I have always had a soft spot for Agatha Christie’s rotund moustachioed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. We’ve seen him in TV shows, movies and games all set around his 1920s and 30s adventures. Poirot’s latest game is Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case, which follows on from The First Cases and is once again developed by Glasgow-based Blazing Griffin studio.
Retelling a Classic
Things start off with a young Poirot having to guard a painting that is making its way to London with the help of Arthur Hastings. But upon reaching London the painting is stolen just as it is unveiled to a select group.
This triggers a classic ‘whodunnit?’. The crime, at first glance, seems impossible and it’s up to you to get to the bottom of the case. It’s a fairly layered tale that has a few twists and turns, but lacks the killer hook that The First Cases tale had.
Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case is an origins tale in many ways. It tells the tale of how Poirot and Hastings first met and ultimately became a crime solving duo. This burgeoning relationship makes for some interesting moments, as the vastly different characters may not see eye to eye at times.
Becoming Poirot
Fans of detective games or the first title will know what to expect here, as you will be searching for clues, analysing objects, interrogating suspects and anyone else you believe is involved with the crime in question.
Then once you think you have enough info you can have a stab at connecting all the dots together, on a sort of mind map view – that shows a lot of different info regarding the case. Oddly, unlike other similar themed titles, you cannot come to the wrong conclusion.
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This is a bit of a let-down as it takes the edge off things. Poirot tells you that what you chose doesn’t make sense or isn’t right. Sherlock Holmes games, for example, let you accuse the wrong person and forces you to live with the outcome.
Also with this being clearly based around Hastings and Poirot’s first meeting, it’s a bit of a let-down that Hastings never plays more of a part in the game beyond just a sidekick and avid listener, where he could have added in some different gameplay elements.
The Style of Poirot
Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case has a very cartoon-like aesthetic. This does add an odd charm to things but also strangely gives it a feeling of being a mobile game in an odd way. This feeling is bolstered by at times with textures, objects, and characters sometimes looking a tad rough.
The audio of Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case starts with a bang during a strong intro. However, the sound design fades into the background and becomes a lot more subtle.
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The voice acting on show in Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case is good overall. Characters have a decent mix of accents that feel period correct. Lead voice actor Will De Renzy-Martin holds everything together with a solid Poirot. His performance has vibes of David Suchet’s legendary portrayal without flat-out imitation.
A Problem Named Poirot
The biggest problem I found was the Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case being on an isometric view. Vital items or clues can be all too easy to miss items unless the player rotates the camera and searched every angle.
Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case is the perfect rainy Sunday afternoon title. One that lets you fill the stylish loafers of a legendary detective, even though it may be too simple and guided at times. But as Poirot himself would say, there’s a few moments that will test those ‘little grey cells’.