Detectives have been a source of intrigue for readers, viewers, and gamers since the golden age of Detective Fiction, between the 1920s and 1930s. A pioneer of detective fiction, Agatha Christie is proof that the allure of mystery and the urge to solve them never died—Agatha Christie’s novel from 1937, Death on the Nile. Now, Microids Studio Lyon reimagines the novel Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile in a game that represents her iconic mustachioed detective, Hercule Poirot, set in the 1970s.

The moustache-twirling detective extraordinaire and iconic Belgian, Hercule Poirot, once again turns up at the perfect time to solve crimes. The year is 1975, Poirot happens to be at his friend’s club, Chez Ma Tante in London, only to witness a proposal gone wrong and the theft of an engagement ring that sets a series of mysteries into motion, including an ill-fated murder. I’ve had my fair share of experience in Poirot’s tale, which are usually set between the 1920s and 1930s and portrayed as such through adaptations in media. So, rocking up in a club complete with a dancefloor and funky music was a refreshing, groovy spin on the classic setting.

Microids’ approach to detective work is interesting; it follows a similar format to their previous action-adventure detective game, Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express. Poirot engages in the typical detective work, following leads and deducing from the facts by putting his “little grey cells” to work, as he famously remarks. Using contextual clues to fill out his “Mind Map,” linking the chain of events together, including questioning witnesses and suspects, and investigating crime scenes, made me feel like I was genuinely deducing the facts from fiction. It was a clever implementation that really added to the feeling of being a private investigator.

The cases are incredibly involved. Cases not only require multiple conversations, some eavesdropping and investigation, but the inclusion of puzzles such as repairing a jukebox or temporarily stepping into various non-detective tasks. While these did offer a nice break from the usual investigative works, they tended to get tiresome, especially when they were rather finicky. The game effectively combines gameplay with a variety of tasks to engage players.

Still, the busywork of the additional non-detective tasks tends to be underwhelming and too time-consuming, with each chapter taking a considerable amount of time, depending on one’s understanding. I did, however, enjoy the alternating gameplay between chapters, where Jane Royce, a gifted novice detective with her own vested interest in this particular series of unfortunate events. Her personality was a pleasant, charismatic counterpoint to Poirot’s more old-school personality, and I enjoyed her interactions and scenarios more than I expected to.

On lower difficulties, hints can be used to solve or provide guidance on how to complete them; some even allow for automatic puzzle solving, which in some instances may be preferable for players keen to get back to the detective work. For the amateur detectives, Death on the Nile offers a Story difficulty of Balanced, which provides fewer hints for the next leads and introduces red herrings to throw Poirot off his trail. For the super sleuths, Herculean ups the ante by turning off any hints and making puzzles more complex. I found the story and the balanced difficulties to be challenging enough without needing to.

Moving from a club in London to a cruise across the Nile and further into Egypt made the game feel more about the journey than the destination, and I mostly appreciated it. The storytelling was mainly invested, with even the most unlikeable characters having a good enough amount of depth to really make you question their motives.

In some cases, my initial assumptions were incorrect, albeit some players in the story had awkward dialogue and line delivery that felt like a crime in itself. The voice talents for Hercule Poirot and Jane Royce, in particular, were endearing, and I didn’t mind listening to their observations as they uncovered more details. They were done enough justice to hold my interest in their overall story arcs, especially as their journeys converged.

The typical point-and-click controls were translated into the DualSense’s analog sticks and button scheme, as well as controls for moving the characters throughout relatively large, open areas. The only issue I really had was occasionally turning dials or switches during some puzzles, but these instances were few and far between. I experienced virtually no performance issues; however, the graphics tended to feel dated, with characters appearing stiff and background elements looking washed out. On occasion, the mind-map interface could feel quite overwhelming to explore.

For fans of detective fiction, especially those who appreciate the works of the illustrious author Agatha Christie, who penned the original novel, Agatha Christie Death on the Nile is a great love letter to her classic book. Microids Studio Lyon takes the classic genre and brings it forward, infusing the storytelling, music, and voice acting with a quintessential detective genre feel, striking a balance between old-school mystery and the slightly more modern 1970s era. It may not be the idea of a thrilling time for some, but for those seeking the allure of a good mystery, Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile may be worth investigating.

Written by: Yasmin Noble