As a kid I’m certain that most of us had an amazing, but difficult time playing iSpy type games with friends or family. They had books, computer games, and even just playing in the car without a set of rules to adhere to. Well if you ever loved playing those types of games and are looking a bit of storyline and challenge then Criminal Case might be something you want to look into. With well over 10 million downloads on Android(available on iOS as well as Facebook) alone and a 4.6 average rating by 350,000+ people this hidden object game tops the charts in its category. The game gives off a very old-school “find the items listed below to move on to the next level” type of feel that makes me remember playing games just like this when I was a kid. Whereas a normal game and/or book would only have like ten or twenty levels Criminal Case manages to have over 100 levels currently and more are being added as more updates come out.
By the name you can already assume that this is a crime scene type of game and instead of searching for puppies and little toys you’re searching for items that may be involved in the case and at times even the victim of the crime itself. This gave the game a refreshing feel to it as I went along and played it for a few hours, but that isn’t to say it’s the only type of game like this out there. There are some aspects of this game that may not be suitable for younger kids but that is obviously up to the parent or guardian that is watching over them. In my mind the game isn’t too gruesome at any points and they manage to make a crime scene type game work without having to over-sell the murder aspect of it.
Like I said, the game works like any iSpy game you’ve played before. Each scene that you go to has a list of items at the bottom of the screen and you have to use the clues to around you and the details of the case given to try and find all of the items. Before starting that specific mission you’re also able to choose a partner to work with, each partner has different perks and can help you out if need be. Finding items quickly leads to gaining bonus points for each item found, the multiplier raises as you find them and goes down just as fast while you take a while to search for the hidden items. The points are then used for performing certain jobs within the game like examining evidence back at the office. A feature that I found to be quite nice was a function to zoom in on the scene to try and find items easier. Some of the items would be quite difficult to find without this and it truly does come in handy in almost every level.
Hint: Using the “Hints” button at the bottom right hand corner of your screen will allow you to find an item without even having to look for it really. But beware, you only have a limited amount!
As you progress through the game you find evidence and at times may need to perform a puzzle of sorts to put the evidence back together or to clean off the item you found. They took the items you found in each mission and integrate them back into the game which seems like quite a good idea and most iSpy like games don’t really do that ever. At the end of each case you are taken to a screen in which you have to review the evidence found and match up the suspects standing in front of you to the information given via the evidence. This part of the game really seemed well done to me, the entire crime scene feel isn’t just a theme they were going for, it was integrated into the entire game and done quite well if I may say so.
Criminal Case doesn’t get stale all too easily by adding in new cities, victims, suspects, and even partners for you to work with at times. The game is set in a version of modern-day United States with some cities names changed obviously which gives it a more authentic kind of feel compared to an unrealistic type of game. Just as many Facebook and mobile games Criminal Case has an energy system that makes it so you have to spend a certain amount of energy in game to be able to do a job or a mission. This is something that can prohibit you from just grinding through most of the storyline in one go, unless you are willing to spend cash currency to buy more.
Criminal Case is one of the most addicting new games to hit the app store in a long time. Solving cases can be very fun and entertaining, until you get stuck! If you get stuck, then you’re going to have to make an in-app purchase, unless you have a hack!
The hack for Criminal Case is the solution to never getting stuck again! Using the hack tool enables players to add unlimited amounts of cash, coins, energy and speed to their accounts, free of charge. The Criminal Case hack works for both Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded here at AppGameCheats.
Once you download the Criminal Case hack tool, you’ll see the settings menu appear. Follow these instructions to complete the hack.
The hack for Criminal Case will install automatically after you download it. First, choose the type of device you are using to play Criminal Case, iOS or Android. Next, type in the amounts of Cash, Coins, Energy & Speed you wish to add.
You’re ready to begin the hack after you’ve typed in all of the information. Tap the “Start” button to run the hack. The process will finish in about 30 seconds. Open your Criminal Case app and you’ll see the cash, coins, energy, and speed have been added to your account. Have fun solving cases and locking up criminals without running out of cash and other resources!
A big tip for people just starting to play is to make sure you choose a good partner when you begin doing missions. A good partner allows for hint bonuses and the teammates are mainly there to help you accumulate a higher amount of energy points. That goes back to what I said previously about not being able to sit there and play mission after mission endlessly. With the proper partner, friends of yours who play can also be your partner in game, you can earn much more energy and allow you to progress much further in the storyline.
Once you reach level five you’ll be able to unlock things call “boosters” which can greatly increase your score in a level if used correctly. There are three different boosters and each one provides you with a different type of help. The Instant Magnifier booster lets you display the preview of the hidden items in the crime scene which gives you a big advantage when you actually start the mission. The 5 Hints booster is quite obvious as to what it does as it simply just gives you 5 hints to start the mission off with. The final booster is called the x6 Combo Starter which also seems pretty obvious as well. It starts you off with a full combo bar which allows you to rack up a huge score when combined with other boosters too.
