Jake Hunter Detective Story: Memories of the Past review

Private eye Jake Hunter is remarkable not for his skills of deduction but for the fact he hasn%26rsquo;t spontaneously combusted in a cloud of tar and nicotine. So desperate is this game to highlight Hunter%26rsquo;s gumshoe credentials, he%26rsquo;s lighting up cigarettes every other minute. You even tap a shoulder button to enter a special smoking mode to help our sleuthing hero think better.

Imminent lung cancer aside, this is a collection of six noir-ish detective mysteries %26ndash; some new, some previously released with a rather dodgy translation (now much improved). The menu-trudging investigations are a bit dull but there%26rsquo;s certainly plenty to keep you busy. An Unleashed mode lightens the mood by breaking out a manga-ish Jake for shorter, sillier cases. This is a well-stocked game and a big improvement over Jake%26rsquo;s previous outing, but it still feels a bit dry.

Sep 17, 2009