Metascore
48 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 13
  2. Negative: 6 out of 13
  1. Though long interrogation sequences are tedious, the stories are wonderfully macabre: every character is guilty of something, and only forensic science can separate the red herrings from the incriminating evidence. [Dec 2007, p.65]
  2. 61
    The real disappointments is the lackluster interrogation system and the repetition of locales. If you're a CSI fan, you're probably better off just buying the DVDs of some previous seasons. But, as a rental, this is actually enjoyable enough to play through the end.
  3. The jury's verdict is in, and CSI: Hard Evidence has been found guilty of being boring and bland.
  4. Hard Evidence offers few surprises and even fewer challenges throughout its five undemanding murder mysteries.
  5. For the casual gamer this is a mess with very few redeemable features beyond a few fantastic stories - throw in poor graphics, weak voice work and a longevity that will barely cover a weekend and you're left with a title that could have been so much better.
  6. Hard Evidence is so fast there's something satisfying in flying through a game in one sitting, especially considering you'll probably unlock all 1,000 Achievement points along the way just for staying on task.
  7. The stories told in the five chapters are no better then ones that could be seen on television and the gameplay is basically "hit the A button until the plot progresses," so you may be better served just watching some episodes of the show.
  8. CSI: Hard Evidence makes Phoenix Wright look like Sherlock Holmes. The game's limited cases and mind numbingly bland gameplay makes this a questionable rental, at best.
  9. If you're a die-hard adventure apologist with a CSI fixation then step right up, but the rest of you can put your curiosity to one side - especially at its current stupidly high price point.
  10. Never once in Hard Evidence did I feel like I was participating in a murder investigation. All of the guesswork is handled for you, and there is no margin for error. Every question you ask in an interrogation leads to the correct answer, and every piece of evidence you secure at a crime scene is relevant to the case.
  11. Had this game been released at a super low budget price then perhaps credit would be given, but to expect gamers to part with their hard earned money for an afternoon's playtime is really uncalled for.
  12. CSI: Hard Evidence isn't a game that can be summed up by a single numbers. Instead, it's best summed up by two words and two numbers - five hours, 1,000 gamerpoints. If you buy this, the only thing that needs investigating is your head.
  13. Finding any redeeming qualities in CSI: Hard Evidence is like searching for clues in a crime scene drenched in bleach.
User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 1 out of 1
  1. JohnPifer
    4
    This game has very few redeeming qualities. I borrowed my sister's copy to test the game out and beat the entire thing with a 'Master' level investigator on each of the five scenarios with in a combined seven hours of play. It is very tedious work of 'click, click, click, click...' and never seeming to get anyway. There is no real challenge to the game as you are given the answers to everything and can't progress with out almost all of the evidence. The game has some macabre story lines though and does make nice use of the C.S.I. crime tools. Don't buy, rent for a couple nights. Full Review »