It's a promising start that offers a few hours of decent entertainment, just one that never unearths much imagination along the way.

Telltale's production quality is remarkable, and they must be commended for at least pushing the series violently towards what is sure to be a fascinating climax. However, the game must also be criticized for the inconsistency of its flow and the near-complete lack of original locations and characters (Stan's delightful return notwithstanding).

Secret Files 2 is a highly-polished, enjoyable sequel that’s better than its Tunguskan predecessor in several key ways.

The DS is capable of better, and even diehard fans of the show won't miss much by passing on this game.

In summary, CSI: Deadly Intent is an entirely lacklustre game. The return to traditional form will please those put off by the casual surprise of last year, but even that enthusiasm won’t last for long.

That aside, this is the best time I've had with an adventure game – 2D or 3D, big or small budget – this year. With an original charm all its own, Machinarium is a real winner and an instant classic.

It’s the best game in the series so far, and it will be thoroughly enjoyed by new and old players alike.

The very brief Adam’s Venture has a nice, shiny exterior, and actually feels adventurous in its physicality, but everything else is the very definition of “just okay”.

I used the phrase "very good game-but like its predecessor, not quite great" to describe the previous episode. Lair of the Leviathan not only clears "great", but sails way into the depths of "historically fantastic."

Series fans may get a mild kick out of the latest case for Lindsay and the gang, but few others will find the point of exploring these Crimes of Passion, as there’s just not enough of significance to seek out here.

Heaven may be a beautiful place to visit, but there's not nearly enough to do here to fill its few hours, let alone an eternity.

The Hardy Boys are reliable protagonists, the slightly but steadily increasing challenge of the puzzles will be an excellent primer for more difficult adventures, and who knows, they might even learn something in the process.

Traditional adventure fans should go in expecting a highly streamlined game style, and hidden object fans should brace themselves for a whole new kind of casual adventure.

Either way, for puzzle fans it’s a brilliant way to spend your time, and so long as you’re playing, that’s really all that matters.

The Siege of Spinner Cay is very good, but doesn't quite make the series great. I continue to enjoy every minute with the TMI episodes, but know that there is stronger comic momentum that can be attained.

If nothing else, this game is destined to be divisive, and whilst it’s certainly not “Still Life: Part 2”, it does – just barely – do enough good things to deserve to be called Still Life 2.

In the end, there isn’t a whole lot wrong with The Bogey Man, but there isn’t anything particularly memorable either. That would be fine if this were the middle of the series, but as a conclusion, it’s a little disappointing.

If you are looking for a brain-teasing experience full of complex puzzles to blow your mind, Memento Mori has little to offer along those lines. But if you are fan of story-driven adventures, you'll find a promising new adventure to fill your needs in this gripping psychological drama (albeit disguised as a conspiracy thriller) with one of the most shocking and memorable endings the genre has seen in a long time.

This isn’t a situation where one forces oneself to slog through Moby Dick because it’s a “classic”; The Secret of Monkey Island is still as fun as any other game you’ll play this year, and probably significantly more so, and everyone who loves adventure games should experience it at least once.

Overall, I think this game will be good for newcomers due to the large number of standalone obstacles.

For Sherlock fans, I’d rank this as more of a Basil Rathbone than a Jeremy Brett on the Holmes-o-meter; somewhat enjoyable but wildly inaccurate. And for DS fans simply looking for a good adventure, I’d largely recommend holding out for better mysteries than this.

In anticipation of that potential, every adventure fan should consider this an essential play, and go into it with the understanding that this is a very good and very fun game-just not the best Telltale has to offer.

Its limitations still show, but with a longer, funnier, and even wackier story, Time Gentlemen, Please! is an admirable follow-up to its freeware predecessor and well worth the small fee for people who've played the first game.

Despite its few moments of levity, however, the surreal nature of the storyline remains a little too odd throughout, and the repetitive nature of the gameplay makes Flower, Sun and Rain more of a slog to play through than it is enjoyable.

While the game is nearly the same length as the first two episodes—between 2 ½ and 3 hours for me—it feels like a more fulfilling experience thanks to the stronger storyline and better integrated puzzles.

In spite of all the similarities, Miami Law turned out to be a better game than Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles—but not by much. Miami Law has higher production values and a more ambitious scope, but overall these games share a surprising number of pitfalls, which leaves me wondering who they were designed for.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper is an unexpectedly sedentary and thoughtful game, and it’s far from bloody awful, if not quite the ripping good yarn it could have been.

The revamped and expanded JakeHunter may still have a few rough edges around its decidedly streamlined gameplay, but it is a satisfying experience for any fan of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.