Well, it's a good game, at times even great, but it functions better as Back to the Future: Part Four than as an adventure game.

Overall, Beyond Reasonable Doom is a fitting finish to a strange but enjoyable trilogy.

With a little more challenge and visual polish, this could have been a truly great adventure, but instead settles for being another solid supernatural mystery.

Though padded somewhat by a repetitive combination of puzzles, strategy and RPG elements, Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights finally gives gamers an adventure of substance on the Nintendo 3DS.

Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle is a beautiful looking game with an adventurous story about growing up and dealing with grief, though a few odd design decisions spoil some of the fun.

Superbrothers is a unique audio-visual experience that turns an old cliché into a refreshing and intriguing adventure, though it sacrifices gameplay to achieve it.

Chains of Satinav boasts incredible artwork and atmosphere, though it's populated by weak characters that spoil some of the appeal.

With its 2D cartoon aesthetic, simple point-and-click interface, and challenging puzzles, Deponia is classic old-school adventuring in many ways, making it worth playing even when the storytelling falters.

Despite a few rough edges, this surreal platforming adventure is a heartfelt, emotional experience that's well worth your time.

Whilst Around Every Corner relies a bit too much on action sequences and not enough of group-building with its new characters, it effectively manages to draw hope and desperation to new emotional highs and lows, ultimately ending with the most dramatic conclusion so far.

Another entertaining game for those who can't get enough of the wacky blue plush rabbit, Harvey's New Eyes simplifies the Edna & Harvey experience but is slightly less fun to play as a result.

Though flawed, the first episode of Cognition leaves a great final impression and sets up a series that could become a major achievement for episodic adventure gaming.

Very similar to its predecessor with a few improvements in pacing and story, Chaos on Deponia is a solid adventure that fans of LucasArts-style comedies will likely enjoy.

Haunted is a fun and well-balanced adventure that's highly enjoyable on the surface, but lacks the depth to be truly great.

The Critter Chronicles adopts enough of the positive qualities of its predecessor to deliver another enjoyable adventure, but skids on some crucial issues to land somewhat short of true excellence.

Not many adventures have as much dark storytelling ambition as Cognition-endure the awkward conversations to get to the puzzles and story developments, and you'll be glad you stuck with it.

To those who don't find timed sequences a game killer, the original story, unique locale, and ever-charming Alan Parker Cameron help make the game a memorable, though slightly tarnished, experience.

Despite a few glaring deficiencies, The Watchmaker is a solid game. It offers firm value at its retail price and for the length of gameplay, approximately 20-30 hours, as well as for the degree of difficulty in its puzzles.

Better than "Dracula Resurrection" and worth picking up. However, it falls short of greatness.

The graphics and interface are vastly improved and the puzzles more organically connected to the game world; the game as a whole is far more compelling.

It’s a murder mystery with a twist everyone will see coming from a mile away, and the puzzles and slowness don’t do it any service. This could have been a classic.

The puzzle structure, iffy dialogue, and subject matter make this a hard recommendation to a general audience. As the score indicates, unless you’re a hardcore horror/adventure fan, it might be wise to first play the demo, or await a price-drop.

A slightly above average sci-fi adventure; recommended for those who don't mind slideshow adventures.

The game box touts 20+ hours of gameplay; for their target audience of preteen girls, I am sure this is true, but experienced gamers will finish it in significantly less time. Aside from that though, this game was still very enjoyable to play.

While the problems that exist in Alida are unfortunate, the game is still recommendable to die-hard first-person adventure devotees, especially those who don’t mind rolling up their sleeves and getting down and dirty with puzzles.

The graphics, characters, cinematics and other high points are unfortunately pulled down by an over-reliance on busy work gameplay and a shortage of fun challenges. The end result is a great game that might have been.

It lacks a certain surprise factor that [the best games in the series] have pulled off so well and despite having an interesting premise for a plot, at times it comes off as flat and doesn’t live up to the potential that such an intriguing plot could have had.

A good, very well-written, snack-sized adventure for fans of Laura Bow games and Jane Jensen's writing—but only those who can tolerate a heap of casual game elements in their adventures. Don't bother otherwise.

An enjoyable murder mystery with many excellent elements, but it is let down by sloppy implementation and inattention to detail.

If you want to spend 15 or so hours exploring a creepy New Orleans manor inside and out, engage in some fun puzzling and giggle nervously like a little kid every time something leaps out from the dark, then get hold of Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants.

