Production of this game evidently began with some high expectations, but was bruised by one unforeseen after another. The casting, including Elliot Gould as a chief of police, is upbeat - meanwhile, the action scenes including dancers, etc. in the atmospheric, sleazy topless bars do not (for me) lend any valuable erotic enticement to the adventure, as these moments are in fact "plot retardation" and distractions from solving the case.
The worst disasters to strike this ambitious game production appear to be (I'm no insider or expert) 1.) sale of the production to a new producer who back-burner-ed it, and 2.) dramatic changes in computer standards during the production process.
The result has the beginnings of an honest-to-gosh, stylish detective experience, but - through evident budget cuts and changes in priorities, it was never brought to full potential - and as a result is too short and disappointingly shallow. All its potential strong points needed more development.
I played this game at a time when I was searching for other productions in the style of Under a Killing Moon, the Gabriel Knight series, Noctropolis, etc. I obtained this game through the Internet from another player - and in the same search located another game by the title of The Dame Was Loaded, which (sadly) substantially outshines this title and which I would up playing perhaps three times over the years.
There are many, many video games inferior to Blue Heat, less ambitious and with less atmosphere, but I admit I haven't played again since obtaining it perhaps six-seven years ago, in 2001.
