Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None review

What’s your view on point-and-click games? Old-fashioned and tedious, or deliciously retro? Because this game is only going to be suitable for those who thrive on the kind of gameplay that has you filling a bucket with water drawn from the hand pump outside the kitchen, offering it to a goat so he’ll move to one side and grant you access to a remote part of the island, where you’ll then find a harness you must give to the spinster to knit you a parachute which may or may not be useful later in the game. Oh, sorry - that was a gigantic spoiler, by the way.

Well, actually, goats aside, it’s not terrible. The voice acting’s nice, and some of the undo-these-objects-then-combine-with-others puzzles are well done. Unfortunately, the transition from PC to Wii has brought with it a few odd juddering graphics, and some very uninspiring motion-reliant tasks you have to “figure out” as you go - it’s like Zack & Wiki for the drunk. Make a digging action to scoop out flour from that bag, you say? Witchcraft!

Still, sleuth-fans and point-and-click nuts will probably like it, and Agatha Christie fans will be intrigued by the plot changes, not to mention the multiple endings. Just bear in mind you can pick up second-hand copies for PC for less than a fiver on Amazon.

Feb 28, 2008