Legacy: Dark Shadows

ALAS, it seems the golden age of adventure games are long past. Vain hopes that LucasArts might resurrect the old point-and-click heroes have been laid to waste and it falls to just a handful of independent studios to keep the dream alive for interactive storytelling. Step forward busty private investigator Ren Silver, star of Legacy: Dark Shadows, a game full to bursting with wordy over-acted dialogue and lightly peppered with bugs.

For all its cheap production and poor translation however, Legacy: Dark Shadows is not quite the lost cause we initially expected. For one thing, its lack of obtuse puzzles makes for a satisfying and easy-going break from the norm. For another, the story (which ties in a mysterious wooden box found during the battle of Stalingrad with strange goings on across 22nd century Earth and Mars) dangles enough intrigue to keep you from switching off for the first couple of hours. Having said all that though, if you're a serious adventure fan, it's unlikely that you'll find much to challenge you here.