CSI Screenshots [Archive] - Adventure Forums

Udvarnoky

02-09-2006, 05:20 PM

Erm, sorry, not sure I was smoking when I said "live action." Anyway my point was that it looks kind of like a painting. :shifty:

Words from the wise, those screens may not be indicative of the actual game.

Hmm...maybe you're right. I'm pretty sure at least that they're not screens from any of the previous games (which I haven't played).

Junkface

02-09-2006, 05:23 PM

fov

02-09-2006, 05:29 PM

Hmm...maybe you're right. I'm pretty sure at least that they're not screens from any of the previous games (which I haven't played).

No, I don't think they're from the previous games, but I'm fairly certain they're not in-game shots from the upcoming game, either. They don't even really look like 3D, to me.

I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this game soon. I just think people should err on the side of caution with these screenshots. ;)

Udvarnoky

02-09-2006, 05:31 PM

Yeah they could just be concept art. The official page has to be just around the corner and I'm sure it will have some screenshots.

Regardless, if the art style they're going for is anything like that I'm pleased.

Junkface

02-09-2006, 05:47 PM

They don't even really look like 3D, to me.
Yeah, they definitely look different to most 3D, but that could be the result of some sort of filter or lighting effect, and the second shot has a lot more sharp angles than I'd expect from a concept painting (look at the legs of the corpse and the woman's arms and hair. The chests of both detectives also look alot like flat textures.) Maybe that's all just wishful thinking though.

jjacob

02-09-2006, 05:48 PM

If those are genuine in-game screenshots (they look polygonal enough to be, particularly the second one), I love them. I've always wanted to see that sort of look in 3D. Good to finally see something to do with the game too. Now let's just hope Ubi doesn't put Starforce on it.
If you're talking about cell-shading, that's not it. It looks more like a 3D rendering retouched with photoshop, in other words, concept art.

avatar_58

02-09-2006, 06:12 PM

Considering how much I love the show, I'm interested in this game. :D

jjacob

02-09-2006, 09:50 PM

Intrepid Homoludens

02-09-2006, 09:55 PM

:) It's a very formulaic show, but it's a formula done very well (I think it's the best of all these crime scene TV drama series we've been inundated with). It's essentially the same thing episode to episode - mysterious and often unusual crime, gross closeups, graphically depicted forensics and re-enactments, insanely heavy and usually exclusive reliance on pure scientifically and technologically obtained evidence, and some kind of twist for an ending.

avatar_58

02-09-2006, 09:57 PM

I never really got into the show much, I watch the occasional espisode but they all seem the same to me :P. Murder(s), crime scene investigation, wild speculation, false lead, right lead, killer apprehended etc.

I consider it the best TV has to offer currently. :) Watch the Grave Danger two part episode and tell me that isn't one of the greatest dramas on TV. Its one of the few shows I bother to get on DVD.

Intrepid Homoludens

02-09-2006, 10:00 PM

Isn't that the one where the beautiful guy (forgot his name, but he's super hot) is kidnapped and buried alive? That was rather gripping, poor guy. The climax was very suspensful.

avatar_58

02-09-2006, 10:03 PM

Nick. :) That has to be my favourite episode, it had me on the edge of my seat the first time I saw it. I wasn't sure if they would let him die or not. :frown:

It was also the episode that turned me onto Tarantino's work. :D Which is always a good thing.

I heard bad things about the other two CSI games, and as of yet I haven't tried them. Are they any good? Or are they just banking on the CSI name.....something that bugs me in licensed games.

Intrepid Homoludens

02-09-2006, 10:04 PM

Check out the CSI reviews in the AG site.

jjacob

02-10-2006, 12:11 AM

I consider it the best TV has to offer currently. :) Watch the Grave Danger two part episode and tell me that isn't one of the greatest dramas on TV. Its one of the few shows I bother to get on DVD. I'll check to see if I can download that somewhere :D Though you're not seriously suggesting it's better than Six Feet Under, do you? (ah well, tastes differ) OT: How sad is it that 'one of the best' shows is about serial killers, rapists and whatnot and the people that catch them (I wonder if that's an indication of the society we live in, or just the state of affairs in TV-land, or a combination of both :crazy: )

At the moment I'm hooked to 24 :D I know it's pretty much 'mindless' suspense, but every episode just makes you want to watch the next, and the next etc. In that sense, it's brilliantly done. I really want to see what Jack Bauer has in store for those Chechen terrorists :D Also, don't you just love it how one story arc is just a cover for another, and another, and another :P

avatar_58

02-10-2006, 12:16 AM

I'll check to see if I can download that somewhere :D Though you're not seriously suggesting it's better than Six Feet Under, do you? (ah well, tastes differ) OT: How sad is it that 'one of the best' shows is about serial killers, rapists and whatnot and the people that catch them (I wonder if that's an indication of the society we live in, or just the state of affairs in TV-land, or a combination of both :crazy: )

I've never seen Six Feet Under before, so I can't comment. However CSI is more than "just" another show about murders and serial killers.....and you would have to watch the show to understand. There is a great deal of chemistry between the team and they all have issues that arise and have to be dealt with.

By the time Grave Danger comes, you actually fear for Nick's life because of previous episodes. The little nuances like Grissom's hearing and their past experiences (nick was molested, catherine was a stripper, sara's mother killed her father) it all makes for one hell of a show. Just downloading Grave Danger might not show you what I mean.

All I know is, the show tries its hardest to keep you watching with the stuff in between, not just the cases themselves. :D

tabacco

02-10-2006, 12:23 AM

Six Feet Under started really well, but I think after the first few seasons it started to go downhill. There's a certain point where so much bad stuff happens to them that it just gets ridiculous.

jp-30

02-10-2006, 12:24 AM

While those may be concept art, the polygons evident on the legs, their placement on Ubisoft's store page (http://store.ubi.com/item.jsp?item=68293) and the fact that the game's out next month make me think they're legit.

And if they are legit in-game shots, I love the accurate 3D models with what look like hand painted skins.

Kinda like a chalk drawing. Beats the photo-realistic "death mask" type texturing any day! Ads a nice style to the procedings.

avatar_58

02-10-2006, 12:27 AM

I always hoped for a game that would combine the style of Police Quest, the license and crime work of CSI and the freeroaming of GTA (plus driving) into one orgasmic game. Even include some SWAT 4 based missions as well. I think it would make for one hell of an experience.....but who knows. For now its just an odd daydream of mine. :frusty:

jjacob

02-10-2006, 12:33 AM

I've never seen Six Feet Under before, so I can't comment. However CSI is more than "just" another show about murders and serial killers.....and you would have to watch the show to understand. There is a great deal of chemistry between the team and they all have issues that arise and have to be dealt with.

