Culpa Innata (Windows)

CULPA INNATA is a thought-provoking adventure that takes place 40 years in the future. Comprised of most of Earth's countries, the World Union is labeled as an utopian society, devoid of war, famine, and disease -- until a World Union citizen is murdered in the "rogue state" of Russia, curiously coinciding with the accidental death of a prominent professor in Adrianopolis, a strategic border town between the World Union and Russia. You play as a young woman, Phoenix Wallis, a junior Peace and Security Officer assigned to investigate these disturbing events. During the investigation, however, Wallis unravels a more shocking truth about the worldview she has sworn to uphold and protect.

Playing from a third-person perspective, you move Wallis around by clicking the arrow in the direction in which you'd like her to travel. If an object can be interacted with, the mouse cursor will change to a magnifying glass for further inspection. Puzzles she faces might include picking a lock, solving a Rubik's Cube, reinstating power at a facility to hack into a security program, or following a recipe to make glue in order to patch a hole in the wall. At times you'll be asked to combine items in your inventory to create something new. When you meet characters you can talk to, you'll be able to select questions or responses from a list of branching conversation paths, which can affect the outcome of the story.

A minor issue with the game is its technical instability. At the time of this writing, no fewer than three patches (downloadable updates) are available, which fix odd bugs, freezes and crashes. But the fleshed-out story separates "Culpa Innata," which means "original sin," from other computer games of its kind. The Istanbul, Turkey-based developer did a terrific job in providing a fictitious historical timeline leading to the middle of the 21st century, offering plenty of meaningful dialogue, great facial animations, and adding a few "wow" gadgets and special effects to match the futuristic theme. The music is also well done, if not a bit repetitive.

Culpa Innata offers a deep and immersive experience that rewards players for unraveling a complex story, interacting with interesting characters, and solving intelligent puzzles. The game might not single-handedly resurrect the ailing PC adventure genre, but it should serve as a reminder that these once-popular games are still alive and well.

Available on: Windows
Not available online
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Strategy First
Released on: December 10, 2007
Price: 19.99
ESRB Rating: M for Blood, Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence