Although the game rarely excels at any particular aspect, and the loose characterisation lets it down, the presentation and story are solid enough to atone for any rough edges, and will keep you guessing until the end.

All in all, while still providing a dependable Nancy Drew adventure that fans have come to expect, I just couldn’t help but feel that The Phantom of Venice seems tired, or more specifically, that it’s the latest entry in a series that itself is getting tired.

It's an auspicious debut that should appeal to sci-fi adventure fans, even if you’re not familiar with the American astronaut and his “Perryverse”.

There are certainly some positive elements in Insecticide that make it worth a look, mainly in the classic "adventure" half of its action-adventure gameplay. The trouble is, that’s only half of what is only half a game to begin with.

With a retail price of $19.99, this game is being billed as a budget title, but it's still the shortest DS adventure game out there, and it's not worth the price.

Despite the criticism that prevent it from realizing its potential, this is by no means a bad game and could serve you well if you're looking for something new to try.

More often than not, though, it ends up being the most painful, soul-destroying, stressful, rather-stick-a-rusty-nail-in-my-eye excuse for an adventure game I have ever played.

These flaws aside, Jack Keane is a lengthy game, light on difficulty, but never anything less than fun.

It's a traditional, puzzle-packed adventure with a modern graphical twist that manages to do justice to one of the most revered literary protagonists of all time.

Ultimately, What's New Beelzebub? is an overwhelmingly ambitious game that never stops for a breath, and by the end of the strange journey it nearly collapses under its own comedic weight and the strain of throwing every bizarre scenario and creative re-use of supporting characters at the wall.

can easily recommend Overclocked, but in doing so I will reiterate that the game will not be for everyone. It is, first and foremost, a game that has a story to tell, and it's this tale that takes precedence over the whole adventure.

The game has its moments and a few interesting ideas, but the experience as a whole is so irritating, with its constantly grating voices, bad writing and dull gameplay, that you barely register the positive.

Diamonds in the Rough is based on an interesting premise, but its generally dull implementation prevents it from realizing its potential. Indie fans may find it worth a look, but others may want to think twice.

Chariots of the Dogs sucked me in and completely immersed me with the joy that comes from playing a special adventure game.

Ultimately, it’s the setting of The Lost Crown, between the brilliant sound design and the superb art direction, that will give you the most pleasure, and a great deal of praise for these elements is due the game’s creator, Jonathan Boakes.

All in all, this is a game for hardcore puzzle enthusiasts. If you like games like Myst for the intellectual challenge, you should be pleased with RHEM 3.

Despite the mounting criticism, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is a decent enough game in its own right, and fans of the series can expect much of what they enjoyed in previous offerings.

So while Overture was a promising first endeavour, Black Plague is a Penumbra brought sharply into focus.

At least I can say something that I haven't yet said to date—the ending makes me extremely interested to know where the story is going now, and with only thirty days between episodes, it won't be a long wait to find out.

While I'm prepared to recommend Professor Layton and the Curious Village wholeheartedly, it does come with a serious caution about expectations. If you're looking for a well-rounded adventure with plenty of exploration and a fully-integrated storyline, you simply won't find it here.

Although it remains a formula with tremendous potential, this is one experiment that needs to go back to the drawing board.

Moai Better Blues is a gorgeous game to look at and listen to and a unique, enjoyable experience as a whole.

The gameplay concept is a good one and the license a natural fit, but rather than successfully complementing each other, the end result is a shallow, watered down version of each, neither fully game nor fully show.

Next Life is fairly lengthy, probably 15+ hours of playtime, but it's not quality time because of the abundance of backtracking and slow animations.

Overall, there is much to recommend in this handheld conversion, but if you’ve played the PC version already, bear in mind that it’s only a port.

If you haven’t jumped onto the bandwagon yet, you are doing yourself a disservice by missing the best comic adventure games in the modern era.

Unfortunately, the game's confusing plot, lack of human contact, static scenes and frustrating gameplay had simply worn thin.

There are plenty of rough edges, but those who have the patience for the mountains of dialogue and can see past the ropey visuals and gut-wrenching voice acting will find a reasonably engrossing world to explore.