By the time Grave Danger comes, you actually fear for Nick's life because of previous episodes. The little nuances like Grissom's hearing and their past experiences (nick was molested, catherine was a stripper, sara's mother killed her father) it all makes for one hell of a show. Just downloading Grave Danger might not show you what I mean.

All I know is, the show tries its hardest to keep you watching with the stuff in between, not just the cases themselves. :D Sounds an awful lot like a typical drama show to me (especially the character background stuff) :D However I'll give it another chance and get some episodes ;) In return you have to watch some SFU and tell me what you think :D
Six Feet Under started really well, but I think after the first few seasons it started to go downhill. There's a certain point where so much bad stuff happens to them that it just gets ridiculous. Well, thanks for ruining it for me! :D Just kidding, I'm into the third season and I can kind of see it coming. *sigh* It was good while it lasted though. Atleast there's still 24! :P

avatar_58

02-10-2006, 12:38 AM

I can't watch SFU without buying the dvds....:frown: I would have to pay extra to get a glimpse of HBO. I thought about downloading them, and still might...who knows.

Here in canada showcase is the best we get for shows like that. However I rarely watch TV much anymore. Hell, I rarely even catch CSI....I mostly watch my DVDs whenever I am in the mood.

I will probably see it some time down the line.....you can never avoid a show for long as it will always catch up to you. :D Hell I never even watched Family Guy until I was forced to sit through one.....now I love it. I watched CSI by accident one day, and its a good thing too.

fov

02-10-2006, 05:36 AM

Let's try to keep this thread for the CSI game, please. TV talk belongs in Chit Chat.

Thanks. :)

KriD

02-10-2006, 07:02 AM

If those screenshots are in-game, then...great. I like them. :)

the gnome

02-10-2006, 09:58 AM

I guess the screenshots are trully great...
Do you think this is a glimpse of what the updated Telltale 3d engine can do, or is it totally unconnected to the Bone engine?

Udvarnoky

02-10-2006, 10:05 AM

I think they're making all of their games with the same engine. It's one of the reasons they can make short development times possible. I'm not sure how modified it will be in comparison to Bone. Supposedly it's pretty versatile, and maybe the fact that Ubisoft is funding the game will affect its technical aspects.

Dale Baldwin

02-10-2006, 10:18 AM

Do you think this is a glimpse of what the updated Telltale 3d engine can do
No.

Lucien21

02-10-2006, 10:22 AM

Weird though if it is reportedly due out next month then why hasn't there been more promotion or screenshots etc.

jp-30

02-10-2006, 10:32 AM

http://store.ubi.com/productimages/PC_csi3_s1.jpg

World's most impressive flashlight!

or

Most unnecessary use of a flashlight ever!

Take your pick.

artwking4

02-10-2006, 10:49 AM

Well, in the TV show they always use flashlights. For some un-knowable reason, it never occurs to them to flip a lightswitch in a room to light up a crime scene. They'd save an awful lot on batteries, I would think. Somehow I don't think it will be any different in the game. But at least there won't be any "turn on the lightswitch before you can do anything in the room" puzzles.

fov

02-10-2006, 10:58 AM

Weird though if it is reportedly due out next month then why hasn't there been more promotion or screenshots etc.

Because Ubisoft is calling the shots on promotion. They never really promoted the other CSI games either.

Do you think this is a glimpse of what the updated Telltale 3d engine can do, or is it totally unconnected to the Bone engine?

The engine being used is the same engine used for the Bone games.

Once again, I'm almost positive these screenshots are not representative of the actual game.

jjacob

02-10-2006, 11:46 AM

artwking4

02-10-2006, 12:21 PM

Fingerprints, man! :) What? They glow in the dark? Maybe in Chernobyl.

Plus if the killer is really sadistic, he'll rig the lightbulb with explosives ;)
Except that light bulbs implode when they break because of the vacuum within, so this will create some kind of black hole effect. A loud sucking noise will ensue. Some people believe this is how CSI: Miami and CSI: New York were created.

jjacob

02-10-2006, 12:55 PM

What? They glow in the dark? Maybe in Chernobyl.
No, but you'll want to preserve as much as possible ;)
Except that light bulbs implode when they break because of the vacuum within, so this will create some kind of black hole effect. A loud sucking noise will ensue. Some people believe this is how CSI: Miami and CSI: New York were created.
:D Lightbulbfixture. Plus, I don't know a lghtbulb with vacuum within, don't they all have noble gasses or halogen gas inside ;) Unless we're talking about the first ones ofcourse. BTW, what's what the two CSI series? Isn't one more than enough? :D

artwking4

02-10-2006, 01:00 PM

I don't know. Good thing I'm not a scientist. But I get to play one in a game!

jjacob

02-10-2006, 02:21 PM

I don't know. Good thing I'm not a scientist. But I get to play one in a game!
Half Life? :D

Sorry Emily for going OT ;)

fov

02-10-2006, 02:24 PM

Sorry Emily for going OT ;)

Sure you are. :P

artwking4

02-10-2006, 02:30 PM

Half Life? :D

Hehe... A scientist in CSI, of course. But I think Telltale mentioned adding new crimesolving forensic tools in the game, and it will be in first-person perspective.
So there's still a chance we'll get that crowbar.:pan:

jannar85

02-10-2006, 04:11 PM

Just wanted to mention that four in-game screenshots has been posted at Ubisoft:

http://ubi.com/NO/Games/Screenshots.aspx?pId=4225&sId=24688

http://ubi.com/resources/binary/144/36130.jpg

http://ubi.com/resources/binary/144/36123.jpg

http://ubi.com/resources/binary/144/36125.jpg

http://ubi.com/resources/binary/144/36127.jpg

Udvarnoky

02-10-2006, 04:25 PM

Good find!

Karmillo

02-10-2006, 04:38 PM

Kind of a let down :frown:

wonder if those first screenshots are what the cutscenes will be like

Junkface

02-10-2006, 04:41 PM

Ah, so it actually looks worse than I could possibly have imagined. Nice!

Intrepid Homoludens

02-10-2006, 04:46 PM

Why do the screens look so fuzzy and washed out?

jjacob

02-10-2006, 04:48 PM

That does looks horrible, especially for a first person adventure.

fov

02-10-2006, 04:49 PM

I'm guessing because Ubisoft doesn't access to the actual game yet. ;)

They just look like jpgs saved at low quality. Not indicative of any problem in the game itself, I'm sure.

the gnome

02-10-2006, 05:39 PM

fov, I am guessing you are absolutely right... Nothing could look so terrible in 2006. Only corrupted jpgs.

Stoofa

02-10-2006, 06:18 PM

What? They glow in the dark? Maybe in Chernobyl.

