Inspector Parker Review

Written by: David Laprad Published: February 11, 2007 The set up is timeless: toss a dozen guests into a secluded mansion on a stormy night...have a corpse turn up sometime after dinner...and let the games of deduction begin. The "whodunit" genre has captivated readers and moviegoers for years -- and with good reason. Not only is it good mental exercise figuring out what happened but we also have a macabre fascination with well-fashioned murder mysteries. Now Oberon Games has brought the experience to the home computer via Inspector Parker -- as casual game that's every bit as engrossing as an Agatha Christie page-turner. Inspector Parker gives you a grid of rooms filled with guests and deadly implements. Your task is to analyze the statements of eyewitnesses in order to whittle down the list of suspects and possible weapons. For example: the housekeeper might say she recalls seeing a bottle of poison two rooms to the left of the butler. You then select the bottle of poison in the correct room -- which eliminates all other weapons at that location. Once you've nailed down all of the clues the forensics team moves in to solve the crime. A word of warning: you'll kill a lot of time playing Inspector Parker because it's addictive. And its Victorian era visual style looks great. Best of all: the presentation is so charming and straightforward I felt like I was playing a classic computer game. So get a clue: Inspector Parker comes highly recommended. Scoring (out of five stars): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Challenge: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Inspector Parker.