It’s not often that you get a chance to pull your hair out and laugh with glee while trying to solve puzzles in a game, but Art of Murder: FBI Confidential can certainly do this and more. This is a game made especially for mystery buffs, CSI fans, and people who love puzzles. Please be assured, you’ll get plenty in this game.
AoM starts out with the mysterious murders of several prominent individuals from rather esteemed backgrounds. The method of execution is grizzly and grotesque and your job, as FBI agent Nicole Bonnet, is to gather clues and interrogate suspects to find a motive for the murders. You have to collect evidence of course, but the heart of the game is all about puzzle solving.
You’ll globetrot for evidence and the simple point and click method of gameplay is classic. Anyone who is familiar with the Myst series of games will feel right at home with the mechanics. Get ready for some mind-bending brainteasers on how to get people to do what you want them to do as well as manipulating objects and devices to solve riddles.
Remember the hair-pulling aspect I mentioned earlier? As I played the game, I found out that certain things have to be done in a certain order. For instance, some objects I tried to use has Bonnet saying, “I don’t need that right now,” or the very irritating comment, “That’s stupid.” The game can sometimes slow to a crawl when you’re trying to figure things out but there is a hint system in the game, which can lead you in the right direction if you get stuck.
In some instances, since the plot and direction of the game were uncertain, I sometimes found myself spending a great deal of time on puzzles that are unsolvable because the game isn’t ready for these particular events yet. I realized later, that this is how AoM works, but during the early stages, this isn’t entirely clear. The game is about learning how the game works as much as the puzzle aspect of it.
I felt as if I was in an actual episode of CSI because observational skills are crucial in advancing the storyline. I had to combine objects, use seemingly mundane things, and try to come up with unique solutions to try to get out of jams. When I couldn’t, well, you already know about the hair pulling.
There are lots of colorful characters and there is a tremendous amount of dialog. You have to make sure you pay attention to the details, as they contain clues to what you need to do. The voice actress who plays the role of Nicole Bonnet, unfortunately, sounds stiff and awkward. There is little to convince you that Bonnet is a real person here. But after a while, I was able to filter out the bad acting and concentrate on how to play the game.
The graphics are nicely done in the Myst way of doing things while the main characters move within their relatively stationary world. Although this is very old school, it works. You’ll visit the seamy side of New York locales to the more exotic places of Peru and the Amazon. These places are rendered well and the haunting music serves as a good backdrop for the game.
There are things that could definitely be improved upon in Art of Murder, but its charm, involving story and challenging play makes this a keeper for mystery and puzzle fans.
The game is rated “T” for teens. For more details about the game, log onto the official city-interactive site here.