Except that light bulbs implode when they break because of the vacuum within, so this will create some kind of black hole effect. A loud sucking noise will ensue. Some people believe this is how CSI: Miami and CSI: New York were created.

Ha! And out of that black hole crawled a truly fearsome monster: Horatio Caine.

fov

02-11-2006, 08:02 AM

fov, I am guessing you are absolutely right... Nothing could look so terrible in 2006. Only corrupted jpgs.

Especially when you consider they're using the very same engine they used for Bone. We know what that engine is capable of.

Fop

02-11-2006, 10:18 AM

Those human models look surprisingly nice, considering how awkward the girl on Bone looked.

the gnome

02-11-2006, 10:35 AM

Yes... Thorn looked really scary and rather awful... And her hair... Oh, her hair was just ridiculous...

avatar_58

02-11-2006, 01:42 PM

They probably would have been better off with pre-rendered backdrops instead of real-time. It just seems that whenever real-time is used on adventure games, they don't push hardware because they feel most AG don't have powerful graphics cards. I can't speak for the rest of you, but my 6800GT wants to play an adventure game with next gen visuals.

jjacob

02-11-2006, 03:12 PM

fov

02-15-2006, 10:23 AM

The email problems we were having last week prevented my question to Telltale about the screenshots from going through. Anyway, better late than never, here's the response:

The CSI shots on that page are not current screenshots. Some are from the packaging (not in-game shots) and some are taken from Maya (dev system).

There you have it. :)

cardician

02-16-2006, 03:33 AM

Too bad the game isn't going to use graphics like those shots posted by the topic creator. Those are truly nice shots, very artsy. I like to see games change things up a little bit and try new graphical touches.

Also glad to hear that those other screenshots are not actual shots from the game. They do look horrible. But one thing I have to say is the faces look pretty incredible. That closeup of the CSI guy (don't know their names, but the one who isn't the cop) looks just like him. That's pretty impressive as I believe faces are one of the hardest parts of 3d modeling.

No matter what, this is the only game I'm currently really looking forward too. And since Telltale is doing it, hopefully that means it will be done with quality, unlike some of the other games of this genre (CSI and L&O), which have pretty much all been terrible, had crippling bugs, and lacked support.

nikoniko

02-16-2006, 11:33 AM

I think the gamma was just set unusually high when they took these screenshots, reducing the contrast between dark and light and creating that washed-out look. In the game, I'm sure one will be able to set the gamma as high or low as needed to balance contrast and lightness.

fov

02-16-2006, 03:23 PM

Too bad the game isn't going to use graphics like those shots posted by the topic creator. Those are truly nice shots, very artsy. I like to see games change things up a little bit and try new graphical touches.

How would a CSI game benefit from an artsy style like that? CSI is based on a TV show (live action), and this is going to be the fourth game in a franchise that has always been ultra-realistic. I think there's a time and a place for artistic experimentation, and I don't think being artsy just for the sake of being artsy would be a good choice for a CSI game, at all.

If it were an original license that wasn't based on television, that would somehow be enhanced by a style like what we see in those first shots, that I can see. But I don't think it's right for CSI.

Karmillo

02-16-2006, 03:30 PM

How would a CSI game benefit from an artsy style like that? CSI is based on a TV show (live action), and this is going to be the fourth game in a franchise that has always been ultra-realistic. I think there's a time and a place for artistic experimentation, and I don't think being artsy just for the sake of being artsy would be a good choice for a CSI game, at all.

If it were an original license that wasn't based on television, that would somehow be enhanced by a style like what we see in those first shots, that I can see. But I don't think it's right for CSI.
Well there is also a CSI comic series, and this game is under a new developer so we cant expect them to make this one look exactly like the previouse titles.

Comparing the first screenshots to the character models in the second set...well they are probably the same quality of models but the art effect makes them look better than they actualy are, so there is a little benefit :P

But im sure the models will look allot better in the final product...I hope

Jake

02-16-2006, 04:26 PM

Well there is also a CSI comic series, and this game is under a new developer so we cant expect them to make this one look exactly like the previouse titles.

Comparing the first screenshots to the character models in the second set...well they are probably the same quality of models but the art effect makes them look better than they actualy are, so there is a little benefit :P

But im sure the models will look allot better in the final product...I hope

I don't think those "effects" used in the images at the start of the thread would actually make the game look any better or worse over a long period of time. As you said, the character models seem to be the same or similar in both sets of shots.

After looking at the game with the crazy glowey airbrushed light effects of those early shots for a while, it wouldn't look "special," it would eventually just look to your eyes exactly how the game currently looks, only covered in blurry lights, and I don't think that would really benefit the game at all.

Karmillo

02-16-2006, 04:50 PM

I dont think that would happen if they done that in this game, if they put it in a lot of games and it got overused maybe, but then again it would just be another option as opposed to the regular 3d rendering, plastic 3d rendering and Cel shading...

Dasilva

02-16-2006, 05:01 PM

The graphics in this game seem average, all the CSI games haven't been great games, but you never know, this could be the gold mine.

avatar_58

02-17-2006, 02:59 PM

The graphics in this game seem average, all the CSI games haven't been great games, but you never know, this could be the gold mine.

I heard (and read) some very bad things about the first two games but I haven't yet played them. I'm hoping since this is being developed by Telltale that they will do a much better job.

Dasilva

02-17-2006, 03:11 PM

Well Bone isen't game of the year material, but I'm sure they'll do a good job, Ubisoft is funding the project right?

avatar_58

02-17-2006, 03:16 PM

Well Bone isen't game of the year material, but I'm sure they'll do a good job, Ubisoft is funding the project right?

I tried Bone and I really didn't like it that much. It was a little too simplistic for my tastes. :z I'm hoping that this game will at least show me Telltale can do better.

jp-30

02-20-2006, 09:55 PM

There are 2 or 3 more shots (and a scheduled March 31 release date) up on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/videogames/B000CSGCP2/pictures/ref=dp_pics_smp/202-7933736-2354235)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000CSGCP2.02.PT01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000CSGCP2.02.PT05.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

TheGreyMatter

02-21-2006, 12:03 AM

these last screenshots look good, they are relatively detailed, yet in the limits of the current technology - which makes it more probable to be a genuine screenshot.

yet.. we can never know... :shifty:

jannar85

02-21-2006, 01:47 AM

Damn! What an improvement!

It's really really awesome to finally get some real ones! Damn it looks sweet. Hurry up Telltale!

Btw, when is it to be scheduled?

cardician

02-21-2006, 02:10 AM

Yeah, those screenshots look much nicer. The faces look incredible. I'm looking forward to this game.

