ending that leaves far too many questions unanswered. In later stages of the adventure, some of the clips become creepier, even featuring dead bodies and dark foreboding shadows. Although you know it's not real, the portrayal of the characters and sinister goings-on can be genuinely unnerving. If there is one complaint, some of the films are too scratched and grainy, making it a little difficult to see what is happening, although in some instances this can make events even more disturbing.

Whether you register at the Phoenix Investigators website or not, players are never totally alone while playing EVIDENCE. As puzzles are opened up, even if they remained unsolved, fictional characters will email you offering important clues for your investigation, useful website links and tools that can be downloaded. The information offered to you delves into the world of Egyptian mythology, the Knights Templar, secret societies and biblical conspiracies, expounding upon the material featured in many of the puzzles, which in turn reveals the motives behind the Phoenix's ritualistic killings. The cryptic messages from the Phoenix between each level highlight his sadistic nature and the demented workings of his mind.

The tools are slowly unveiled to you as required, including a text decoder (unscrambling strings of numbers into key words), image analyzer (finding hidden images in pictures), video decrypter (revealing secret messages in video clips), tracer (tracking the Phoenix) and finally a root kit, used to access a secret website. These can be selected via the tool bar and are easy to use. While not strictly necessary, it pays to be online at all times while playing so you can check for incoming emails that may unlock an all-important clue or tool. Better yet, the Phoenix himself will send intimidating emails from time to time just to rattle your nerves.

While the inventiveness of the puzzles represents one of the game's main strengths, their difficulty can sometimes be its downfall. Clues can be very obscure, leaving it unclear as to what the next step should be, and it's not unusual to discover you've been researching a keyword that's completely on the wrong track. Many puzzles require substantial lateral thinking, making it very easy to over-think others, essentially making them more complicated than they really are. Some puzzles occasionally assume pre-existing knowledge. For example, one involves pointing out the errors in a painting by Raphael. Unless you recognize the painting and know its name, it can be very hard to know what to look for. And make no mistake: this game is rock hard. I lost count of the moments I wanted to tear my hair out in frustration and had to look for hints for specific puzzles. It is quite likely that less determined players will give up in the early stages of the game because of this, and miss out on some of the more inventive puzzles and developing storyline later on. While I really enjoyed playing this game through to the end, this high difficulty level hampered my progress at multiple times and became a source of frustration.

Aside from its own predecessor, EVIDENCE: The Last Ritual is quite unlike any other adventure game on the market, and is ideal for those who are looking for something a little different. It's not for the faint hearted, however, either in subject matter or in terms of difficult puzzles, so if either of those don't appeal, you'd best look elsewhere. But if you have the patience and determination to persevere through some of the Phoenix's most challenging tests yet, you'll find a captivating, intriguing game that kept me gripped to the screen for the duration.