Truth or Lies

While Kinect may be the hot topic for casual gamers of late, we shouldn't forget that Microsoft had several gaming peripherals out long before Kinect with the potential to lure in casual gamers, such as the LIVE vision camera and Xbox microphones. Unfortunately there hasn't been much to celebrate in terms of games, with the LIVE vision camera being more infamous for its use in Uno games and the Lips mics only being used in Lips games. THQ, however, is hoping to add another title to that list with the release of Truth or Lies, a game that uses "unique vocal calibration software" to determine whether players are lying or telling the truth when answering a selection of questions.

Presented like a game show quiz, the main party mode allows up to eight players to participate in short, medium or long sessions consisting of three rounds each, with the only difference being the number of questions, and the types of questions - so you can avoid any questions that might upset granny. Alternatively, you have the option to play in the hot seat mode which sees one player use the mic to record a question which has to then be answered by another player.

Two of the three rounds usually focuses on the other players taking part. For example, you could get questions like, "Do you fancy any of the other people in the room?”, or "Who's the worst singer in the room and why?”, with each player being allowed ten seconds to answer before it deciphers the truthfulness of their response. The remaining round focuses on questions that ask you to choose between two options, or to answer whether you'd do something disgusting in exchange for cash. No, not that. Thankfully, you also have three chances during the game to skip a question if you feel a bit too worried that you might make a fool of yourself - then again, by not answering you may also be giving yourself away. At the end of each round players will earn rewards for having had the most truthful answer or having told the most blatant lie, with their response being played back for all to hear.

Annoyingly enough though, if they mic isn't close enough to your mouth the game frequently fails to identify any of your answers and pretends like you haven't answered at all. This means that you'll have to hold the mic right up against your lips, and depending on the hygiene habits of your fellow gamers, you might not be too pleased at the idea.

While THQ may be touting Truth or Lies as having fancy calibration software, don't expect to use it in a court of law, as it seems almost random at times when deciphering your answers. While playing, I was apparently lying 99% of the time despite telling the truth. I suppose there is always the chance that my voice resembles that of a snake oil charmer. Other people that I played with had the opposite problem in that the game was incapable of picking up when they were lying. It would appear that the game uses the pitch of your voice to tell whether or not you're lying, so if you're desperate to win there's definitely some ways you can cheat the system - which detracts away from the whole premise of the game.

Truth or Lies isn't a particularly bad game - it's the sort of game that should go down well at a party if you've got a few friends over - and a few drinks in them - and you need to kill some time. But ultimately, the flawed mechanics means this title has little to offer in the way of longevity, meaning it will soon find its way into the dusty corners of your cupboard.

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