James
Patterson hard covers, James Patterson paperbacks, James Patterson
graphic novels, James Patterson audio novels, James Patterson films,
James Patterson television shows, James Patterson pc games, James
Patterson online games and now James Patterson Nintendo DS games.
Am I forgetting anything? How about some James Patterson jammies to
sleep in at night or a James Patterson candy bar to snack on while
reading? Seriously though, James
Patterson is as nice a person as you could ever have the pleasure
to meet and it’s great that he has taken such a liking to
the adventure genre.
His newest game, Women’s
Murder Club: Games of Passion, is a Nintendo DS exclusive
and as in the previous entries, combines hidden object searches with
puzzles and a few mini-games.
The WMC
finds reason to meet again – as if they need an excuse to eat,
drink and make merry – when seemingly unrelated women are found
murdered. You will play as Detective Lindsay Boxer, reporter Cindy
Thomas, Dr. Claire Washburn & District Attorney Yuki Castellano
as you attempt to discover the identity of the killer.
The
mystery unfolds over seven chapters each of which usually features
a hidden object screen that scrolls across the two Nintendo DS screens
(and which thankfully doesn’t contain some of the obscure and/or
miniscule objects common to these searches), an interrogation of a
suspect and a mini-game that requires matching fibers or performing
a chemical analysis in the precinct laboratory.
The problem is that not
only do none of the puzzles offer even an iota of complexity, but
there is also no penalty for an incorrect answer so if you’re
not sure of the solution it is simply a matter of click, click, clicking
everything on the screen until you have matched all of the objects
or found the missing items.
Just as Patterson often
hands over the reins to a co-writer once the initial book in a series
has been published, so too does it seem that his involvement in Games
of Passion was limited as adventure luminary Jane Jensen
is again credited as the game’s designer. Her influence is clearly
evident as the storyline flows smoothly and what could have been simply
a collection of puzzles is instead a somewhat impressive, tightly
knit mystery and the characters all have distinct personalities that
bring them to life.
Unfortunately,
at just seven chapters, the game is quite short and offers very little
in replay value, but there is an option titled ‘Photo Mysteries’
that allows you to incorporate photos of your family, friends, etc.
into a mystery story. Unfortunately, a Nintendo DSi – which
has a built-in camera – is necessary to enjoy this feature and as
we’re just poor adventure gamers with a regular DS, we weren’t
able to virtually murder any detested relatives.
Women’s Murder
Club: Games of Passion is better than other games of this
ilk, but considering the talent involved it should be much better.
It is the third entry in this series after Death
in Scarlet and A
Darker Shade of Grey, but the formula is already growing
stale and some changes would be welcome: maybe a virtual James Patterson
as the game’s narrator using his real voice or the option to
choose from degrees of varying difficulty. Hey, look at me, offering
suggestions to Jane Jensen and James Patterson, the world’s
best-selling author. Sheesh, what nerve!
