Agatha Christie Death on the Nile (PC)

Agatha Christie ™ Death on the Nile (pc game)


The objective of this game is to find the murderer(s) of a married woman called Linnet Doyle and other victims later on. This murder took place on a board ship and so players are shown different rooms on the ship and asked to find certain objects some of which turn out to be clues. A certain time is given at the end of which if not all the objects were found, the player repeats ...
...for instance). And of course, Agatha Christie's book was written in 1937 and the creators of this game choose the objects in each room carefully to suit that period. The characters themselves are represented with faithfulness to the original text, especially in the case of the famous detective.



Probably one of the best things about this game is the music; it is superb and definitely relevant to the idea behind this ... more

Agatha Christie ™ Death on the Nile (pc game)

The objective of this game is to find the murderer(s) of a married woman called Linnet Doyle and other victims later on. This murder took place on a board ship and so players are shown different rooms on the ship and asked to find certain objects some of which turn out to be clues. A certain time is given at the end of which if not all the objects were found, the player repeats the stage they failed in. Five hints are also given to help the player.

The number of objects one is asked to find varies; it starts with 18 in the first stage and end with around 50 in the final stage. What adds to the beauty, and difficulty of the game, is for instance having to find 12 pieces of a torn picture or letter, 6 roses and put them in a vase, numbered balls and put them in a jar in a certain order, 3 ducks in the right order, "sun" which means finding the word written and not a picture of it, a set of 3 pots, and having to find an object of which only a small piece is shown. In these instance, even when one is asked to find more than one object, they are counted as one. Moreover, the five hints which are given in each stage help you find a certain object (like one rose) but does not help you in figuring where to put it, if asked to do so, or in what order, for example.

It is probably one of the best "seek and find" games in terms of the techniques and variations used and it might be one of the most realistic and believable games, yet sometimes one is asked to look for apples and pieces of cheese and not just for clues or significant objects. Moreover, in these games that are based on finding objects, you come across strange cases: bananas on the wall, cup on the umbrella or under the bed, teabags on the floor (yes, one is asked to find a number of teabags and put them in a mug), etc… Anyway, these things are unavoidable; they are there to extend the durability of the game, and to make you appreciate detectives who start from scratch even when, in reality, they don't find pens stuck vertically on a cupboard.

However, the game does not only involve finding items; it gives you the feeling that you are doing a complete investigation of the crime. This is because the player has the option of questioning everybody in the salon, and later on gets access to the clue room where all the findings can be examined closely. Also, there are bonus rounds at the end of each stage in which you can rearrange a certain picture or letter or solve a puzzle. One of these bonus rounds which I really enjoyed involve finding out what a certain substance is through making tests with water, salt, vinegar, and nail polish remover.

The graphics are realistic and although no two rooms in the ship are alike, yet they give a clear idea of the personality of each of the characters. So, each room has a topic that can be nautical, medical, artistic, extravagant, exotic, or meagre and even mechanical (in the engine room, for instance). And of course, Agatha Christie's book was written in 1937 and the creators of this game choose the objects in each room carefully to suit that period. The characters themselves are represented with faithfulness to the original text, especially in the case of the famous detective.

Probably one of the best things about this game is the music; it is superb and definitely relevant to the idea behind this game. It gives you the feeling of a mysterious thing going on and at the same time something about it is elegantly oriental, which also pertains to the setting.

The only downfall for me is that playing the game a second time might not be very enjoyable. At first you are intrigued by arranging the ducks and forming the rainbow out of small coloured triangles, but once you solve these nothing remains to be done really. However, you are given 25 minutes to finish each stage and so it will take you some time before you finish the game and get bored of it. The game is not easy at times and therefore I think it is definitely suitable for adults, but I'm not sure whether children will enjoy it or not, for they might get stuck in certain stages.

<> Recommended? Yes. This is a truly amusing game that is based on a wonderful idea, has a plausible objective, and its difficulty makes it entertaining enough for adults… I mean, who wouldn't like to play the role of the famous Hercule Poirot and be able to solve every mystery under the sun?! And, I admit, playing the game encouraged me to read three of Christie's books.

<> Price: $19.99 from Yahoo, and you can download a trial version and play the game for one hour.

Summary: Highly recommended; it's the happy marriage between games and literature. 

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