Law & Order: Dead on the Money is the first in a series of video games based on the television series Law & Order. The game was developed by Legacy Interactive and was first published in September 2002.
| Law & Order: Dead on the Money | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Legacy Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Windows
|
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release | Windows Mac OS X
|
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Plot edit
The game's plot revolves around the murder of a Wall Street stock broker who is murdered in Central Park whilst jogging. The player and Detective Briscoe then question a number of people related to the incident, including a park cleaner, coffee vendor, the broker's employer, her lawyer, daughter, and her associates. The player must assess who is the murderer and then take them to trial. The game, like the original format of the show, is separated into two parts. During the first half, the player assumes the part of Junior Detective, working as the partner of Lennie Briscoe, who is tasked with gathering enough evidence to make an arrest. During the second half, the player assumes the part of executive assistant district attorney, who is partnered with DA Serena Southerlyn, with the object of convincing a jury that the defendant is guilty.[1] DA Douglas Wade, played by Victor Brandt, is a character created exclusively for the game who does not appear in the main show.
Reception edit
Sales edit
Law & Order: Dead on the Money was a commercial success that surpassed its developer's expectations.[2] By August 2003, it had sold 180,000 units;[3] in the United States alone, more than 120,000 copies were sold by September.[4] PC Data tracked 55,956 domestic sales of the game during 2003 alone.[5] Legacy Interactive's Christina Oliver Taylor said at the time, "Frankly, we weren't sure how popular the game would be, given reports of decreasing sales trends for both adventure games and PC games, but we were counting on the enthusiasm of the Law & Order fans, and they really came through."[4] In early 2004, Lorraine Lue of DreamCatcher Interactive's European branch likewise reported that Dead on the Money had performed "very, very well" worldwide, and singled out the United Kingdom as a successful market for the game.[6]
Critical reviews edit
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 70/100[7] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Adventure Gamers |    [8] |
| Computer Gaming World | [9] |
| GameSpot | 6.5/10[10] |
| GameZone | 7.9/10[11] |
| IGN | 8/10[12] |
| PC Gamer (UK) | 37%[13] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 40%[14] |
| X-Play | [15] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[16] |
The game received "mixed or average reviews" from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Law & Order walkthrough". Gameboomers.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
- ^ Bronstring, Marek (March 7, 2003). "The Adventure Company Europe". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on October 23, 2005. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Nelson, Emily (August 18, 2003). "'Law & Order' Brand Name To Expand to Various Products". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "The Lounge; Interview with Legacy Interactive". The Inventory. No. 8. Just Adventure. September 2003. pp. 13–17. Archived from the original on August 13, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Sluganski, Randy (March 2004). "Sales December 2003 - The State of Adventure Gaming". Just Adventure. Archived from the original on April 11, 2004. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ "The Lounge; Interview with DreamCatcher Europe". The Inventory. No. 13. Just Adventure. March 2004. pp. 11–14. Archived from the original on August 13, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ a b "Law & Order: Dead on the Money for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ King, Tom (November 21, 2002). "Law & Order: Dead on the Money review". Adventure Gamers. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ Jongewaard, Dana (March 2003). "Law & Order: Dead on the Money" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 224. p. 106. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ Dulin, Ron (October 10, 2002). "Law & Order: Dead on the Money Review". GameSpot. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ Hollingshead, Anise (October 6, 2002). "Law & Order: Dead on the Money Review - PC". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ Komili, Onur (February 19, 2003). "Law & Order: Dead on the Money Review". IGN. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ "Law & Order: Dead on the Money". PC Gamer UK. 2003.
- ^ "Law & Order: Dead on the Money". PC Gamer: 114. January 2003.
- ^ Urbanek, AM (November 4, 2002). "'Law & Order: Dead on the Money' (PC) Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on April 4, 2003. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ Brooks, Mark (October 4, 2002). "Law & Order: Dead On The Money Review". Entertainment Weekly. No. 675–676. p. 158. Retrieved June 7, 2014.