Neat comic book adventure
Dick Tracy may not quite have captured the imaginations of modern comic book fans (partly thanks to the dire 1990 movie), but there was a time when the tough talking detective was a major draw. The games based on the movie are about as bad as their inspiration, but this offers some interesting sleuthing in the form of a sort of graphical adventure and which proves mildly diverting for fans of Police Quest. In fairly standard licensed game fashion, this combines different styles of gameplay but to greater effect that is usually the case. Here, action-packed shootouts are mixed in with more thoughtful collecting and analysing of clues as Tracy takes to the streets in search of criminals. The gameworld is a sort of sandbox, like GTA, with players able to roam at will in their police car, waiting for the call to come in that means a crime has been committed. Once at the scene, you must gather evidence and interview the witnesses in order to obtain a warrant, but once you track down the perp, be prepared for them not to come quietly. You can even engage in high speed car chases, firing at the bad guys as you go. Despite its simplicity, this is quite an enjoyable little game, with the different play styles offering up some variety and all of which are implemented reasonably successfully. The graphics remain true to the spirit of the original comic books, with colourful and authentic visuals that add a lot of personality to proceedings. Dick Tracy isn't a game that is going to keep you captivated forever, but while it lasts, this is an enjoyable excursion into a comic book world.