Just like any other hidden object game Criminal Case can be made easier with a few generic tips for games like this. It is sometimes hard to take in the whole scene. So searching scenes in sections tends to be easier for me. You can either do it in quadrants, or by working around one central point on the scene. The best advice is to move on! If you can’t find an item right away then just skip it for now because all that is doing is wasting time and that will lower your overall score at the end of the game. There will also be items in the game that have to do with the murder or crime and you can tell which ones those are. Using context clues can help you find the items around the scene. Along with the tips given there will also be items that animate after a certain amount of time to help you find them which will make things go by faster if you’re having trouble at the time being. And most of all, don’t forget to use your hints, they can save a mission that seems like you can find anything at the time.
The game’s UI is very smooth and doesn’t seem cluttered up like a lot of apps seem to be these days. Going with a minimalist route they have very few menus to travel through to get what you want and a well designed layout to help out with the most new of users. The game varies enough to where it isn’t repetitive at all and the missions get to be harder with each level. The game current has 106 levels and I have yet to play all of them, I’m current about 20 or so levels into the game, and it already seems as if the game has a very solid storyline behind it and an even better gameplay. The game has one level to walk you through the game and give you a rundown of how things go and after that you’re pretty much left alone to figure out the missions, asides from the help you get from hints and such.
You have to replay the same mission a few times over again and to some that would seem like it would get really tedious and be a complete turn off when it comes to a game like this but to me I don’t mind it at all simply due to the fact that you don’t just get the same items each time and it is by no means repetitive. The mission plays out with the same background and case obviously but you don’t feel like you’re replaying it over and over, it feels like more of a new mission every time you restart it. While talking about the crime scene I would like to mention the quality of graphics within the entire game, especially the crime scene ones. They seem to be aimed at a more mature audience, with the weapons and blood added to most missions, but it doesn’t seem off-putting at all. They did a good job of using a realistic style while still not overdoing and making it look too over-the-top.
Criminal Case becomes extremely slow and the energy bar drains far too fast once you reach a higher level and energy begins to be a problem, just after a few crimes scenes played, you will find yourself out of energy already and having to wait for a couple hours to get more. Although it’s completely understandable, the creators of this game have made the whole “pay to win” aspect a bit too obvious in my mind. The game eventually becomes another game where you can check into the game and play for maybe thirty minutes for each two hours you spend waiting to be able to play once again. I understand the developers need money and this is how they will make the money the easiest. There is no doubt that this game should have an aspect where you can pay for things to be done but it feels almost forced at certain points in the game and I hate to say that.
Artwork and Graphics: As stated previously the graphics really caught my eye upon opening the app. The loading screen is well done and isn’t cluttered as mentioned earlier in the review. The crime scene graphics are outstanding, once again aimed at a more mature audience in my mind. The pictures added show off the graphics and UI well enough and give a decent idea of the type game it is in general. For the artwork and graphics I give Criminal Case a 8/10.
SFX and Music: The music in the background of the main screen is very calm and soothing, it gives of an old detective movie kind of feel to it and I really love the way they did that with the game. It has quite good sound quality for a mobile game and doesn’t seem to be too silent when you feel like there should be something to fill the space. During the missions themselves there is also music playing and it is faint enough to where it doesn’t overpower the gameplay and just sets the mood a bit better for the type of game you’re playing really. For the SFX and music I give Criminal Case a 8/10.
Story and Originality: The story in Criminal Case is based around you and you start off as a rookie cop coming into the scene. The character is based around your age, gender, and other features you choose for your character in general. I really like the customization of it and the fact you aren’t just stuck with a basic character with a generic name. The “originality” comes from the way the game is set up and not so much the game itself. The hidden object games have been around for as long as I can remember and this game offers more than any other game I’ve seen as of yet. The idea may not be the most original but the game itself presents itself in a way that I can’t help but enjoy. For the story and originality I give Criminal Case a 7/10.
Addictiveness: As mentioned before this game is by no mean repetitive. It gets to be a bit slow but the game itself isn’t the problem, it’s the way the energy system almost forces you to pay for things. I have no issues with the game and do admit it’s quite addictive in general, the story mode really leaves you wanting to play more and the replaying of the different levels does no take away from the game by any means. I did sit down upon first downloading the app and played it for a few hours trying to get a better idea of the game and eventually just ended up playing for much more time than I thought I would. The game ropes you in and makes a great way to pass time at lower levels. For the adictiveness I give Criminal Case a 8/10.
Overall, I give Criminal Case a 8/10, it makes a great game to pass the time and really does deserve a rating like this. I would recommend this game to people and will hopefully keep playing a bit and see how I continue to like it.
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