The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief: Chapter 2 - Ancestry of Lies is the second third of a lengthy adventure game that puts you in control of one Constable Zellner. Already, Zellner has helped a train full of passengers get away from a burning wreckage in a tunnel, and attempted to help the famous French inspector, Legrand, catch the notorious master thief known as The Raven.

While Zellner’s adventure should have stopped once the train got its passengers to a cruise ship, a bump to the head at the wrong time had Zellner joining the inspector, the jewel he was protecting, and the jewel’s owner, a Baroness, as they made their way to Cairo for a showing of the gem.

The ship isn’t away from dock long before the Baroness is murdered, and Ancestry of Lies starts off not too long after Zellner has identified the ship’s new doctor, Gebhardt, as the murderer. Too bad, as this resulted in Zellner waking up strapped into a wheelchair with the bad doctor screwing up the courage to take our hero out of the picture permanently.

Before The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief: Chapter 2 - Ancestry of Lies can really get going, Zellner will have to escape, and the resulting aftermath leads many to believe that Gebhardt was not only the murderer, but also The Raven. Of course, Zellner isn’t quite convinced, so even when the Eye of the Sphinx jewel finally makes its way to the Cairo Museum, he is still unsettled.

Most of this chapter actually takes place in the seven or eight locations found inside this museum. During the time there, it will become painfully obvious that The Raven isn’t gone after all. Zellner will have to work close in hand with a London bobby who seems to suspect Zellner of being in cahoots with the crook, but of course, part of the mystery is whether or not this police officer is actually involved himself.

Before The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief: Chapter 2 - Ancestry of Lies is over, The Raven’s true identity will be revealed and that part of the mystery at least will be resolved. Where this game gets really interesting is just after the big reveal. Here, the player starts controlling The Raven and the game pretty much starts back over at the beginning.

Here you get a unique perspective on exactly how the events really went down, starting at the train station and going all the way to the cruise ship. In this way, you get to figure out on your own how to perform some of the daring feats The Raven did and even come close to running into Constable Zellner on more than one occasion. What results is a really solid story that gives you the entire series of events. There are times when Zellner unwittingly helps the thief, and other times when he came closer than he suspected in catching The Raven in a tight spot.

One aspect that I found really interesting in the perspective switching was the fact that I could use my memories of what I saw and did as Zellner to help me figure out what to do this time around. An example, and one that shouldn’t reveal too much, involved the crook trying to get out of a locked room while Zellner and the room’s occupant bang on the door. Well, remembering the state the room was in while playing as the Swiss constable helped guide me to just the right places.

It’s hard to say exactly what will come after The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief: Chapter 2 - Ancestry of Lies. While a lot of the thief’s story has now been told, there are still events that need to be filled in, and, well Zellner isn’t going to start off the game in too good of a situation yet again.

I found myself pretty well hooked when I started the first chapter of this game, but getting to the end of this section really has me chomping at the bit to see how it all plays out. The addition of seeing the criminal’s perspective really helps to make the game’s story both more complete and more compelling. Any adventure game fan looking for a long and solid gameplay experience should definitely check out The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief, but you might want to wait for the last chapter’s release. Otherwise, you will be left with a cliffhanger just like I am.