Throughout the holiday season, it comes as no surprise that gamers will be bombarded with some of the hottest titles of the year. As if making us wait until Christmas isn’t a form of torture in itself, this year seems to be no exception. We’ve been blessed with stunning sequels and literally enough game candy to keep our appetites satisfied and our wallets empty and barren. Oh what a cruel world we live in. However, in all the hustle and bustle of the season, as a gamer it is nice to take a break from the holiday onslaught with a good ol’ fashioned case of “whodunit”.

I have to admit, I’ve never been a fan of point and click adventures. As if that is not enough it seems I rarely get a chance to sit down and watch TV. Who can with all these games out today? So when the opportunity came along to review Law & Order: Justice is Served, I had a bit of apprehension. To tell you the truth I’ve never been a huge fan of the show. Personally I think I’ve seen maybe 3 episodes in my entire life. So do I dare leave the world of Azeroth to solve a murder mystery? Oh what the hell, lets do it! Surprisingly I have to say the experience wasn’t too shabby. It’s no World of Warcraft. But nonetheless I actually enjoyed it.

As the game opens up, Elena Kusarova, the attractive young tennis sensation known as the Ukranian Ace, is found dead on the locker room floor just prior to the start of the U.S. Open. Is this a case of murder most foul? Or did someone forget to wear slippers on a wet locker room floor? Well that’s what the Law & Order Team is here to find out. Much like an episode of the show, the game is separated into two phases. The first being the investigation phase as you team up with Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green to hunt down a suspect and gather evidence. Just like the TV show, you’ll have an interesting list of suspects to weed out before moving on to the second phase of the game. Was it the boyfriend? Perhaps the overbearing mother? Or even the creepy stalker guy lurking in the shadows? That’s your job to determine.

Gathering evidence can be a significantly trying task. You’ll have all the tools of modern police work at your disposal. Everything from surveillance and psyche evaluations to analysis and interrogations will be available to you. Though this may seem boring to some, the developers included some puzzle aspects to make the process more enjoyable. The puzzles themselves aren’t too difficult though. They’re mostly regulated to pathway obstructions and scavenger hunt type scenarios, with the occasional combination cracking puzzle to keep the brain working. All the evidence gathering and detective work lead to the eventual naming of a suspect and issuing a warrant for their arrest.

Once an arrest is made we move into the second phase of the game, the trial. Here you assume the role of Assistant D.A. Serena Southerlyn to get that guilty verdict issued. To do that, you’ll need as assets all the information and clues gathered to create a case. Witness and evidence lists will then need to be put together before you come to the showdown in the courtroom. Once there, Serena will need to examine witnesses and explain evidence to get the verdict hammered in. Not only will she need to build a case, she’ll also need to be able to handle defense attorney cross-examinations and be ready to yell “objection” when an improper question is asked. Thankfully if you aren’t up to speed on your legal theory, the computer is there to help you freshen up or provide tips when your brain overheats. Once you rest your case, the defense attorney will naturally ask that it be dismissed. That’s what they’re supposed to do right? Depending on your evidence and the path of the trail, the judge will then grant or deny the request.

Depending on your evidence and presentation, a dismissal may be granted. At which point you’ll need to start your case over from a save point and have another go at it. However, if the judge rules in your favor and denies the request, you’ll move into the defense portion of the case. At which point you’ll need to be on the ball to rebut their side of the argument. Hopefully if you do your job right, you’ll be able to see the final case presentation and get that guilty verdict. At which point success will grant you fame, fortune, and your picture on the wall next to Johnny Cochran. Ok I know that’s BS but your final score will provide you a password to a locked website to access bonus material from the show. Depending on your success you may or may not be able to see everything the site has to offer. So what to do? Replay replay replay.

Now I’m not going to lie here. It took me about 5 or 6 tries to get that guilty verdict. Hey I’m not a lawyer ok! But the challenge did make it interesting. Which I’m sure will provide all you Justice junkies out there with reason to play. Thankfully, the game really doesn’t give you too many opportunities to mess things up. Unless you ask the right questions, the case will not close. Kind of reminds me of those old Carmen Sandiego games I used to play back in the day. However, this can diminish from the challenge a bit, but you won’t notice too much.

If you’re a fan of the Law & Order series and want to take that fandom to another level, then you’ll get everything you expect out of this title. The interface is very simple and clean, while the graphics are nicely done. Basically, you’ll be able to easily recognize your favorite characters from the show with no problems. Not to mention that the voice acting is exceptionally well done considering the real actors did the voicework. Though at times I did notice that the lip-synching sometimes didn’t match what was being said. What can I say, I’m a perfectionist. As for the sound, well it did the job. But I found it to be mediocre at best. Then again, you won’t necessarily be banging your head to Slipknot when you’re presenting a case in court. So it can be forgiven.

Overall Law & Order Justice is Served will appeal to fans of the show as well as point/click adventure gamers out there in the gaming world. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the genre, but I did get some enjoyment out of this title. I may not rush out to buy more games like this one, but I wouldn’t mind taking another one of these games on between my bouts with alien invaders or mythical creatures with the taste of blood on their tongues. So if you like watching crime dramas and meticulously trying to piece the end conclusion before the mystery is solved, then this game is one you should check out.