Art of Murder: FBI Confidential is an amazing "point-and-click" adventure game for Windows-based PCs, developed by City Interactive and distributed by iWin.
In this title we will be surrounded by an environment of deep mystery that will introduce us to a third person adventure. The main character (who we will control) is Nicole Bonnet, a girl who has recently joined up the FBI. Her partner dies while she is bringing him a cup of coffee. After this disturbing episode, she gets fully involved in the investigation of a series of mysterious crimes that scare the people of New York. She must collect evidence to solve these horrific murders. The perpetrator of these deaths seems to be very interested in South American objects: he or she left coins from the sixteenth century near the corpses and also used some kind of ritual knife to commit these crimes.
The concept of three-dimensional modeled characters placed in 2D pre-rendered scenarios made me think of an impressive and attractive result - however, it is a bit far from what can be expected nowadays. The scenarios are nicely done and there is a large number of objects on screen, all sharp and recognizable. Unfortunately, scenarios are somehow empty and not only because there is only one or two objects to interact with at each stage, but also because they are extremely static.
Regarding the sound section, I can say that it is fitting and decent. The background music is present throughout the adventure and can be heard at all locations, and although it is a bit repetitive it does not obstruct the gaming experience. Sound effects are not outstanding but they appear at the right moments, and they realistically reflect the action to which they are associated.
Gameplay-wise, the choice made by the developing team is possibly one of the most successful of the genre, because it brings comfort to the user improving the gaming experience. To keep up with the adventure we will only use two mouse buttons: the primary button to perform actions and the secondary button to access objects' and characters' descriptions. We also have the option to run and thus not be bothered by Nicole's slow walking.
Summing it all up, I can say that the detective essence of this adventure game can be a lot of fun for the fans of the genre.
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