As to the first screenshots and their different art style, I disagree with you fov. There is nothing wrong with changing up the art style in this case. As someone else mentioned, the other CSI games were done by an entirely different studio, and considering how utterly awfule they were, they basically should not even be considered. Besides, who cares what previous games in the series looked like? Take this game for what it is. A CSI game. Not the third or fourth CSI game of a series, but just an independent CSI game. It has no relation or tie in with the others, so why even think about them. If this were CSI 3 or CSI 4, or something like that, meaning that it was the next installment of an ongoing storyline, then I might agree that changing up the art style would be a poor choice. But as an independent game unto itself, its no different than having a different director for one of the CSI episodes.

Now, taken by itself, I see no problem with using such an interesting art style. It doesn't detract from the game in any way, just adds some nice visual interest. So then, whats the problem? It doesn't take any more development time, as its just a filter I'd imagine. It doesn't detract from the game as far as gameplay goes. So there is no problem that I can see. However, art is in the eye of the beholder. To each their own. I guess I'll just agree to disagree with you. :)

Karmillo

02-21-2006, 02:26 AM

The screenshots look allot better...though Grissam looks odd....hopefully its just the angle were seeing cause it doesnt really resemple Grissam as much as it could.

Too angry looking

jannar85

02-21-2006, 04:37 AM

By the way.. I just got it confirmed that it will be out in stores 31 March 2006 according to cdon.com (european site)

Karmillo

02-21-2006, 05:01 AM

Im really glad its gonna be in real 3d, even if it is static points it will still look allot more lively than the previouse games.

I still liked the first 3 games but they felt kinda empty, andd judging by the screenshot with nick and warrick in the alley it looks like we will get to see them move about, it will feel allot more like playing through and episode than ever :D

squarejawhero

02-21-2006, 05:05 AM

avatar_58

02-21-2006, 01:14 PM

RE CSI's style, it's a VERY stylish show that forgoes realism and grit in favour of a slick MTV, almost Miama Vice, aesthetic with fast cuts, shaky cam etc. So it should be more on the money.

Shakey cam may induce vomit. It'd be nice to see if someone could replicate the show even more! Heheheh.

MTV?? :frusty: I despise all the shows that try to 'hip' and for 'tha new generaton'. If you ask me CSI may be stylish, but it definately doesn't bow down to any new age "music video" crap. :D

TheGreyMatter

02-21-2006, 01:33 PM

MTV?? :frusty: I despise all the shows that try to 'hip' and for 'tha new generaton'. If you ask me CSI may be stylish, but it definately doesn't bow down to any new age "music video" crap. :D

don't underestimate "video music crap".
many of the camera and editing techniques used in CSI and many other films and TV shows, were originally used for the videclip and commercials industry.

the problem was that in the moment TV shows and films began using these techniques, the videoclip industry 'took it to the next level' - which made today's videoclips a complete rubbish.

squarejawhero

02-21-2006, 01:36 PM

^ What he said.

Jake

02-21-2006, 01:37 PM

Those screenshots jp-30 posted look very representational of the game from when I saw it at Telltale. Nice to see some accurate ones finally!

Karmillo

02-21-2006, 01:45 PM

Those screenshots jp-30 posted look very representational of the game from when I saw it at Telltale. Nice to see some accurate ones finally!
Youve actualy seen the game?

Dale Baldwin

02-21-2006, 03:12 PM

Some people at AG have indeed seen it, which was why we were suggesting that the first released screenshots weren't necessarily true to the game.

Jake

02-21-2006, 03:20 PM

Youve actualy seen the game?

Yeah I participated in one of Telltale's focus groups a month or so ago, as did a few other people from AG. I can't comment on the game at all I don't think, but I can at least confirm that those most recent screenshots are how the game looks!

Junkface

02-21-2006, 07:42 PM

These new (probably) legitimate screenshots are more like it. Slightly stylized and with a bit of colour, not like those blurred out shots which looked like they actually aspired to blandness. I don't like the faces, but I suppose I'm one of the few who wants the CSI game to resemble the show as little as possible. I wonder how they'll look when animated.

AFGNCAAP

02-23-2006, 10:53 AM

All the evidence tells us that the TV show discussion has been kidnapped and moved to Chit Chat (http://forums.adventuregamers.com/showthread.php?t=13482). ;)

Fop

02-23-2006, 10:58 AM

No reason to go into that in detail, really.

It wouldn't be boring if done right.

TheGreyMatter

02-28-2006, 01:00 AM

As you might already seen there are neww gameplay (and hi-res) screeshots in the news section.

while the graphics isn't very detailed, it has more than enough detail to keep the game in one line with the previous games.

as well the interface looks quite ugly, yet it seems to be very easy and straightforward. it nice to see you dont need to navigate through several screens to find the relevant item.

Karmillo

02-28-2006, 02:56 AM

while the graphics isn't very detailed, it has more than enough detail to keep the game in one line with the previous games.

You also have to remember that these are real 3D opposed to CG, so they are bound to look a little less pretty in a still shot but allot better in motion.

I wonder how navigating is gonna work, if its going to be point n click, moving to hostspots(with the moving to there animated) or maybe even direct control...

fov

03-03-2006, 03:55 PM

Greg Land, who is the writer and designer of the new CSI game, has made a post on Telltale's forum that clears up some of the confusion about these screenshots.

These shots all used our actual 3D models, and were assembled in Maya/Photoshop by the Ubisoft marketing team. While the shots are not directly captured from the game, rest assured the characters & environments look as good or better in our real-time 3D engine.

We did a lot to make the player feel like they're in the show. We bring you right up close and personal with these characters - and their detail is amazing. Plus, just wait til you see them moving & talking, with moody real-time lighting and TV-like camera cuts...

In other words, none of what we've seen so far -- including the screenshots Ubi sent out with their press release last week (which are now on several websites, including AG) -- are actual in game screenshots.

For anyone who wants to pepper Greg with questions, the thread is here (http://www.telltalegames.com/forum/viewthread?thread=495).

EDIT: I misinterpreted Greg's post -- it's just the original two, and the ones at Amazon that were made by Ubi's marketing guys. The other four (the low-res ones) are gameplay shots but from an old build.

I wonder how navigating is gonna work, if its going to be point n click, moving to hostspots(with the moving to there animated) or maybe even direct control...

The game is point & click.

Karmillo

03-03-2006, 04:36 PM

as in point to set hotspots an move to them myst style or pointing to where you actualy wanting to go?
I dont think ive ever seen a First person adventure like that

fov

03-03-2006, 06:45 PM

Myst-style, if I'm understanding you right. I can't really think of another 3D game that's like it, but the navigation is similar to in a node-based game (like the original CSIs).