While The Sacred Rings has plenty of familiar gameplay to offer puzzle lovers, the absence of original ideas and creative spark means the game will have a limited appeal.

A good game is smudged by some obvious flaws in the gameplay that prevent it from standing with the greats. But fans of classic gaming will get a generally enjoyable game due to the story, inventory puzzling, diverse characters, and good looking graphics.

It's enjoyable to play, but feels, at least at times, like playing basketball with a bum knee might. You have fun, yet the pain prevents you from playing at your full potential. Similarly, this game has lost some of its potential within the framework of its annoyances.

A reasonably enjoyable game that aims to appeal to adventure and RPG fans, but one which never fully capitalises on its potential.

The Da Vinci Code is a decent modern adventure that gets bogged down by some ill-conceived design choices and technical weaknesses. There's fun to be had here, but you'll have to fight your way through the problems to reach it.

Still a solid game, but the venerable series is starting to show its age by recycling many elements.

The Awakened is a very uneven game, ranging from very poor to rather good, and the only consistent quality is its creepiness. It's worth considering if you need your horror fix, but Cthulhu will certainly forgive you if you decide to skip it.

Worth playing through for the story, but questionable design issues prevent it from being nearly the classic that comes bundled with it.

It will tide you over until "Phoenix Wright 2" comes out, but it's nothing special.

The CSI games have become better in recent outings, but ultimately this title feels a lot like treading water, and in some respects, a small regression from the last game.

A short, easy game that unfortunately lacks the characterisation and depth that could have made it more interesting to a wider audience.

While not spectacular as a game in and of itself, the gameplay innovations it presents to the adventure genre might make it worth a try.

Okay, so: few improvements over the first game, a convoluted overarching storyline, painfully simplistic gameplay.

Although it remains a formula with tremendous potential, this is one experiment that needs to go back to the drawing board.

As a game it’s not unpleasant but as an add-on it’s anything but essential.

Diamonds in the Rough is based on an interesting premise, but its generally dull implementation prevents it from realizing its potential. Indie fans may find it worth a look, but others may want to think twice.

The puzzles were generally easy enough to keep me moving, but the linearity did generate some frustration along the way, and the excessive backtracking, difficult navigation in some areas, lackluster story presentation and Carol’s subdued presence all resulted in an underwhelming experience.

There are certainly some positive elements in Insecticide that make it worth a look, mainly in the classic "adventure" half of its action-adventure gameplay. The trouble is, that’s only half of what is only half a game to begin with.

Murder in the Abbey is ultimately one of those games that is fairly enjoyable to play through yet leaves you with the feeling that something is missing.

If nothing else, this game is destined to be divisive, and whilst it’s certainly not “Still Life: Part 2”, it does – just barely – do enough good things to deserve to be called Still Life 2.

There is much to be commended about this game for such a small first-time development team, but overall I couldn’t help but be disappointed with Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches.

All in all, with such an intriguing premise and strong production values, the developers had the foundation to make a great game, but the corny plot, pretentious writing, uninteresting characters, and some questionable design issues prevent it from achieving its full potential.

All in all, Everlight is a generally pleasing experience, though it could have been much better with a bit more spit and polish.

While The Haunting of Castle Malloy poses a genuine challenge that will take even experienced gamers between 10-15 hours, the unbalanced difficulty of the puzzles and mini-games combined with an uninteresting bunch of characters and locations results in one of the lesser Nancy Drew games on the market.

While still an enjoyable experience, The Last Resort fails to live up to its potential, and is more of an "Average Outing" than a Grand Adventure.

Fans of the original will no doubt persevere and get to experience the worthwhile moments of the second half, but others may find its slow development too boring, its story a little too lost for its own good.

The most devoted series fans will probably still love it, but newcomers should check out life as a defense attorney first. The rest of us are likely to find it entertaining enough at times, but a little too meandering, a little too mediocre to fully live up to the Ace Attorney legacy.

Telltale's production quality is remarkable, and they must be commended for at least pushing the series violently towards what is sure to be a fascinating climax. However, the game must also be criticized for the inconsistency of its flow and the near-complete lack of original locations and characters (Stan's delightful return notwithstanding).

It's a promising start that offers a few hours of decent entertainment, just one that never unearths much imagination along the way.

The very brief Adam’s Venture has a nice, shiny exterior, and actually feels adventurous in its physicality, but everything else is the very definition of “just okay”.

