Product Description

How does a millionaire wind up with a phony diamond? Can Hercule Poirot solve a murder on an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous when everyone has an alibi? One of Agatha Christie's most famous characters is back in typical style, turning up at just the right time to begin an investigation into the murder of a famous actress during what should have been the start of a relaxing holiday. Taking on the role of detective Hercule Poirot, players can scour a stunning tropical island for clues and delve deeper into the mysterious relationships between over 20 unique characters to search out the killer. Additional storyline appended to that of the original novel providing a new ending Exceptionally rendered exotic environments with painstaking detail 20+ hours of gameplay ESRB Rated RP for Rating Pending

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1575 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Dreamcatcher
• Model: PCO54350MB
• Released on: 2007-10-16
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Windows XP
• Dimensions: .75 pounds

Features

• Play as world renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot
• Over 20 unique characters to interact with each with their own motives
• Cinematic camera perspectives emphasizing character facial emotions
• Shadowing ability allows Poirot to stealthily follow suspects from a discreet distance
• Advanced in-game hint system including automatic journal recording

Customer Reviews

Don't waste your money
I write and read reviews to help other people find a game that's worthwhile. First of all, im going to be a little biased on my review of this game because the game kept freezing up constantly and it took 1-2 minutes for each different location to show up, so i had to quit before i even had a chance to complete the game. I have a fairly new computer and ive only had a couple of games not work on my computer, so i don't know if it was my computer or the game itself causing the complications. Anyway, why im giving it 2 stars is because the game gives you basically two general areas to explore. Once you've explored them you keep running back and forth and combing the same areas over and over waiting for something new to come about. That gets boring, I like new locations that pop up as i progress. The other Agatha Chrisie games i've played were enjoyable but this one wasn't very good at all.

Save your time
I don't write many reviews. Only if I feel strongly about an item. In this case, a game that I wasted many hours on. At first, I was intrigued, then I was curious (when was this game going to "get going?"). Then I was bored to death and frustrated because I was too stubborn to end my own suffering.
I love adventure games. Only 2 have made me write a poor review.
I hope you choose another game. I hate to see developers getting good feedback and sales for a job poorly done.

A little simple, but fun
Pros:

* Staged gameplay: you progress in chunks, and you know you've accomplished what you need to when it allows you to move on.
* In-game hints: not the most helpful in-game hints, but between the journal instructions and the 'finger of suspicion' you can find your way through. Also, the dialogue gives a lot of hints and occasionally tells you what to do.
* Logical use of items for the most part - no combining dust bunnies with smarties to create a new sentient life form.
* Smooth gameplay and easy-to-use menus.
* Overall it was a well-programmed game with only a few minor continuity glitches (there's one point where you can still 'see' something that has already been retrieved and removed).

Cons:

* Auto-play sequences can be touchy to initiate - there's one time where you simply have to go back and look at something to get it to play, even if you've looked at that same thing dozens of times and it hasn't changed.
* Double-click to view inventory is a real pain - I had to click dozens of times to bring up the view screen. Why didn't they add a 'view' button to the main inventory page, or make it a right-click function?!
* Real veterans of this type of game might find it a bit on the easy side - there were very few brain-teaser-like puzzles and not a lot of action. The majority of the time you spend walking about, which reminds me:
* Too much time spend getting from place to place. I realize this is because you do bump into people on the way, but it was a lot of clicking, especially if you're not super-efficient in your moves. I prefer games with fixed locations that can be jumped between with the use of a map screen, but that's a personal preference.

Overall:

I quite enjoyed it, and even as impatient as I am I didn't have to cheat... much. There were a LOT of characters to keep track of, though, and that got a bit confusing. I would have really liked a cheat sheet with their names and faces just so I could keep them straight (but I have a problem with names, so maybe that's just me). I think the mystery was straightforward and Poirot really walks you through it, so it wasn't as much of a mind-bending challenge as games with tons of puzzles, but it was relaxing in a way, too. I think it's a great starter game for those not used to this type of game (but why would I combine a spaghetti strainer with a porkchop?! - the days of the old 'Day of the Tentacle' and 'Sam and Max') or even a veteran who wants to kick back and take it easy. On par with most of the Nancy Drew games out there.