A few weeks ago, I was browsing the game isle and came across CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder at a discounted price, so I picked it up. I remember playing one of the first CSI games about four or five years ago and was wondering if they fixed the earlier lameness of the series; I always loved the idea of a "CSI" game.

Being the first game I've reviewed based on pop culture that I'm actually familiar with, I was surprised just how well they captured the feeling of the TV show in the game. CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder, much like the show, is of the crime-solving genre. The game flows almost identical to the show; you'll start with a crime scene, and with the police having already made the preliminary assessment.

As the rookie, you'll be working with the well-known crime scene investigators from the show; they don't actually do anything, but if you need help, you can ask them. You'll need to question any witnesses and examine the scene with a (ultra) fine-toothed comb to find all forensic evidence, since you'll be graded on it. To find the evidence, you will have to use one or more of your many tools, from a camera to molds, to swabs, or all sorts of powders and lights. Tools can be either a detection tool or a collection tool; even if you can easily see a fingerprint, you'll always have to enhance it with the proper chemical before collecting it. Once you've done your first pass of the scene, you'll head back to the crime lab and analyze the evidence, try to get matches between evidence, victims, suspects and the criminal database ... oh, and make wild accusations of guilt. Sound like the show so far?

After your first pass, you'll have the option of returning to the crime scene or maybe discovering a secondary crime scene (depending what evidence you collect) and searching that scene for more evidence. You'll also need to get Capt. Brass to run background checks and more for you, as well as visit Dr. Robbins for autopsy results and evidence. True to form of the show, you'll have to talk to suspects repeatedly, as their stories constantly change. You'll have to obtain warrants to search their belongings and get DNA samples and other evidence. If you're good, eventually you'll be able to slap some evidence in a suspect's face after listening to another made up story — just so you can tell them how awesome you are and be a real pompous TV show CSI! Soon after, the accused will tell you everything for no real reason ... exactly like the show.

The game has a customizable difficulty setting, allowing you to use generic settings (easy/medium/hard) or enabling/disabling automated processing features of the game to suit your needs. Playing the game on the hardest settings really is how the game is meant to be played, but you'll need to start off easier just to see how things work. One of the coolest things about CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder is the fact that this is one of few games in which less is more; the characters let you play the game, develop your opinions and prematurely blame the wrong person in your head. The great part is that sometime later you say to yourself you knew it was the other guy all along. By letting you complete the investigation, there is a level of satisfaction, immersion and accomplishment that the older CSI game I played lacked completely. There are a total of five cases to work on, and they take at least 1.5 hours each to complete. They are somewhat formulaic, having the same number of suspects and scenes (except for the last one).

The only frustrations I had with the game dealt with the graphics. Being a VERY visual game in which you are processing evidence and selecting the correct tool to use based on what you see, you would think the graphics and details would be decent. The fact that the game lacks sufficient detail to tell the difference between, well, pretty much any material makes you just guess what detection tool you are going to use, and you'll get it wrong most of the time. The CSIs will constantly tell you that you picked the wrong tool, and it can get on your nerves. Being the first 3D game of the series most likely has something to do with the poor level of graphical detail and the somewhat clumsy movement system that requires you to zoom in to areas and then move around.

CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder is a definite improvement over the earlier games in the series, and it can be found for a low price, seeing as it is now somewhat dated. I have always thought a crime investigation game in an adventure-style setting would work perfectly; and I really enjoyed the entire process of hunting scenes for evidence and linking everything together while puzzling it all out in my head. The key to success seems to be the perfect level of interference from the CSI characters, enough to add a story but not enough to play the game for you. It does a fantastic job of mimicking the TV series but also creates an immersive experience. In fact, it even mimics the show so well, you can predict when the absolutely corny one-liners are gonna get smacked down, just like you can in the show! For those worried about the Rated M tag on the game, there is nothing you won't see on the TV show, which is played all day on TV anyway.