Detective Voodoo: Solving Magical Murders Company: Space Monkey International Detective Voodoo is a adventure/hidden object game being developed by Space Monkey International. While the demo we were able to play is far from the final version, it has the potential to be a really interesting title. Of course, since this is a hidden object/adventure game blend, most of the game will involve you poking around screens filled with items to hunt down, and also the occasional inventory item to use or puzzle to solve. While our demo didn't really present any of the story and simply dropped us in the middle of the action, according to the press material, the case starts when a black cat appears in the office alongside a mysterious and threatening note demanding that something be returned. During the investigation of the new case, our detective will stumble upon a series of murders which appear to be caused by magic. As the story unfolds, we will learn of a connection between these victims that should lead us to their magical killer. As for the gameplay itself, the demo of Detective Voodoo offered several hidden object screens with a wide variety of objects to sleuth out and click on. Once the list of objects is cleared, you are presented with an item to put in your inventory to be used elsewhere in the game. The flip-side to the hidden object screens are the point-and-click adventure locations. These screens will have various points of interest to click on and use with objects in your inventory, as well as a few people to talk to. There seem to be quite a few places in the game that will be more than just semi-static locations in which for you to use your inventory items. One such location in Detective Voodoo placed the character on the back of a stage coach. At first, the only thing that has to be dealt with is a flock of bats, but digging up a lantern and matches in the back sheds some light on the area and scares them off. From there, tree branches start encroaching on the coach, and you need to find a pair of poles to attach to your ride in order to break the branches. The danger doesn't end there though as a pack of wolves suddenly appear and start pacing our vehicle. More digging around reveals things like a torch, a slab of meat and a bear trap, all of which can be used to ward off the beasts. It seems like there will be several scenes like this in the game, and while they are are bound to add a bit more action to the overall game, it will be better to see this series of puzzles in context with the rest of the game instead of just a separate menu option made to illustrate the type of scene like it is in the game's demo. Detective Voodoo has quite a bit of work before it will hit the streets, and there are a few hurdles that need to be cleared before it's ready (the biggest one being translation issues between the developer's native language and English), but with a complete story to back it up and more locations than seen in the demo, it has promise. -J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer Related Links: Space Monkey International Home Page