Art of Murder - Cards of Destiny
Rating: T - Teen

This game has enough puzzles for six games. While the settings are ominous and creepy, instead of letting the plot and environment work out its effect, the game bludgeons the player to death with too many multi step complicated puzzles.

It only works well when Nicole Bonnet, ace FBI agent is in the laboratory or collecting evidence. She puts gloves on, places evidence in evidence bag, puts bag into the collection box, takes gloves off. In the lab she puts gloves on to take evidence out to scan, places evidence back in evidence bag. All this is further complicated with a limited supply of evidence bags and so you have to do this shuffle until you get more evidence bags. It does give players some idea about the procedures involved in evidence collection - while necessary, it's not the fun part of the job.

But then, when you have to go through the laborious procedure to set up an old theatre projector or to put together a make-shift still, it makes you feel like you entered a Mechanics 101 class. Voice acting for Nicole is awful. Unusual at a time when voice acting is being paid so much attention.

The plot involves a serial killer who has Nicole in his sights and is toying with her. Murders are predicted, but not prevented and the killer's signature is playing cards. Now, someone who knows who you are, where you live and is tracking you - is a horrifying experience and yet Ms. Bonnet, with a cheerful, and almost a Barbie voice goes into an abandoned theater, wanders down deserted alleyways and into a derelict amusement park's Chamber of Horrors as though she were shopping for groceries. If she isn't afraid - then neither is the player.

Fun Factor: Too many puzzles.
Female Factor: OK but feels unreal
Player Friendly: Long blank screen for scene changes feels like the game has stalled

Reviewed by: Editor - Mar/10