- Site: CSI: Hard Evidence
- Publisher: Ubisoft, TransGaming, Inc.
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Genre: Simulation
By Brad Cook
Since the day Cain killed Abel, we’ve been fascinated by the how and why of murder. Just as human relationships have grown more complex since that fateful day a couple thousand years ago, so have the tools with which we solve complicated crimes. That’s where the crew of Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) enters the picture; join them and use your forensics and interrogation skills to solve five mysterious cases.
Based on the hit TV show, CSI: Hard Evidence takes you to Las Vegas, also known as Sin City. You work with five different members of the CSI team as you scour this desert metropolis for the clues needed to bring elusive perpetrators to justice. Scrutinize crime scenes for evidence and collect it. Head back to the lab for analysis and visit the morgue for an evaluation of the victim. Visit the garage to examine vehicles and other large pieces of evidence.
Your initial fieldwork yields clues that point you in a general direction. Start talking to witnesses and possible suspects as you piece together the puzzle, obtaining search and questioning warrants as necessary. You’ll likely need to return to the lab and garage several times as you collect more evidence and build a case. Eventually, the connections you create will enable you to ask Captain Brass for an arrest warrant. Just make sure you nab the right suspect.
Master Investigator in the Making
At the conclusion of a case, supervisor Gil Grissom presents an evaluation of your work and gives you a rank. To deserve the title of Master Investigator, you must earn all Thoroughness Points awarded for completely searching all locations, collect all evidence, and never ask your partner for hints. You must also collect all of the insects hidden throughout a case’s locations; Grissom is an avid entomologist and appreciates the specimens.
As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock a variety of bonus items, including trailers, character concepts, and storyboards for the game. If you complete all five cases with a Master Investigator ranking, you’ll unlock a blackjack game, which is prefect for relaxing after unraveling those convoluted Sin City mysteries.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re headed out to talk to Kathy Cantanta, the runner-up on an “American Idol”-like show and a suspect in the deaths of the winner and the backup band. Sometimes a fleeting shot at fame is enough to push someone over the edge, especially in Vegas.
Game Hardware
Check out our systems for your best gaming experience.
Solving Crime in 60 Minutes or Less. The crime lab plays an invaluable role in figuring out whodunit.
Cue The Who. The stage is set for a surprise-filled investigation.
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System Requirements:
- Mac OS X version 10.4.11 or 10.5.4
- Intel Core Duo processor
- 1GB of RAM
- Video card: Nvidia 7300 or ATI X1600 or higher, or Intel GMA 950 chipset (excluding Mac OS X 10.4 users)
- 2.6GB hard disk space
Birth of the High-Tech Police Procedural
During the 1990s, the success of “Law & Order” and its various spin-offs demonstrated a demand for gritty, realistic police procedurals, although those shows typically didn’t delve into the collection and analysis of forensic evidence. In 2000, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” stepped into that void, bringing us stories that shine a bright light on that side of detective work, often with extreme close-ups and computer-generated footage that demonstrate what happened to the victim.
Gil Grissom is the Las Vegas CSI unit’s night shift team supervisor. You’ll work with him during Hard Evidence’s final case. Other team members who partner with you during your investigations are: Nick Stokes, who specializes in fiber and hair analysis; Catherine Willows, a blood spatter analyst who is second-in-command at the night shift; Warrick Brown, an audio/visual analyst; and DNA technician Greg Sanders. You’ll also interact with Al Robbins, the county coroner who works in the morgue.
CSI’s success led to a pair of spin-offs: “CSI: Miami,” which launched in 2002, and “CSI: NY,” which debuted in 2004. Each show, which features a different song by seminal rock band The Who as its signature anthem, was launched during an episode of its predecessor. (Roger Daltrey made a guest appearance as a mob boss during a seventh season episode of the original “CSI.”)
The three series’ popularity has influenced not only the development of similar TV shows but also what some call “the CSI effect,” which describes the assumptions made by viewers, despite the fact that real crime lab work often takes longer and doesn’t always produce definitive results. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigations” has been nominated for many Emmys, winning several of them.
The Cases
- Burning For You: A racist cab driver is found dead in his cab. His body is badly burned, and the evidence trail leads you to three people: a creepy homeless guy and a pair of avant-garde artists who live together.
- Double Down: A woman is repeatedly stabbed by a mysterious intruder but survives the attack. You suspect her husband, but soon you discover she had earlier agreed to be the surrogate mother for an aging tycoon’s son.
- Shock Rock: Five people — four members of a rock band and the winner of an “American Idol”-like contest — are found dead after an electrical current runs through their metal stage. The contest’s runner-up and a disgruntled roadie are among the suspects.
- In Your Eyes: A blind woman is the only witness to her husband’s murder. The man was an eye surgeon, and his distraught daughter, who had a falling-out with her father, is your initial suspect.
- The Peacemaker: It seems like an open-and-shut case: a dead store clerk and a man at the murder scene with weapons in hand. Despite his confession, however, your suspicions soon move to the man’s two brothers.
Cheat If You Must
Each of the game’s five cases become unlocked when you complete the previous one, but if you want access to all of them from the beginning, name yourself “CONFESSION” (without the quotes).
If you ever find yourself stumped, this walkthrough at GameFAQs will steer you in the right direction without taking a hit on your evaluation by asking your partner for a hint.