Treasure Island isn’t as good as the source material that inspired it, but offers enough pleasant discoveries that pirate fans should find worth the journey.

Overall, the game is a fairly fun little ride thanks to its variety of gameplay and nicely designed cartoonish environments, but the puzzles are often too simple, making for a very short game.

DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie is a game that takes a lot of patience to truly enjoy. It's not a game for everyone, as some are sure to be turned off by the rarity and simplicity of its puzzles, while others may not relish a return to the infamous days of live actors as their game characters, particularly when some of the acting reminds us why this isn't always a good idea.

999 is a gutsy, mature story that blends horror, science, and character-driven drama in intriguing, thoughtful ways. It's also backed by some sparse but solid gameplay, melding traditional puzzle types with a cohesive math-based theme that nicely suits its subject matter. Unfortunately, what could have been a taut psychological thriller all too often becomes a plodding, pace-killing narrative full of bloated, poorly-integrated dialogue.

As it stands, Red Johnson's Chronicles feels more like a showcase of style over substance: a demonstration that more adventure games can be made on the PS3 with QTEs and popular CSI-style investigations.

In the end, this is certainly not a bad game, but it feels cheaper than a Jurassic Park game should, and the gameplay is sure to be divisive among adventure fans.

A lightweight fun distraction that aims high with interesting puzzle variety, Da New Guys is somewhat pinned down by its poor visuals, irritating lead characters and underused plot devices.

If you like seeing stories from various personal angles, Virtue's Last Reward offers many hours of value, but you might feel betrayed by the storytelling grind of this longwinded horror adventure.

The Extended Edition of Anna is a definite improvement over the original, though there’s still nothing that really jumps out for horror fans (except for the now-dangerous poltergeists).

This game is a quick snack, clocking in for me at about 15 hours. Though rough in a few spots, it has some very interesting puzzles and challenges that I really enjoyed.

Generally overpriced for the offline game, especially considering there's no actual game in the online "game."

Sadly, the largely static emotion of the narrative and the inconsequential nature of the puzzles don’t flesh out the story to great effect, turning this game into just an average game, rather than a great one.

While Crystal Key II does have its charms, none of them are strong enough to save it from being average and lacklustre.

An incredible success in virtual tourism — truly brings the island of Capri to life, allowing the user to wander a real-life location at will. Far less successful as a coherent, playable game.

It is absolutely comical the depths that the game stoops to in order to hold your hand.

A solid, unexceptional adventure and a potentially engaging diversion. Unfortunately the plot, for all its intricacies, fails in what should have been a primary objective; holding the gamer’s interest.

The poorly designed game logic, lackluster characters and frustrating pixel hunts are flaws that can’t be ignored. Only dedicated fans of the Miami-based show might find this title worth the price of admission.

If the numerous technical problems are fixed, this is definitely a game that would-be detectives will want to pick up. Until then, most players will want to take a pass.

Oh, the story. It promises so much, yet delivers so little.

Even a lowered difficulty wouldn't be that big of a deal — sometimes I want a game so hard that my head hurts, and sometimes it's nice to relax with something simpler. But when challenge is replaced by backtracking busywork, it becomes very tedious very quickly, especially considering the game's 8 to 10 hour length.

The gameplay concept is a good one and the license a natural fit, but rather than successfully complementing each other, the end result is a shallow, watered down version of each, neither fully game nor fully show.

Not only is there a huge amount of territory to cover and explore — a real surprise in an indie game like this — there are a lot of puzzles to solve. None of which I would call easy.

Unfortunately, the game's confusing plot, lack of human contact, static scenes and frustrating gameplay had simply worn thin.

The voice work and graphic design are both well done, if a bit utilitarian, but the dialogue and story need polishing to create a strong immersive atmosphere that a game like this really requires.

For Sherlock fans, I’d rank this as more of a Basil Rathbone than a Jeremy Brett on the Holmes-o-meter; somewhat enjoyable but wildly inaccurate. And for DS fans simply looking for a good adventure, I’d largely recommend holding out for better mysteries than this.

So if you’re feeling nostalgic for the bygone days of Shadowgate, or simply like your content dark and deep and don’t mind slogging through a world of hurt to get to it, Theresia may just warrant a look.

While this episode still hints at the underlying brilliance of the Chapman Brothers, it ultimately mucks about in too much pre-adolescent nonsense to carry much weight or ever feel very engaging.

While this episode still hints at the underlying brilliance of the Chapman Brothers, it ultimately mucks about in too much pre-adolescent nonsense to carry much weight or ever feel very engaging.

