Literary writers can count on a faithful adaptation of the novel, whose scenario is repeated strictly identically. So we find the famous killer obsessed with the alphabet, who begins by murdering Alice Asher in Andover, before attacking Betty Barnard in Bexhill, and so on. But, a little too sure of himself, our man has fun warning Hercule Poirot of future crimes, which will naturally cause his downfall. The counterpart of this fidelity to the work of Agatha Christie lies in the lack of screenplay surprises reserved for those who have already read the novel. But, let's be clear, it's clearly preferable to a video game that would distort its source of inspiration. Especially since the gameplay mechanics chosen by the developers are pleasant enough to play to hold the attention, even when we know that such and such a character is not the much sought-after culprit. In addition to a few objects to pick up and use in the right place, this new generation point and click (understand by this: accessible to all and without capillotracted puzzles) is essentially based on four types of action (observation, dialogues, gray cells and reflection) , which we will now detail. The observation phases take the form of short sequences where the mouse cursor must be pointed at different elements of a scene or a character, in order to obtain useful information for the investigation. Nothing complicated, since the camera is then fixed, the number of areas to discover is indicated on the screen, and a graphic effect clearly indicates when we are approaching the right place. In the case where we observe a character, this phase of the game gives us clues about his state of mind and his personality, clues which can then prove useful during the dialogue phases. These offer us several choices of sentences to pronounce, and selecting the most appropriate earns ego points, useful for unlocking trophies. A good way for the game to encourage us to get into the shoes of the character, since the best dialogue choices correspond to those that Hercule Poirot would be most likely to utter in the situation depicted. Add to that a modeling inspired by the famous television series dedicated to the Belgian detective (and therefore the actor David Suchet), and you get an immediately and perfectly believable Poirot.
IF YOU ADVANCE AND YOU HERCULES, HOW DO YOU EXPECT...
The observation of a place makes it possible to obtain useful clues to solve the game phases called "grey cells". You have to answer simple questions, choosing the most relevant pieces of information. These are represented by circles, to be placed in the mental diagram supposed to represent the process of cogitation of Poirot. Again, there is really nothing complicated, and simple common sense is more than enough to get by. Finally, under the title "Reflection", the game also offers us puzzle phases, generally based on unlockable mechanisms. Going around the object represented in 3D (a cash register, a record player, a piece of furniture, a box...), we unearth buttons, drawers and other flaps, as well as more or less subtle clues on how to handle them. All of these different game mechanics work quite well, and we let ourselves be carried by them quietly throughout the adventure. A little too quietly even, since the developers have clearly put the soft pedal on the difficulty. The general public will appreciate, but the seasoned adventure games may remain unsatisfied. This is not the only criticism that can be made to The ABC Murders, which also suffers from a perfectible soundtrack. If some of the French voices are successful, others are struggling to convince. And if the music corresponds perfectly to the Agatha Christie atmosphere, it comes up against sound effects that are far too rare to really bring the sets to life. It should also be noted that the game is prone to bugs, especially during the gray cell phases. Sometimes a (good) answer is only partially validated, which leads to a blocking of progress and then forces you to start a new game, praying that the problem does not happen again. Finally, let's finish with a quick word on the graphics, which use the now famous technique of cel-shading. A relatively surprising choice given that Hercule Poirot is not really a comic book hero at the base, but you get used to it very quickly!
