Law & Order: Dead on the Money (PC)
Reviewed by: mcdonis
Reviewed on: 7-Oct-2004
- Summary
- Faithful production of the Law and Order series, just way too short.
- Ratings
- Overall: B-
- Gameplay: C+
- Graphics: B+
- Learning Curve: C
- Replay Value: D
- Sound: C+
- Pros
- Excellent production, felt like Law and Order
- Acceptable graphics
- Good believable plot
- Cons
- Extremely short
- Interface could be clunky at times
- Links
- Images
Description
Unlike many modern adventure games, Dead on the Money is a true adventure. Its strongest values lie in the plot and the way it's delivered to you. You can tell by the way the game evolves that a lot of work and effort went in to making the game feel like a Law & Order episode. And they were extremely successful in simulating that experience into a PC game. At times, I felt excited (especially in the court phase) and this excitement stems from the fact that I was in control of a Law & Order episode. All in all, it was a great experience, especially if you are a fan of the show.
However, if you haven't seen the show or don't like traditional adventure games, you might not like this one. There aren't any moments where guns are pulled and you get to chase a killer down an alley. Most of the game is spent collecting evidence and interrogating suspects. It's all plot and story, and no action. The biggest problem this game has however, is not in its content, it's the length of the game. I started playing at 2:30 pm and was finished by 9:30 pm. Now it should be noted that I am an experienced adventure gamer with 15 years of gaming behind me.
But that aside, it's still an amazingly short game. It doesn't take that long using trial and error to determine the correct course of action. Granted I did use a walkthrough, but it was only to confirm my decisions after I had already made them. Without the walkthrough, it might add another hour at most to your game. So that is only 5 hours of gameplay (I had dinner and spent time with my wife in between) and it's done. Even by the standards of a console game, that is very short. For a PC game that is a crime. A standard adventure game like Tex Murphy took at least 80-120 hours to finish.
So in short, if you find the game for under 10 bucks and are a fan of Law and Order, I heavily recommend it. But otherwise, I wouldn't spend too much on this one, as it's way too short, but its still fun.
However, if you haven't seen the show or don't like traditional adventure games, you might not like this one. There aren't any moments where guns are pulled and you get to chase a killer down an alley. Most of the game is spent collecting evidence and interrogating suspects. It's all plot and story, and no action. The biggest problem this game has however, is not in its content, it's the length of the game. I started playing at 2:30 pm and was finished by 9:30 pm. Now it should be noted that I am an experienced adventure gamer with 15 years of gaming behind me.
But that aside, it's still an amazingly short game. It doesn't take that long using trial and error to determine the correct course of action. Granted I did use a walkthrough, but it was only to confirm my decisions after I had already made them. Without the walkthrough, it might add another hour at most to your game. So that is only 5 hours of gameplay (I had dinner and spent time with my wife in between) and it's done. Even by the standards of a console game, that is very short. For a PC game that is a crime. A standard adventure game like Tex Murphy took at least 80-120 hours to finish.
So in short, if you find the game for under 10 bucks and are a fan of Law and Order, I heavily recommend it. But otherwise, I wouldn't spend too much on this one, as it's way too short, but its still fun.