Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases

All you murder mystery fans should get pumped up for Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases. If you’re anything like me, you love a good old-fashioned mystery that tackles things like theft, betrayal and murder, among other things. When a game captures ideas like this and successfully conveys them to the player, you can often find yourself engrossed in it right up to and beyond the solve. If you are interested in a game that will test your wits and give you the freedom to solve a case your own way, then buckle up and let’s get into it.

Gameplay

So, the gameplay in this title is reminiscent of L.A. Noire and Sherlock Holmes: Crime & Punishment, where you take control of the titular detective and gather clues, speak to suspects, learn more information and come to a conclusion.

There is also the mind map where you make deductions from your evidence and see if they fit the narrative. There is a considerable amount to look at and discover here and, thankfully, the game doesn’t really hold your hand through it. You are allowed to investigate as you see fit and come to conclusions on your own.

Story

The story of this game follows our protagonist and resident Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. That being said, this game takes place before he becomes the legendary detective that we all know and love. A young an inexperienced in his investigative duties, players control Poirot as he breaks open his first big case and proves to the world that he has what it takes to be the best.

The story has a significant number of twists and turns as you would expect form any good murder mystery novel and I found that to be fantastically refreshing throughout. I love a good investigation game, and this one hands you everything you need to be able to determine the culprit. At no point do you feel robbed because a piece of information was never revealed to you. It’s a brilliant game that handles mystery and pacing very well. You cannot ask for more in this genre. Something I found to be a little bit brilliant is the characterization of Poirot. He is exactly as one would remember him from the books, if a little green in comparison, but still the very same person. Fans of the original works or TV shows will love him.

Visuals

The visuals of this title are very clean and precise. There is something almost stop motion about the animation, where it looks as though everyone has been cast in painstaking detail from clay. The game does well to capture that 19th century aesthetic as well, everything is colorful and immaculately maintained while staying true to decoration and architectural trends.

All the non-playable characters look as though they have a place in the time period but they all also look sufficiently different from each other. Poirot himself has been brilliantly rendered in a stylish suit and red shoes that allow him to stand out from others while staying true to the fashion of the time.

Pros

• Great gameplay
• Excellent rendition of Poirot
• Great story and mystery
• Lovely visuals

Cons

• The top-down angle can make you feel a bit detached at times.
• Could use a few quality-of-life improvements.