[Balderduck]

Hey everyone!

I'm playing LA noire at the moment and I must say I'm enjoying it very much

Although I've played lots of point and click games I can't say I've played enough Mystery games.

Some examples of the kind of game I'm looking for are:
Orient Express (the old one)
LA Noire
Phoenix Wright

where the investigating, evidence and questioning is key to the game and not inventory management

Any such games to recommend?

(hotel dusk 215? or any of the Sherlock holmes games? Are they any good? Do they fit the description?)

[Mikekelly]

You would be happy with hotel dusk 215 and The Last Window (Part 2 of Hotel Dusk). Both are very good and highly recommended.

I liked Hotel Dusk so much I play all my adventure games on the DS now. My Last Window was from a local retailer and it did indeed work and I was promised my money back if it didn't.

So it was $59 dollars well spent - the game is amazing.

I just bought 8 more English DS adventure games from Ebay for $30 dollars each and 6 have arrived.

The very rare "Last King of Africa" was purchased and is amazingly good - seems to be bug free compared to the PC version.

All seven run - and two are collector's editions with lots of goodies in them.

English DS games run on US DS systems - which is quite nice.

I may offer to do reviews of them for this site.

[Balderduck]

Thanks I think I'll put those 2 on the top of my list!

Any more?

[millenia]

There are plenty of great detective games out there but very rarely they really have much interrogation or multiple ways to solve the case.

Sherlock Holmes games are a bit more detective than regular inventory adventures as you need to deduct some things yourself and write down the correct answer, can't just use everything on everything.

The best games of the CSI series aren't bad actually, but they are of course quite repetitive. Nancy Drew series is also a lot more fun than you'd assume. But these games basically have the same "exhaust every dialog option" system and while in CSI you keep doing the same DNA/fingerprint analysis till the end of time in ND you have a variety of puzzles but a lot of them.

From the regular point&click adventures some of the more detective ones are at least Gabriel Knight series, Tex Murphy series and Post Mortem/Still Life.

I'd like to get my hands on Hotel Dusk and Last Window too, DS games are just terribly expensive.

[Oscar]

All of the Frogwares Sherlock games are great, but don't expect a walk in the park like LA Noire. Not much questioning, mostly investigating crimes.

Tex Murphy series is a must-play, of course.

Cruise for a Corpse is an old one and from what I remember had what you were looking for. Maybe the Laura Bow games as well.

The three Poirot games have a lot of questioning, and finding evidence and are all quite easy.

Another interesting series is Santa Fe Mysteries (2 separate games), and Psychic Detective which are both hard to find.

[michael1123]

Does anyone else get the impression that MikeKelly is a plant from Nintendo? It seems like all he talks about is how every adventure on the DS is amazing and every PC adventure sucks. :-p

As for the question, IMO the best of the best are the Gabriel Knight games and the Tex Murphy games. Some of the Sherlock Holmes games are good too, but I haven't played any on the level of the others I mentioned.

[Pilaus]

Yoomurjak's Ring is about investigation, questioning and mystery.

[Balderduck]

Alright I'll take a look at all of those!

Which one would you say is the best Sherlock Holmes game?
And which one the best Agatha Christie game?

Also do you have any idea where I can find a game called "In the 1st degree" ?

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Balderduck

Also do you have any idea where I can find a game called "In the 1st degree" ?

Ebay, Amazon.com, gametz.com

[millenia]

Originally Posted by Balderduck

Which one would you say is the best Sherlock Holmes game?
And which one the best Agatha Christie game?

Personally Sherlock Holmes : The Awakened (remastered). Remastered version has an option for 3rd person play, 1st person cause nausea for many people. Jack the Ripper should be good too, haven't go to play it yet. From Christie And Then There Were None, which has minor bugs but it's surprisingly engaging and fun to play.

And really, I forgot to mention Discworld Noir which is sick . But now I am saying it again! Discworld Noir is actually a lot closer to a real detective game than most of these. You don't play much with inventory there as with your notebook, combining thoughts and evidence. It's like a combination of Tex Murphy, Gabriel Knight and Grim Fandango.