But that's all I'm saying for now. Gotta save something for my article. :D

Karmillo

03-04-2006, 02:45 PM

Ah, when you said point and click i was thinking of the 3rd person kind of point and clicking but in first person :P

So when is this article coming out? :D

HieroHero

03-04-2006, 09:29 PM

fov

03-05-2006, 08:26 AM

Sooner or later. ;)

Keep watching the front page.

TheGreyMatter

03-05-2006, 11:06 AM

Sooner or later. ;)

Keep watching the front page.

Look what youv'e done!
now i'm refreshing the AG frontpage every 5 minutes. ;)

Anyway, the way it looks right now - we should expect a nice surprise (relatively to the previous games).

Dangerzone

03-10-2006, 04:23 PM

hey i found some more screenshots and i posted them on my forum

come over and check them out

direct link to post http://www.csigamer.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7095&postcount=71

(the forum i linked to is a forum that deals only with the csi games, if you have an intrest in the games feel free to register)

here are a few of the shots
(there are more at the link above)

http://i2.tinypic.com/r2vk87.jpg

http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2006/068/reviews/930745_20060310_screen004.jpg

http://i2.tinypic.com/r2vmmx.jpg

Fop

03-11-2006, 02:58 AM

The interface really is butt-ugly.

Dangerzone

03-11-2006, 06:34 AM

most of the times the interface we see in the screenshots, changes a bit in the final version

from what i can see, there is a button at the bottom that brings up a "fan" with all of the tools

and there are 3 bars at the bottom for the diff types of evidence

also they have the buttons to bring up the location bar and the case file

and from what i see, the bar is hidden all the time and i think that you have to hit a button or something to bring up the bar, which is pretty neat

it is a mix of the old games computer csis and the xbox game that they did

it is ok, but i like the blue, smaller bar that they had at the bottom of the Dark motives game

hopefully the new interface has some sort of new features that the old one did not have

Karmillo

03-11-2006, 10:50 AM

The first 3 games had the bars at the bottom that hold your evidenc but it also held your tools.

I cant remember if the first 3 did this aswell but it looks like they are splitting evidence up into 3 different inventorys, I think you just had a documents inventory and traces were put in with the items.
and instead of having your tools in your inventory it could be a coin system like full throttle and CMI

fov

03-13-2006, 08:21 AM

Look what youv'e done!
now i'm refreshing the AG frontpage every 5 minutes. ;)

Here you go. (http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,610) :)

Karmillo

03-13-2006, 11:00 AM

Sound alikes? :frown:
wonder why its only the females though...
Well I was hoping the game would be allot more, but hopefully the stories are as good as the series :D

Dangerzone

03-13-2006, 11:21 AM

keep in mind that is is possible that the version of the game that she played could have been an unfinished build

they make changes to the games right up to the date where they have to hand the game in
and a lot of times they keep making changes after the game is released with patches and such

and i smell a patch in this games future, because all of the other csi games had a patch

fov

03-13-2006, 11:26 AM

The game had already been handed off to Ubisoft when I wrote the preview and got my last questions answered by the developer, so I don't anticipate any major surprises in the shipped version.

and i smell a patch in this games future, because all of the other csi games had a patch

:confused:

I'm not sure I see the logic there. Most games that come out these days need to be patched at some point. The fact that previous CSI games needed patches has nothing to do with whether this one will.

Karmillo

03-13-2006, 12:52 PM

Yeah, especialy since its a different developer.
The Miami patch came too late for me, I was on the last episode and there was a showstopping bug...the patch deleted your saves so i ended up never finishing it :frown:
the story was getting good too...

The most It would probably change from the point Fov had seen it would be some extra animations, maybe(unless this was already in the game) instead of porting to hotspots you have an animation of you walking over to them, kinda like in the later myst games(I think:confused: )

Fop

03-13-2006, 01:01 PM

:confused:

I'm not sure I see the logic there.

Come on, fov, it's pretty simple. If you roll a six on a dice three times in a row, it's pretty clear what you'll roll next time.

Karmillo

03-13-2006, 01:29 PM

a one, unless your 6 spaces away from the snake

Fop

03-13-2006, 01:32 PM

Ha, that's an awesome response :D

fov

03-13-2006, 02:57 PM

The most It would probably change from the point Fov had seen it would be some extra animations, maybe(unless this was already in the game) instead of porting to hotspots you have an animation of you walking over to them, kinda like in the later myst games(I think:confused: )

Nope, you don't see "you" walking at all. It's first-person perspective, and you never see your character (as is true in many first-person games). But the way the camera moves you from one point to another when you zoom in and out is quite nice. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's a very fluid movement.

Karmillo

03-13-2006, 03:01 PM

When I said "see you walking" I didnt mean see "you" walking but see you move over to that spot in a first persion perspective, instead of warping there but you, or the camera, moving over to it

fov

03-13-2006, 03:05 PM

When I said "see you walking" I didnt mean see "you" walking but see you move over to that spot in a first persion perspective, instead of warping there but you, or the camera, moving over to it

It's sort of like this, but a little faster than it would be if you (or a character) walked over there. (I'm not sure if that's what you mean by warping.)

Karmillo

03-13-2006, 03:11 PM

no, when i said warping I meant a sort of instintaniouse transmission(that think goku kept doing :P)
But the fast zooming looks kinda like what the series did :D

Dangerzone

03-13-2006, 05:21 PM

the moving camera thing sounds cool

one of my concerns was that they would not take advantage of the full 3D and just have another static panoramic view

the camera moving around when you click things sounds like it will make good use of the games 3D capabilities

and how close are the "sound alike" voice actors, are they close enough that you will not notice, or are they as bad as the people you hear when you change the audio on a dvd to spanish or french or something

fov

03-13-2006, 06:01 PM

and how close are the "sound alike" voice actors, are they close enough that you will not notice, or are they as bad as the people you hear when you change the audio on a dvd to spanish or french or something

I'm not familiar enough with the show to say how close they are. But I was told that the woman playing Catherine is the official voice alike for the show, so she's probably pretty close. :)

Dangerzone

03-13-2006, 08:24 PM

thanks for that bit of info, it sounds like the diffrence in the voices may not be noticable

hopefully the game will be in stores by tommorrow

avatar_58

03-13-2006, 08:37 PM

thanks for that bit of info, it sounds like the diffrence in the voices may not be noticable

hopefully the game will be in stores by tommorrow

It does worry me....was the game not "good enough" for those actresses or did they simply have other reasons? Also that preview sounded interesting....but it sounded like the general opinio was that it was "just okay" and not really a must play. I don't bias my opinions when I'm a fan of the concept (CSI is my fav tv show recently) so I would be judging the game against other adventure games.

