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Law & Order: Justice is Served (c) Vivendi Universal Games

Published: Thursday, September 30th, 2004 at 06:30 PM
Written By: Steven 'Westlake' Carter

Law & Order: Justice is Served is the third game in the Law & Order series. As with the first two games, Double or Nothing and Dead on the Money, you’re essentially dropped into an episode of the television show, and your job is to participate in the investigative process. That is, you won’t really be playing an adventure. True, you’ll have to solve a few puzzles (for instance, to figure out the combination to a safe), but mostly you’ll find clues, interrogate witnesses, and prosecute the case once you’ve chosen a suspect and made an arrest.

The crime scene. I bet that hairdryer turns out to be important.

Justice is Served involves the murder of a young tennis star named Elena Kusarova, who is famous for what she does on and off the tennis courts (it’s probably not a coincidence her name sounds a little like Anna Kournikova). The day before the start of the U.S. Open, she’s found dead on the floor at her practice facility, but it’s difficult to tell if it was murder, suicide, or just an accident. Obviously, it turns out to be murder, and, just as obviously, a whole slew of suspects start to turn up. Was it a jealous rival? Her over-protective mother? Her lover? Or maybe her coach, played by Patrick McEnroe? You’ll have to play the game to find out.

There isn’t any shortage of clues or suspects, but Patrick McEnroe is my guess. Look how beady his eyes are.

With the first two games in the Law & Order series, about the only difference between them was in the case you investigated. But with this third installment, developer Legacy Interactive overhauled the engine, and so the interface is friendlier, it’s easier to organize your evidence, and the characters look better. You also get to partner with Ed Green sometimes, instead of just Lennie Briscoe, but once you prosecute the crime you’re still stuck with Serena Southerlyn. I’m hoping Legacy Interactive goes “retro” at some point and creates a Law & Order game with Abbie Carmichael (aka Angie Harmon) in it. Then the second half of the game would be much more fun. (Or maybe that’s just me.)

Look for Law & Order: Justice is Served to hit stores in October.

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