A couple of months ago a small, industry event took place in Germany called Gamescom, you may have heard about it. While there, we went hands-on with many different games, including the soon-to-be-released Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express from Microids.
One of the murder mysteries that everyone has heard of, even if they’ve yet to read the book or watch the multiple movies, it is considered one of the best of its genre, but how well does that transpose over to a video game? Well, pretty well and surprisingly relaxing, as it seems.
Murder on the Orient Express – You Don’t Know Everything
Hercule Poirot, perhaps the second most famous fictional detective behind Sherlock Holmes, is doing his thing on the Orient Express when disaster strikes. Someone is killed, and he takes it upon himself to find the culprit. That is the basic premise of the game, the book, and the movies. Unlike other media the story is presented in though, this version is not only set during modern times, but has a completely new and unique ending, so even the most die-hard fans will be surprised.
My initial impression of the game during the opening minutes of my hands-on was the very distinct art style, some would call it Dishonored-esque. This is due to the inclusion of Cedric Peyravernay, a character designer on this and the previously mentioned Arkane title. It certainly gives the well-trod story a unique look, if nothing else. Again though, this will help set the game version far apart from every other one.
The story is a modern retelling of the story, set in 2023, and with it, comes some creative licence from the developers. An entirely new character called Joanne has been created for the tale, and instead of being limited to Poirot and the train, you’ll take control of Joanne throughout the game and go through various locations including Istanbul, for one. As the story progresses, it become apparent that these two previously assumed separate tales are interwoven, and the mystery will deepen and become more complex.
Unravel and Solve the Mystery
The gameplay will seem familiar to anyone who has played a ‘whodunit’ murder game throughout the years. Murder on the Orient Express doesn’t break many molds, but it does do the simple things very well, from ensuring you have all the clues in a scene to having to piece together various clues to progress through a ‘Character Analysis’, which is exactly what it sounds like – you’ll interview suspects, and depending on their answers and the evidence you’ve gathered thus far, you’ll be building a mind-map of everyone involved, and whether they’re a suspect or not.
The game does hold your hand at times, but it does seem that you’ll get a bit of freedom in the way you approach your investigation, but from my limited time and exposure to the game itself, that may be wrong.
This is a game aimed at a very niche group of gamers. If you’re someone who usually plays Call of Duty and nothing else, this won’t hit the same dopamine receptors for you. There’s not much fast-paced gameplay here. However, if you’re a true crime nut, a murder mystery lover, or just someone who wants to think a little more whilst they play, this will be right up your street. Whether the Agatha Christie die-hards will be enthused is another question, but for the target demographic, Murder on the Orient Express will be a fun ride.
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