Misslead: Dee (Season 1)

Blimey! Here's a surreal one. How many games have you played where the main characters says things like "All men should have their testicles removed with a scalpel dipped in acid?" Not many, I'll wager, and although it might be a savage and dramatic scenario, it also speaks volumes about the depth of story and wry, even black, humour permeating this disarming, provoking and challenging adventure game.

Adopting the mould of popular series, Phoenix Wright, Misslead: Dee transforms the comic book styling of the DS game into a more mature, contemporary and suave affair.

You take on the role of Dee – a single lesbian mother who works as a powerful divorce lawyer. Her quick wits and scathing sarcasm are wielded like razor-sharp blades, and with the combination of angels and demons sitting on your shoulders whispering sugar-coated flattery and poison-tipped denigrations to hurl at the people in Dee's life, here we have a game that takes mature themes and trashy airport reading to new levels.

The core isn't about Dee's endeavours as a lawyer however. What makes Misslead different from almost every other adventure game ever made (a bold statement, to be sure, but one we feel is justified) is we're not following the exploits of her life, but her life itself.

Before the bitter and fierce courtroom battles, we're dealing with her difficulties as a single mother, and her personal relationship with desperate clients. By selecting from a few choice – and distinctly divergent – responses to each situation (whether it's answering the phone to your secretary or talking with your young son), Dee gains 'angel' or 'demon' points, depending on the pleasant or acerbic nature of that particular reply.

More assertive or useful comments can only be made when a full angel or demon (gained with four points) has been collected, and it's these choice statements that shape Dee's life.

What's especially clever is that angels and demons must often be 'gathered' (shall we call it) when chatting with a client, secretary or even your son, which can mean being excessively polite or nasty during the conversation. Only then will Dee be equipped to deal with the opposing lawyer, judge, ex-lover or witness. A complex yet intriguing system, it demands a great deal of forethought and pulls you into the game in a way that's not often seen in a graphical adventure.

Much of the decision making is something of an illusion however, as you're gradually herded through to a specific conclusion. Clearly this is necessary to keep the strong storyline moving and the real challenge is in carefully crafting Dee's personality so she's able to cope with the demands of red hot soliciting (what with her being a solicitor and all), so it's difficult to see it as a major flaw in the gameplay

Misslead: Dee is definitely not a game for everyone though. A game with dialogue like "…not even if he dropped his pants and waved his pecker at me" should probably carry an age restriction. But anyone looking for a deeply involving title that makes no excuses for its mobile format should definitely check it out.