For everyone else, there’s some mild point-and-click fun to be had, but this is one adventure that’s simply too paper thin.

For better and worse, Hunt for the Puppeteer is a simple adventure without any pretensions. It can be relaxing filler easily played with your brain off, but lacks both the quality and character to bother with otherwise.

The Tree of Life is a game that may appeal to hardcore adventure gamers, but be prepared to overlook a lot of very fundamental faults.

As it is, unfortunately the game can't maintain a proper serious tone long enough to really be engrossing, and ultimately comes off as another substandard adventure with—ironically enough, considering the country of origin—a lack of polish.

Ultimately, Jekyll & Hyde is a bit like its dual protagonists: a very mixed bag.

Unfortunately, there are too many translation problems and story gaps that leave players guessing why things are happening or have come to be. Along with the poor sound quality and invisible gameplay triggers that hinder your progress unnecessarily, the end result is a promising game that never manages to rise above its modest station.

As far as Double Visions goes, its pervasive blandness makes it the weakest of the series to date, and with yet another trip to Hill Valley's past, it's hard not to feel like we've been here and done all this before.

Like its heroine, The Rockin' Dead may be pretty, but beauty is only skin deep, and to find any substance below the surface here, you're definitely going to need glasses.

The setting is inviting and the puzzles are solid, but unless you're a devoted series diehard, desperately seeking something new for your Wii, or have friends to join you in multiplayer, I suggest you consider leaving Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident to gather dust on the store shelf.

It's certainly not a bad game, just a decidedly mediocre one, so unless you're in the mood for a fairly lightweight puzzle-adventure, a purchase is not so elementary this time.

It is much, much easier for me to recommend the game as a free browser-based Flash game than as a commercial product.

There isn't much glitz or glamour in James Noir's Hollywood Crimes, a puzzle-adventure with low production values and repetitive puzzles that even an interesting murder mystery can't overcome.

Three episodes in, Legacies offers a highly scaled-back version of the familiar cops-and-lawyers formula that doesn't do the intriguing storylines full justice.

Hoodwink establishes an interesting premise in a unique setting, but its ease and occasional frustrations spoil some of the fun in this (undisclosed) episodic debut.

Secret Files 3 replaces romance with rocket science, but its convoluted premise, simplistic puzzles, and slapdash resolutions make it the weakest link of the trilogy.

Sometimes infernally frustrating and plagued with inconsistent design, the deeply morbid Lucius nevertheless contains some diabolical fun for those with loads of patience and a strong stomach.

Haters of happy endings—or happiness in general—are in luck, because Richard & Alice is a game so bleak and dreary that it’s hard to find any other purpose for seeing it through to the bitter end.

While it remains an innovative and highly laudable idea which I hope will one day be put to better use, in Jazz and Faust it fails to be more than a misguided gimmick. The ‘two adventures in one’ angle fails because even with this feature, the game is extremely short.

Try MOTD only if you are willing to put up with rude character dialogue and idiotic puzzle solutions. If not, wait for House of Tales to release "The Moment of Silence."

Fans of the show will enjoy it as a quick diversion; hardcore adventure fans will definitely not get their money's worth.

Everything just falls all to pieces in the execution, specifically every element of character interaction (which is 80% of the game). It's frustrating to the point of bafflement at times, to want to care so much about the story, but feel so stifled by the atrocious dialogue and unfriendly interaction system.

A long-winded Myst-like puzzle game that will likely appeal to the hardcore gamer only.

No evolution here; just a splicing of new and old, resulting in more frustration than fun.

If you're looking for a really great graphic adventure game, give "Circle of Blood" a try, but resist the temptation to pick up its sequel. Like the game's title implies, it’s all smoke and mirrors, and very little substance.

Unless you're already a die-hard fan of Myst clones, RHEM 2 is probably not the game for you.

Although it is possible to overlook the somewhat pre-dated graphics, poor elements in both plot and puzzle design taint what could otherwise have been an excellent game. With its short length and $20 price point, I simply cannot recommend The Arrangement.

Overall, Dead Reefs offers plenty of atmosphere that teases with its potential, but really suffers from its make-shift story and weak gameplay, made worse still with poor controls.

Play this game if you enjoy feeling hopeless and frustrated or are just plain curious as to how a game would specifically seek to bring about such a feeling. Otherwise, you'd be wise not to bother.

