Miami Law
Ages:

Once you get accustomed to how much text there is in this game, you can begin to enjoy it. Control mechanics are done by tapping twice on the icons on the bottom of the screen - Talk, Examine, Move, Force, PDA/GPS, Search, Cell Phone, System. Opening an icon will provide a sub-list of actions or a statement that the applications cannot be used at this time. I appreciate the mechanics that keeps you in the scene until everything is done. "Talk" provides the interaction that moves the story along and "Force" the frisson of shootouts and car chases.

The game implies that you can play either as, Law Martin, undercover cop or Sara Starling, FBI agent - actually you play both. Law is the prime mover and Sara provides mostly backup - at least in the beginning. Law is driven to avenge his partner's death and so takes on the dangerous job of infiltrating a drug organization. The situations are cleverly done as is the dialog. One thing leads to another and over the five cases the action leads to terrorists and high level conspiracy. Where have I played this before?

The plot is surprisingly compelling - each time you get tired of the sentence by sentence feed, the main character comes to a nexus where his choice will determine whether he takes the right action or - dies. Game over, but you can try again. Mini games in ACTION mode must also be solved correctly. Because the story so linear you are given plenty of opportunity to succeed in order to progress in the game.

The characters are well defined with a profile for each one - even those that don't stay around for long. Dialog and lingo fit the players so well that you can practically hear them. Graphics are simple stills and scenes open and you pan across. Miami Law is a growing genre of what we list under "participatory stories". Flower, Sun and Rain and Lux Pain which we have recently reviewed are examples of this type of game. We like them.

Fun Factor: Well written story keeps the suspense up.
Female Factor: FBI agent role is good at keeping Sara in the story while Law does the violent action.
Player Friendly: Must remember to use the save icon on screen - game does not save automatically upon exiting

Reviewed by: Gen Katz, Editor - 07/09