Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None

The Good
I have never read the book on which this game was based, but I have seen various television and movie adaptations. All of them were marvelous and I looked forward to playing a game with the same plot.

The contents of both CDs are installed completely onto your hard drive, so you can put the game away after installation. Referring to the manual will help you navigate around the house, though, so keep it handy.

There is nothing unusual about the simple point-and-click interface. Icons for movement, pick up, examine and use are present. Inventory items can be looked at, taken apart and combined inside the "bag". You also have a notebook to refer to if you choose.

The atmosphere is one of pending doom and the music reflects that, as does the storm brewing outside the mansion. Graphics of the house and Shipwreck Island (where the mansion is located) seem realistic enough. The voices of the actors and actresses are marvelous in the English version. The puzzles are integrated into the story very well and are very easy, for the most part.

The story is presented in 10 chapters following the verses the poem. One by one the guests are murdered off until "there were none". It is nice that you do have a chance to save one, two or none of them and that the endings will reflect what happens in each case. And then .. you are given an opportunity to see how Agatha Christie's original story was told in a "final treat".

The Bad
The individuals stranded on the island are drawn stupidly .. akin to what we used to see from that obsolete french company (some of you will know to whom I refer). Blocky bodies; teeth either missing or all too white and in the wrong places; funky body movements.

There's entirely too much conversation and trampling up and down stairs to find people to talk to. And not being able to escape out of the conversations (and comments) was irritating.

The pathways around the island are not very clear. Even with a map your view changes often and it's easy to get lost or at least to forget which paths lead where.

The Bottom Line
I must say I was disappointed with this first Agatha Christie game. It felt more like a Nancy Drew mystery than a real Christie thriller. Somewhat fun, yes .. just not a great game .. and easy to forget.

The Good
I love the fact that the game followed the book. You could change the ending by either omitting saving someone or deciding to save them. The puzzles and things to do when investigating were fun and you had more than just one area to search. The weather scenes were very realistic and it did seem to draw you into the mystery. Interaction with each character was necessary and gave great detail and information to help solve the mystery.

The Bad
There was no way to speed through the conversations. Usually you simply hit the space key or enter. At times the conversations seemed to take forever. There are some things you can do in the game that are not necessary to win. However, if not done in the correct order you do not have the ability to do them if you decide you wanted to. Most of the time you cannot continue on unless you do everything exactly right.

The Bottom Line
It's a bit complex but enjoyable. The dark scenery and the mystery is enough to keep you captivated. Graphics, music, and the personalities of the characters draw you in easily. At the end of the game they give you the actual ending of the book and the reasons behind it.

The Good
Very well conversion of the Novel into a great game. The Game keeps a tight grip on the player right from the beginning and it remains intact till the end.

The Sound Track is also awesome and arranges as per the game environment. The Graphics are also very nicely created. The Mansion and the surrounding as well as the side quests also makes this game real treat for the player.

The game Engine and the Graphics are also very well integrated with each other enabling the player to enjoy every moment of the game.

The Bad
Well, there is nothing much I didn't like about the game but the dialogue system could be much better giving the player chance to skip the sentences avoiding hearing the repeated narrations.

The Bottom Line
It's a very good game and a sure delight for Christie Fans. It's the same great story about 10 Strangers each is having a deep dark past which they wants to hide from everyone, but it is been revealed.

The game provides dark and creepy atmosphere and tense situations. If you have read the book or have seen the movie no matter because it provides different endings with great twists.

A sure delight for Suspense & Mystery Adventurers.