[zobraks]

Originally Posted by millenia

And really, I forgot to mention Discworld Noir which is sick .

I noticed you forgot your favo(u)rite game (five out of five stars, and deservedly so!) but I didn't want to rub it in .

Originally Posted by millenia

But now I am saying it again! Discworld Noir is actually a lot closer to a real detective game than most of these. You don't play much with inventory there as with your notebook, combining thoughts and evidence. It's like a combination of Tex Murphy, Gabriel Knight and Grim Fandango.

Opinion seconded. DN is one of the best adventures I have played and it's also one of the best detective investigations I've ever done. Great (and original and fluid) gameplay, extraordinary well use of detective notes, good story, voice acting, humo(u)r, you name it.

[Annoymous Broccoli]

Has anyone played any of the Mystery Case File games? Dire Grove is supposed to be very good I think. I haven't played any personally so wouldn't know..

[Mikekelly]

This is pretty interesting - NO I'M NOT A PLANT FROM NINTENDO.

To me, we are all here because we like Adventure games and that's what counts.

I've tried the Mystery Case File games - they are OK if you like HOG games. There are some puzzles and a simple story - but they have lots of HOG activity as well.

[Melanie68]

Originally Posted by Annoymous Broccoli

Has anyone played any of the Mystery Case File games? Dire Grove is supposed to be very good I think. I haven't played any personally so wouldn't know..

I really enjoyed it. There are hidden object scenes but they don't seem to be as plentiful as in other HOG games. You can try it for an hour to see what you think.

[Annoymous Broccoli]

Originally Posted by Melanie68

I really enjoyed it. There are hidden object scenes but they don't seem to be as plentiful as in other HOG games. You can try it for an hour to see what you think.

thanks, I tried it for the hour...it's not really my thing. I just don't see the point at all of the hidden object scenes. How is it rewarding in any way whatsoever..you look for 15 completely unrelated items or so in one screen in order to get the 1 item you need. I find it hard to get immersed in stuff like that. I liked the live video footage though (even if it was kinda jerky on my netbook), the backdrops are also very pretty and had some good atmosphere going on and the story did seem interesting enough..but gameplay wise it didn't do anything for me.

[Melanie68]

That's the one aspect that isn't everyone's cup of tea. I have played some HOG games where it's one hidden object scene after another and they get old. I like when they're broken up a bit. But if you don't like them, you don't like them and then you go find a game you do like.

[millenia]

Yeah like Melanie I enjoy some Hidden Object Hybrids. A few HO screens isn't biggie when there's interesting story and something else to do. Can't bother with games that are just HO screen after screen after screen.

I thought the 3 Cards duo was very enjoyable but the whole system is different there, you don't get a list of random items but instead you have a word play with the items to be spotted. That was actually quite funny gameplay wise too and the story was really engaging. Not much to do with detective work though .

[Giles Habibula]

Originally Posted by millenia

...And really, I forgot to mention Discworld Noir which is sick . But now I am saying it again! Discworld Noir is actually a lot closer to a real detective game than most of these. You don't play much with inventory there as with your notebook, combining thoughts and evidence. It's like a combination of Tex Murphy, Gabriel Knight and Grim Fandango.

Dang you!! .. for causing me to start watching a playthrough of "Discworld Noir" on Youtube.

Some very clever writing in that game. Also Noir-ish (which is my favorite film genre).

I'd heard of this game over the years, but never managed to locate a copy. And I see now that they are a collector's item and quite expensive.

GOG does not carry it--I just checked.
Are there any legit pay-download sites that carry this? Or am I gonna be stuck paying through the nose for a disc (< heh!) version?

[Giles Habibula]

Nevermind.
I had been looking at Amazon.com.

Found a nice 3-cd reissue set at eBay for $10 including shipping to the US from the UK. That's all I need, so I grabbed it.

The complete big-box versions go for quite a bit I see.
And the PS1 versions are anywhere from $100 to $300!!

[Hammerite]

Originally Posted by Giles Habibula

And the PS1 versions are anywhere from $100 to $300!!

Wow.

To think I got mine for about seven pounds back in the day!