The truth is out there. And this game, based on one of the best sci-fi TV series in history, is way, way "out there." Despite performances by original cast members David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, and a few other favorites, The X-Files puts the "normal" back into paranormal.

Collaboration with the TV show's creator, Chris Carter, ensures that the game attains the eerie visual quality of the show, but the lack of any tension or pacing makes one wonder why the game is spread across an unusually voluminous four PlayStation discs.

Mulder and Scully have gone missing, and as the poorly acted Craig Willmore, a local FBI agent, you must find the clues that lead to their whereabouts. Most of the game is spent aimlessly wandering from location to location, hoping to find screen hotspots that may possibly give players a clue as to what they are supposed to do next.

Conversations with others seem strangely stilted, and often the script offers up red herrings that will frustrate players who try to play the game as if it were logically designed. In a number of instances, even though you know what course of action you should take, you're forced to wait for the game to catch up with you before taking it. Unless you are a die-hard X-Files collector, there is little reason to own this game. —Jeff Young

Pros:
Lots of well-produced video

Cons:
No sense of pacingLimited interactionPoor documentationIllogical designScully and Mulder's appearances no more than cameos