The many Nancy Drew fans and DS adventure gamers may be interested in this title, but I can’t really recommend it to any audience. Even for a younger gamer, the repetitive gameplay will likely get boring before the end, and the tedium will quickly be felt by a more seasoned adventure gamer.

Next Life is fairly lengthy, probably 15+ hours of playtime, but it's not quality time because of the abundance of backtracking and slow animations.

The game has its moments and a few interesting ideas, but the experience as a whole is so irritating, with its constantly grating voices, bad writing and dull gameplay, that you barely register the positive.

Fans of CSI-type games may find it makes the grade, but for everyone else, there’s just not enough here to warrant much of a look.

Regardless, the gorgeous look and feel of the game is poorly served by bad design decisions and ultimately fails as an enjoyable experience.

Despite its few moments of levity, however, the surreal nature of the storyline remains a little too odd throughout, and the repetitive nature of the gameplay makes Flower, Sun and Rain more of a slog to play through than it is enjoyable.

In spite of all the similarities, Miami Law turned out to be a better game than Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles—but not by much. Miami Law has higher production values and a more ambitious scope, but overall these games share a surprising number of pitfalls, which leaves me wondering who they were designed for.

Series fans may get a mild kick out of the latest case for Lindsay and the gang, but few others will find the point of exploring these Crimes of Passion, as there’s just not enough of significance to seek out here.

In summary, CSI: Deadly Intent is an entirely lacklustre game. The return to traditional form will please those put off by the casual surprise of last year, but even that enthusiasm won’t last for long.

Even so, while the tragic backstory is worth seeing through and the cell phone concept is novel for a while, all that’s left beyond that is a poorly-paced exploration in the dark, punctuated by a series of startling yet repetitive ghost encounters. So unless that’s your idea of a good time, this is one number that’s probably not worth picking up.

There is very little about CSI: Fatal Conspiracy that would appeal to non-fans of the series.

It's easy to pick up and play in short bursts, which does suit a handheld if you're looking for a budget time-waster, but in the end, this body of evidence should steer most people away from a game that's guilty of sucking all the life out of its own potential.

Perhaps devoted casual game fans will have some tolerance for this type of hollow experience, but ultimately The Tiny Bang Story's pieces just don't add up to a fulfilling adventure in the end.

Releasing for a budget price doesn't excuse mediocre puzzle design, heavy repetition and a story with so little coherence.

This contributes to the overall feeling that A Stroke of Fate: Operation Valkyrie is exactly what it is: about half of a game. It's got pretty good writing, a decent aptitude for historical authenticity, and entirely okay art design, but it's wrapped up in a very bland package that lacks ambition, depth, length, and a single moment of tolerable voice acting.

There's some real scares to be found, but illogical puzzles and a confusing plot make Anna a different kind of horror to play.

A muddled adventure game with little inspiration, even though it pretends to be Hitchcock-inspired. Lacking any depth or real intelligence, The Final Cut deserves to be left on the cutting room floor.

Generally a frustrating and unrewarding game, with the ultimate anti-payoff. I can't even sincerely recommend it to even the most ardent Ripper historian.

All told, it took me a little under eight hours to finish Undercover: Dual Motives, which would have been an acceptable length in a better game. As it is, the meagre storyline, uninspired puzzles, and limited exploration already seem stretched at such a modest play time, and even fans of Operation Wintersun will find this handheld successor a shallow and unrewarding experience.

Unless you're a glutton for punishment, avoid 15 Days. There are much better adventure games-or interactive stories, for that matter-to be played.

Possibly the worst adventure game of 2003, guaranteed to piss off both adventurers and twitchers.

Various puzzles of seemingly frustrating insignificance litter the entire experience.

Instead of a labor of love, Forever Worlds plays more like a last-minute, pieced-together disaster. A waste of time and money guaranteed to disappoint adventure gamers with its complete lack of depth, user-friendliness, and sincerity.

Go home, watch the show for free, and save your money for much, much better games.

More often than not, though, it ends up being the most painful, soul-destroying, stressful, rather-stick-a-rusty-nail-in-my-eye excuse for an adventure game I have ever played.

With a retail price of $19.99, this game is being billed as a budget title, but it's still the shortest DS adventure game out there, and it's not worth the price.

Agatha Christie was obviously a masterful author, and The A.B.C. Murders could have been an engaging interactive companion to one of her most famous works. It's too bad the gameplay is so atrocious that even a good story couldn't make up for it.