Think of your favorite novel. Now know this: The Da Vinci Code kicked its ass. Dan Brown's thriller about secret societies, hidden messages in famous paintings and some controversial theories about Jesus Christ is officially the best-selling novel ever, nearing almost 40 million copies in print. So what can the game provide that all those dead trees can't? More puzzles.
Without giving too much away, you'll take up the role of Robert Langdon, an art expert who finds himself a key suspect in a grisly murder investigation. Trouble is, you're one of the only people who can see beyond the surface of the situation and identify a deeper mystery among the evidence and, incredibly, famous works of art. As coded messages appear, it's up to you to clear your name and follow a global trail of cryptic clues - in 3D. As you collect objects and evidence throughout the game, you'll be able to rotate them on-screen, examine them closely, and store them in your virtual database (no note-taking required - just check the in-game menu for all the facts you'll need).
If you've read the book, you'll recognize puzzles and plot devices from the narrative, but some things have been expanded for the game, including new visits to Saint Sulpice and Normandy Mansion. In the early version of the game we saw, we spotted a lot of anagrams, as well as some physical, move-the-object-to-access-the-secret-area challenges and a few light cryptography puzzles. You'll also play as super-smart love interest Sophie Neveu before the story concludes, but she's no more likely to pull out a bazooka and blow away crazed monks than Langdon is. This is a game for smarties.