Dangerzone

03-13-2006, 09:06 PM

i hate to generalise, but everyone who buys this game can be broken down into two general groups

the first are the die hard gamers who will compare this game to every other game out there, in which case it is what it is...........a node based first person game, and there is no glorifying that

you can talk up the 3D all you want, but that still does not make the game anything more than what it is

and second, you have the die hard csi fans, who do not care that much about the appearnce of the game.............all they want is a new game, and they do not look at the game in the same light that regular gamers do

avatar_58

03-13-2006, 10:04 PM

and second, you have the die hard csi fans, who do not care that much about the appearnce of the game.............all they want is a new game, and they do not look at the game in the same light that regular gamers do

I'm not one of them, therefore I'm not cutting this game any slack just because its based on a show I like. After all there are tons of shitty Simpsons games....:r

My biggest worry is that people will cut it slack because Telltale made it. Yes, unfortunately, I've noticed a group of people who love telltale for no apparent reason...regardless of what they release. Personally they've done nothing to impress me so I don't get it. Besides, having them ignore me for weeks on their forum only to say I'm in a minority with my copy protection complaints didn't bode well with me.

cardician

03-14-2006, 02:54 AM

I think its pretty easy to tell if you're going to like this game or not. As fov's excellent preview points out, its basically the exact same game as the first three, just done in 3d. You can also read the Gamespot preview as well to get basically the same idea. Sounds like the only real difference is that you can examine some evidence in 3d and need to do so in order to find some clues. And there are a few more tools in the lab. So if you didn't like the first three games, you'll most likely not like this one as I don't believe a whole lot has changed in reality. But personally, I like the first three, so I'm good to go for the new one.

I do agree about the voice actors though. I find it weird that Katherine and Sara are not returning to voice their characters in this game. They were in the first two. Sara was one of the few who actually did a good job voice acting too. I was quite disappointed with Grissom's work in the previous games. He sounds bored, just like some reviews I've read point out. But regardless, I can usually overlook poor voice acting. I'm playing for the interest in forensics and being a "part of the show".

Karmillo

03-14-2006, 08:04 AM

The first thing I want from this game is good stories, the game cancelation one sounds funny :D it also needs odd deaths

Im wondering though if it only being the female cast whos not there is just a coincidence or not...

oh, and maybe side stories throughout the cases for each of the characters, like the show does. One of the problems with the games was that the characters were just there...not really much of their thoughts were there...

fov

03-14-2006, 08:50 AM

Im wondering though if it only being the female cast whos not there is just a coincidence or not...

I think it's a coincidence. I'm fairly certain it was out of Telltale's control.

cardician

03-15-2006, 12:51 AM

As someone with the connections that you have fov, why don't you find out for us? I would love to know the reason behind why the two women did not reprise their roles. Think you can use some of those connections to do a little investigative reporting and discover the dark truth for us? Perhaps they wanted to get paid more? They didn't have the time? They hate all the people at Telltale? They're scared off by the geeks that game developers (and often game players) are? So many interesting theories. C'mon fov, use those connections.

Jackal

03-15-2006, 05:28 AM

cardician

03-15-2006, 05:45 AM

Doh!

fov

03-15-2006, 06:00 AM

Greg Land, who is the designer of the new CSI game, has posted a few times about the game on Telltale's forum (http://www.telltalegames.com/forum/listforums). Why not go over there and ask about it? He may or may not be able to answer the question (and I'm sure he's not going to say anything that makes anyone else look bad ;)), but if anyone knows, it would be him.

Dangerzone

03-15-2006, 06:18 AM

they revised the script and added some diagloge scenes between the characters after the inital voice recordings were done

due to budget restraints jorga fox and marg helgenberger were unable to come back for a second recording session

so rather than have the audio be half and half (half real actor, half voice double) they just had the voice double do the entire script for the characters

some of the actors came back and some other actors were not needed for a second session, because their original recordings were enough

thats what i hear...........do not know what the "official" reason is

fov

03-15-2006, 06:22 AM

If it's not official, where'd you hear it from? :confused:

Dangerzone

03-15-2006, 06:25 AM

it came from a man i have inside ubisoft (or should i say a friend)

he is a low man on the totem pole, but he has no reason to lie to me

by "offical reason" i ment the P.R. B.S. they try to give us, such as them saying something like "those are the real actors"

jjacob

03-15-2006, 02:35 PM

Well it seems it's made it onto the net - it's downloadable on several dumps and torrent trackers :shifty:

And no, I'm not downloading it.

Karmillo

03-15-2006, 02:43 PM

is it really even out yet? amazon.com is selling it but when it usualy says it will ship from up to 1 to 2 weeks then that usualy means its not really out but they dont want to admit that they were wrong

fov

03-15-2006, 02:51 PM

It's out. People at GameBoomers have reported seeing it in GameStop and EB, and at least one person who posts there is already playing it.

HieroHero

03-15-2006, 03:15 PM

cbs.com are sellin it at there store

Karmillo

03-15-2006, 04:03 PM

wonder when we will get it in the UK

Dale Baldwin

03-15-2006, 04:17 PM

End of the month, if you believe online retailers.

Dangerzone

03-15-2006, 06:20 PM

yeah some people have it already, including myself

here are some shots to whet your appetite

http://i2.tinypic.com/rixk3t.jpg

http://i2.tinypic.com/rixkid.jpg

http://i2.tinypic.com/rixkwm.jpg

http://i2.tinypic.com/rixlae.jpg

sorry for the crappy quality, but they are from my downstairs computer and i had to turn the performance and quality settings all the way down to make the game work ( the game looks better on my upstairs computer with everything turned up as high as it will go) but i am not going to hook that computer up to the internet

i may save some shots to a flash drive and get some high quality ones soon, but those are enough for now

they are all from case 2 "First Person Shooter"

fov

03-15-2006, 06:21 PM

Thanks for the screenshots.

A CSI developer's diary (http://www.telltalegames.com/blogs/telltale/?permalink=54AFF95AD48B5F22817340152AE22BDD.txt&smm=y) has been posted. Nice read, plus it has several new screenshots as well.

Dangerzone

03-15-2006, 06:24 PM

i will get at least 3 from each case..........stay tuned

( i will make sure they do not spoil anything or reveal too much)

Karmillo

03-15-2006, 06:39 PM

http://www.telltalegames.com/resources/assets/GrissomComparison.jpg
Hehem this is kinda cool...though you can see the small flaws but its still a pretty good match

Dangerzone

03-15-2006, 11:38 PM

most of the characters look pretty good for a 3D model

here is greg sanders

http://i2.tinypic.com/rj4c4x.jpg

and the game only has one cd.................but it is longer and has more detail than the previous games............this is due to the fact that .vox files (3D render files) are smaller than .bik files (bink video player) which is what the previous games used

jp-30

03-16-2006, 12:05 AM

So, do the 2 female voice-stand-ins sound OK?

Dangerzone

03-16-2006, 04:37 AM

they are female..............that is the only similarity

in short they SUCK

but the male actors hit it dead on (they are the real people after all)

i have several "mini- reviews" of the game over at my forum, just posts with shots and info on the game

the thread is here http://www.csigamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1637
feel free to join in to the disc ussion and ask me question ( i just finished the game an hour ago)
i will keep giving shots and info untill enough people have the game

i have given the basic layout of the five cases, but i have not written a walkthrough, or revealed anything major

it took me about 7 hours to get through it, but i was talking on my other computer and talking on the phone so...........it should take less time than that to do it all the way through (5-6 hours)

but the game is very entertaining and fun to play, and it has a little replay value to it

but it will get old by the third time through

the scenes, the way the camera moves, and the interactive acenes, are just beautifull for a game that is only on one cd............i have seen better, but this is excellent for the format it is on

fov

03-16-2006, 07:01 AM

it took me about 7 hours to get through it, but i was talking on my other computer and talking on the phone so...........it should take less time than that to do it all the way through (5-6 hours)

Really? :confused:

It took me at least three hours just to play through Case 3.

Dangerzone, since you're obviously familiar with the past CSI games, how would you say this one compares? Do you like the changes they made?

Dangerzone

03-16-2006, 07:23 AM

as far as i am concerned this is not a game to be compared to the other ones

this games is hands down, 80% better than the past games

and fov, what you said about the version that you played being the final version...................it wasnt, some of the things look better than in your shots, others do not

one of the major things that were removed for the final version, is the mirror surface engine (this makes things like the cars look shiny and reflective)
lets take this shot (a pre release one)
http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2006/068/reviews/930745_20060310_screen004.jpg

and look at the same exact shot in the actual game
http://i2.tinypic.com/rjinw5.jpg

but now that i look at the earlier shot................hmm, i may have an instalation error with my game.........let me try to reinstall the game and see if that make the reflections appear.....................hang tight

fov

03-16-2006, 07:32 AM

and fov, what you said about the version that you played being the final version...................it wasnt, some of the things look better than in your shots, others do not

I did not take the screenshots that accompanied the article. They were supplied to us by Ubisoft. I knew that some of them were from earlier versions of the game but we had to use what the publisher gave us.

Dangerzone

03-16-2006, 10:08 AM

yeah i know the rules of engeagement..............only screenshots that they ok are allowed before the release date..............but, after the date, it is fair game

and i can see why they removed the reflections

can you imagine the processing power it takes to render that

and the games designer said himself that they are looking to a wider audience, and most of them do not have top spec computers

although i wish they had a way to enable it, for those of us who want that depth in their games and have the computers to handle it

anyway, the game is only a day old, and it is a bit too soon for me to start bitching and moaning about the little messups in it

i may have a walkthrough for the first case by tommorrow if i have the time tonight ( it will be on my forum)

Fop

03-16-2006, 10:11 AM

one of the major things that were removed for the final version, is the mirror surface engine (this makes things like the cars look shiny and reflective)

Are you sure the reflections aren't done with technology your video card doesn't support? What's your video card?

Dangerzone

03-16-2006, 11:02 AM

NVIDIA GeForce MX 440

( a peice of crap, but it always works )

reflections have worked in previous games i have played...........no reason why this one should stand out and not be compatable

kbruner

03-16-2006, 11:45 AM

The reflections are based on the video card, and the MX does not support reflections in the way we implemented them. But the game does look pretty good without them. A newer video card will display the reflections just fine!

Enjoy,
Kevin

fov

03-16-2006, 11:53 AM

Thanks Kevin. :)

What would you say is the ideal video card / ideal configuration for playing this game?

Fop

03-16-2006, 11:54 AM

NVIDIA GeForce MX 440

( a peice of crap, but it always works )

reflections have worked in previous games i have played...........no reason why this one should stand out and not be compatable

The Geforce4 MX series does not support shaders. It's a so-called DirectX 7 card, which means that it does not support DX8 or DX9 effects.

Dangerzone

03-16-2006, 01:44 PM

i have been meaning to upgrade my one computer for a while now

i guess i have my reason to do it now

can anyone suggest what video cars i should go with? , not just for this game, but for any 3D game in general

Karmillo

03-16-2006, 01:58 PM

I use an Nvidia Geforce x800 ultra...or GT, cant remember wich one it is
anyway I havent found a game that i cant run on full specs with it....altough it does freak out sometimes and shut down my computer...but thats just be being foolish and taking advantage of my memory
If your planning on upgrading to vista then i would wait untill then since thats when youll probably find more Dx10 friendly cards

Dangerzone

03-16-2006, 02:09 PM

i am in the process of building another computer from scratch ( a pet project of mine)

at the moment i only have one computer...........my other (decent) one bacame the victim of a power surge powerfull enough to melt the damn plug bar (surge protector)

computer was not the only casulty...........
my breaker box and some other electronics took a hit as well

i am going to start with a amd processor, find a nice video card, and build around them

it will be strictly for gaming, and i am not going to hook it up to the internet

P.S. thanks for the help..............i had no idea that certin cards could only display certain things..........i was under the asumption that either it worked, or it did not.........seems i was wrong

avatar_58

03-16-2006, 08:47 PM

So um, is it looking good so far? I was interested in this game from announcement but kind of got put off by a few reviews.

Stoofa

03-16-2006, 10:10 PM

eeee I am SO excited to play this game! I liked the other CSIs and the Law and Order games. I'm morbid. I like picking over the dead body and searching through the vic's house.

cardician

03-17-2006, 01:02 AM

Just picked this bad boy up yesterday. My impressions so far, the game looks worse than CSI: Dark Motives did. It's not my video card or computer, I've got a nvidia 7800 gtx. I just think the character models physically look worse. Brass looks good, but the others don't. Katherine especially looks like she has issues with her face and mouth.

Also, the two women not doing the voice acting for their characters is rather distracting. Sometimes the lady voicing Katherine sounds close, but other times she couldn't sound more different. When the others are the actual people, this is just an annoying and distracting aspect.

Now, all that considered, I think this is the best game, gameplay wise, of the three previous ones. I like the implementation of the digital camera as one of your forensic tools. Plus I like getting to run the evidence in the lab yourself. Also, I think the 3d aspect adds a lot. Being allowed to physically turn the evidence around and look all over it for clues is much more engrossing and realistic.

All in all, I think this is the best of the three previous games. But in terms of graphics, I think its actually a step down. In a game like Bone, these cartoony looking character models are ok, but in a CSI game, it doesn't cut it. Really, the character models are just bad, especially on closeups and front face shots.

avatar_58

03-17-2006, 01:22 AM

Really, the character models are just bad, especially on closeups and front face shots.

