CSI Miami: Episode 2

It’s a scientific fact that making a ‘swooshing’ sound while doing mundane tasks immediately increases the coolness of the activity.

Try it out now by picking up a cup. Now pick it up whilst going ‘swoosh’ and pulling your head in for a closer look - 80 per cent cooler, right there.

Whereas the many different TV versions of CSI use this technique to great effect, CSI Miami: Episode 2 can’t fall back on a similar trick to keep things entertaining.

Instead, it uses enjoyable mini-games, decent plotlines, and great graphics to keep the two cases (the equivalent of two TV episodes) moving along at a quick and exciting pace.

The first case sees Horatio and the crew investigate the suspicious death of a motorcyclist who initially appears to be just another poor chump who drove too fast.

The second case tackles the mysterious death of multi-platinum rap producer, whose death at first looks like a brutal murder but ends up being more staged than his live show.

Each one moves at a brisk pace, jumping from crime scene, to lab, to the morgue, to the various suspects, and even to a few chase sequences thrown in for good measure.

The interactive element of the game is spent scanning over images with a contextual pointer and performing a series of mini-games related to the task at hand, be it firing coloured DNA molecules like in Zuma, or trying to get answers out of a suspect without pushing them too hard along the way.

None are particularly difficult, but they all fall into the sweet spot between easy and too easy, meaning progress is swift without feeling unearned – something that’s vital for a story-driven game.

The sequence for performing the investigation, though, is strictly linear – the game won’t let you move on until you’ve done everything you want it to do – so replay value is restricted beyond the first play, despite having points and difficulty levels.

The graphics in general are clear and well drawn, with the cast close-ups being particularly life-like in their depiction. For some reason, Horatio walks like he’s operating his legs through his shoulders, but other than that the two cases are well put together and the bodies suitably grizzly.

While the game is as linear as they come, and therefore only really good for one play-through, the true-to-the-show storylines and compulsive nature of the puzzles will have fans of both dramatic noises and mystery games hooked to their mobiles.