If ever there
was a medium for the return of the point-and-click adventure, it’s Wii. And
while the critically acclaimed Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure
recently proved the genre can still be an original and fun experience, Agatha
Christie: And Then There Were None shows exactly why the genre has faded away.
And Then There
Were None is essentially a straight port of the 2005 PC game of the same name. Wii specific motion controls have been added, but the graphics, sound and
gameplay remain the same. And as you would expect, the experience is extremely
dated.
The environments are generally alright, but the character models
are stiff and crude.
The most
obvious offenders are the visuals. The game wasn’t exactly groundbreaking in its
time, and by today’s standard is downright primitive. The pre-rendered backdrops
are, by their nature, fairly outdated, although they still look acceptable for
the most part. It’s the character models that really show their age. The designs
themselves are lacking detail and the animation is even worse.
The gameplay
doesn’t fair any better. The puzzles can be satisfying at times, but many of
them and confusing and nonsensical. I’m still trying to figure out how I was
supposed to realize that pouring apple cider onto a huge thorny thicket would
cause a couple goats to clear the way. But of course, the biggest mystery may be
why the batteries are hidden in a bag of flour. I suppose it’s all good practice
for those aspiring MacGyvers out there, but it doesn’t make for a lot of fun.
Of course! The batteries for the flashlight are inside the bag of
flour! Quite obvious in retrospect!
Luckily many of
these puzzles are optional. In fact the core game is mostly talking to your
fellow housemates. For those unfamiliar with the classic mystery, which
originally went under a very different title (go ahead, Wikipedia it), And Then
There Were None revolves around a group of ten individuals invited to a private
residence on a secluded island under mysterious circumstances. I don’t think I’m
spoiling too much by revealing that one by one they are disposed of by a
mysterious assailant.
As you would
expect, And Then There Were None is at its best when advancing the plot. And
despite all the technical flaws and game design missteps, it does a very
admirable job in presenting its story. There may not be any flashy cinemas, but
the writing and voice acting is very well done. Eventually, all the characters
are developed and well-defined, and I was genuinely involved in the mystery.
The character development and plot rise above every other aspect
of the game.
But even in
these moments, you can’t help but think how much better the overall experience
could have been. For example, the voice acting is very good, but the sound
quality is not. The music is decent, but loops endlessly. And despite all of the
great character development, you have to stare at these horribly rendered and
animated models.
And then we
come to the Wii specific motion controls. If many of the other aspects of the
game aren’t very good, the motion controls are downright bad. Not only do they
add nothing to the experience, but most of them are just plain clunky and
unresponsive. There is one instance where you must turn the remote to rotate a
numeric pad for a safe. The control is so imprecise that it will take multiple
tries. Fortunately, most of the other motion controls simply require you to
shake wildly until something happens.
Wii controls gone wrong presents The Safe.
Fortunately the
IR pointer is generally reliable. Seeing as it is a point-and-click game, it
would have been disastrous otherwise. It should also be noted that while the
item interface is functional, it isn’t exactly intuitive. It doesn’t help that
the game never really explains how to use it. And what’s the deal with the save
slots? You can’t overwrite? What is this, the dark ages?
With all this
negativity, you may be wondering how Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None
even managed to score a 5. The answer is the story. It is really darned good.
The writing and voice acting both elevate the game above being a complete
failure. Even if the gameplay is only marginally entertaining, you want to get
to that next scene. That being said, however, you’re probably better off just
reading the book.
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Gameplay: 4.5
As far as
point-and-click adventures go, the puzzles range from satisfyingly challenging,
to frustratingly obscure. But what really sinks the game are the terrible motion
controls and repetitive exploration.
Graphics: 5.0
The game wasn’t much
of a looker when it debuted on PC in 2005, and it hasn’t improved with age. The
pre-rendered backgrounds are acceptable, but the character models are downright
poor. The game does not run in 480p, nor feature a 16×9 widescreen mode.
Sound: 6.0
The music loops
endlessly and the overall quality is less-than-stellar, but the voice acting is
very good.
Difficulty: Medium
Many of the puzzles
are very challenging, but few of them are actually required. Most of the game is
simply talking to the other houseguests.
Concept: 5.0
And Then There Were
None seems like the perfect fit for a point-and-click adventure, but the overall
game design is extremely flawed. The Wii specific motion controls are very
poorly conceived and some of the puzzles border on nonsensical. Still, the
emphasis on story over gameplay was a good decision. It is well preserved from
the novel, and is head-and-shoulders above even good video game stories.
Overall: 5.0
The gameplay is
clunky and underwhelming at best, but the story is so good that it boosts And
Then There Were None out of the pits. Even at $29.99, however, you might as well
just read the book.