Screenshots? The ones I saw looked fine, unless they've changed in the final version :frown:

cardician

03-17-2006, 03:01 AM

I'm not really sure how to take in-game screenshots. And I'm not really going to worry about it either. It's just my opinion really, but the game does not look as good as Dark Motives did, by far. Seriously, Katherine looks like she has a droopy face, Grissom just does not look as good as the previous renderings of him did. Nick does not look right at all. Brass looks great. Warrick also looks ok from a profile, but when you get closer, not quite.

But that, and the women substitute voice acting are my only problem with the game. Otherwise I prefer the gameplay of this game quite a bit. I'm just really surprised the characters look worse than a game that was developed a few years ago.

jjacob

03-17-2006, 11:04 AM

I might pick up this game, but I want to know if the resolution is fixed or not? With a graphically simple game such as this it'd be nice to play on max resolution (or 1600x1200) with full AA and such :) Also, is it fully "direct control", where you can walk around freely or first person P'n'C with fixed cameras or something?

Karmillo

03-17-2006, 11:05 AM

Its not direct control, I was hoping for that but apparently theres allot of flashy zoom effects for when you want to move :D

avatar_58

03-17-2006, 11:06 AM

I'm not really sure how to take in-game screenshots. And I'm not really going to worry about it either.

Print-screen, then paste into paint or something. ;)

Udvarnoky

03-17-2006, 11:51 AM

So um, is it looking good so far? I was interested in this game from announcement but kind of got put off by a few reviews.

What reviews?

avatar_58

03-17-2006, 12:10 PM

What reviews?

Look around, the general consensus is that its very similar to the other CSI games only in 3D. I was turned away from the others so I don't think I'll be getting this one, at least not at full price. Maybe they'll stick all of them in one package down the line for a cheap price.

Dangerzone

03-17-2006, 02:50 PM

well the game does look better in the fact that the camera now moves freely around a physical 3D scene

it was easy for the past games a lot of detail because they were all flat image based

they looked like you were on the inside of a toilet paper tuble with the scene painted on inside

but this game has a lot more immersion due to the 3D and the "free" camera

thee is no one view where the camera just sits still or only moves in a circle, they all have side and lateral movements as well

the camera moves on a "track" and while it moves freely, you still only have linited contriol over it

but i have to say it is better than the previous games, both in the camera movements, and in the case length

fov

03-17-2006, 02:51 PM

Look around, the general consensus is that its very similar to the other CSI games only in 3D.

I don't think that's the general consensus. There aren't too many people playing yet, but the scattered comments I have seen on various forums (such as GameBoomers, Spyglass, Telltale's forum) have all been positive.

A demo of this game will be coming out (sometime in April, I think). That will probably help you decide if it's a game you would enjoy.

Udvarnoky

03-17-2006, 02:58 PM

Look around, the general consensus is that its very similar to the other CSI games only in 3D.

I'm not really feeling that consensus, and I've seen no full review yet, just like two previews and some forum comments.

Dangerzone

03-17-2006, 04:01 PM

i forgot to mention in my earlier post that i wrote a walkthrough for all 5 case in this game, you can see by the walkthroughs that is is a very long game

you can view them here
http://www.csigamer.com/walkthroughs/csi:_dimensions_of_murder/

and the sub forum for game help is here
http://www.csigamer.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=48

and as for the view on the game................better than the previous games at gameplay, navigation, and length, but worse in the detail and in the voices

a good well rounded game...............i have seen worse, and i have seen better

but i still cannot figure out if it was worth 30$..............i am right on the line, and i am very tempted to say that it is

avatar_58

03-17-2006, 07:31 PM

A demo of this game will be coming out (sometime in April, I think). That will probably help you decide if it's a game you would enjoy.

Thats what I'll be waiting for. :)

SarahS

03-17-2006, 10:46 PM

I'm a bit disappointed. It's really "only" CSI in 3D. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing but there a some flaws that an experienced developer shouldn't make. There's way too much: Go there, do one thing, go there, do another thing, go back, do something again... it's like you get a warrant to interrogate a witness, then you ask a few questions which lead to another witness, you get a warrant for him, he tells you exactly the opposite and you have to interrogate the first witness again -- and sometimes you really only get them in to ask ONE question. That's nothing like the TV show. Furthermore, there's no story development (at least in case 1 and 2): After the murder it's like time stands still and nothing happens.

The dialogue system is flawed as well: They talk and talk and talk and you can't lead the interrogation in any way. I mean, of course, you have to click on the questions you want to ask but you have to use all of them anyway, so what's the point? Telltale was talking about some "virtual personality" stuff which should make the characters more lifely. Well, it works but what's the point if interaction with them is still so limited?

I could go on and on and on... it's really sad.

And sorry for my bad English. ;)

Intrepid Homoludens

03-17-2006, 10:52 PM

:) You mean to say they're not thinking out of the box in terms introducing new concepts and ideas in gameplay?

SarahS

03-18-2006, 01:39 AM

Well, it's not that I had expected many new ideas -- I mean, it's a CSI game and aims for mass appeal. And I'm okay with that. But what I'm trying to say is that somehow even these simple game mechanics don't really work like they should. If I didn't know Telltale, I'd think that this was the staff's first adventure game ever. They've made so many mistakes an experienced team just shouldn't make.

fov

03-18-2006, 08:20 AM

Telltale has opened a CSI section (http://www.telltalegames.com/forum/listthreads?forum=14) on their forum... I'm sure they would love to hear this feedback.

avatar_58

03-18-2006, 08:22 AM

Udvarnoky

03-20-2006, 09:01 AM

I've gotta disagree with you, I thought the game was very good. Granted, I don't watch CSI so I wouldn't know how closely the game resembles the show, but for what it's worth I found the presentation on the whole to be rather effective. The game is certainly straightforward and pretty easy, but that's not a flaw, it was an intentional decision to make it for a wider audience. Judging a team's experience by the game's challenge level doesn't really make a lot of of sense. What's so weird about the fact that, once you learn something new from one witness a new dialog option opens up for another? Perhaps then the problem is that it's not different enough from the earlier games? I haven't played them so I wouldn't know, but I enjoyed this one.

Stoofa

03-24-2006, 10:13 AM

Did anyone else find this game crazy buggy? It got very very annoying. There were also a lot of sloppy typos.

The mysteries were kind of sameish. Three suspects, one victim. The nicest seeming suspect was always the murderer.

Ditto on the women's voices being weird. If they didn't hired actors and had them speak naturally instead of trying to sound like Sarah and Catherine it wouldn't have been so distracting.