Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun Review

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Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun

Review by Old RoosterOctober 2007

“I Will Tell You a Story So Vividly That You Think You Are There Yourself” —Poirot to Hastings

It’s the fall of 1940. Agatha Christie’s famed detective, Hercule Poirot, decides to regenerate his little grey cells with a holiday on a resort island just off the coast of England. Of course, much like other famed sleuths, you can be sure that crime will follow. Soon after his arrival, Poirot senses “sexual tension” in the air and fears that a “crime of passion” may well be soon in the offing.

However, not only is the story itself full of surprises, but the telling of it takes a most unusual turn. The game begins with Poirot’s holiday having been completed! The crime(s) are over and solved. From his London office, Poirot challenges Hastings to reflect back to his days on the island, walk in his footsteps, and see if he can piece together sufficient clues from observation, conversations, and puzzle-solving to arrive at the same correct solution as did the self-described brilliant Belgian detective. But this isn’t just an abstract office task. The game takes you back to the beginning of the island visit, literally walking in the shoes of Poirot.

In other words, you play as Hastings playing as Poirot.

This science fiction–like time or mind travel is a gimmick, but one that is fun and works well. I suppose the developers could have had Hastings actually accompany Poirot, but the end result is rather the same. In effect you play in real time, and the island characters see and hear you as Poirot. Of course, sometimes you slip and say quite un-Poirot–like things, such as, “Where is the nearest golf course,” or “Why not wade out to the raft.” Your inner dialogue with Poirot is much like it would be if he were actually there, with the detective giving you immediate responses. “Hastings, you know I do not play the golf.” It seems strange to write about, but it works.

“Hands off Me Tools” —Mechanic to Poirot

Evil Under the Sun is the third in the Adventure Company’s current Christie series and the best by far. From graphics to gameplay, improvements are evident, particularly as compared with Murder on the Orient Express.

Playing in third-person, point-and-click, adventure format, Poirot has considerable freedom of movement around the island, hotel, and nearby town. Indeed, the game is not at all “on rails” and offers flexible paths and sequences to move the story along. There are eight acts, and certain tasks (conversations, inventory accumulation, errands) do need to be accomplished before one can move from one act to another. However, within each act, there is a good deal of fluidity.

Technically, EUTS is outstanding. It installs from three CDs and will run without a CD in the drive. On my new Vista PC with a 24-inch monitor, it looked stunning on the full screen and ran flawlessly without a crash, glitch, or bug the entire game.

A top-of-screen dropdown task bar couldn’t be easier to use. With five sections, we find access to the main menu (save, load, options), a picture trigger to play as Poirot on the island or Hastings getting hints in Poirot’s office, classic inventory, notebook that automatically records instructions (to-do list), stopwatch timings, suspects, and documents, and, finally, a stopwatch section to use for actual timings (could the suspect have gotten to the murder site in that amount of time?).

Of course, as with most adventure titles, Poirot picks up enough stuff to make one think he has a U-Haul with him. Rocks, fenceposts, oars, bottles, and pills—all at once!—pose no impediment for him. This is a suspension of disbelief common with most games, even shooters—how can the protagonist carry all of those weapons at one time? The other rather comical aspect here is that this light-fingered approach, bordering on thievery and certainly rudeness, is never criticized by anyone except the mechanic who caught Poirot messing with his tools, at least the first time. But that’s okay—you never know when you might need a bottle of detergent!

Other technical features are solid. You can save anywhere, skip through conversations quickly (but don’t!), double-click on Poirot to move him rapidly. Load times are fast, allowing ease of movement around the island and back to Poirot’s office for hints. The large mouse cursor, with clear depictions of its various uses (open, converse, listen secretly, act with inventory, etc.) couldn’t be easier to use. A rather overdone and often unnecessary hint system is in place, allowing you to get hints back at Poirot’s office and even use a peculiar “Finger of Suspicion” to help narrow down suspects. But with the ongoing prodding from Poirot in Hastings’s mind, I didn’t need this much.

“Sometimes, the Small Crimes Are but Appetizers to the Main Course” —Poirot

Atmosphere and mood are among the high points in Evil Under the Sun. War has broken out, the island and town are emptying of citizens, and there is a palpable sense of anxiety, depression, even disquiet in the air. The entire work of the game contributes to a sense of foreboding. From the extraordinary writing to the fine graphics to the haunting background themes, one gets caught up in this period setting.

By standards of such games as Bioshock, EUTS’s graphics are certainly dated. Yet, as mentioned, I found the artwork, attention to period detail, and small touches most appealing. When visiting one of the coves, you see and hear the waves gently lapping the shoreline, see grey clouds moving across the sky, and detect a gentle breeze and the occasional seagull. The only criticism I might have here is that you can’t pan within a scene but must move Poirot to open another section.

Particular attention has been paid to facial animations, expressions, lip-synching. The roll of eyes, frowns, sideways glances in conversations all contribute to the believability of the characters and are revealing above and beyond what is literally said.

Relatedly, voice acting is a paramount feature of EUTS. A stand-in for David Suchet (TV’s Poirot) was found who sounds 95% like him. The entire cast is clearly professional and does outstanding work. Perhaps it helps when they have such an exemplary script.

“I’m Not One to Gossip, But …” Bartender

Evil Under the Sun is about a crime and the solving of it to be sure. But you’ll meet a memorable mix of 20 characters, almost all of whom have secrets, dark places, current tensions. There’s Gladys, the tearful maid (perhaps because Poirot lifted several things from her cart?); Rosamund, a preoccupied dressmaker; Arlena, an arrogant and threatened actress; Stephan, a former vicar with a tortured soul; and others with gambling problems, divided loyalties, marital tensions.

I advise again not to blithely skip through conversations. You need to get to know these folks and their peculiarities. What I remember at the end of the game is not simply the crime and solving of it, but more so the people I met along the way. Indeed, this is more the case with EUTS than with any game I can recall.

Of course, among the cast are Poirot and Hastings. The schizophrenic-type conversations Poirot/Hastings has with himself often provide comic relief as well as hints. Hastings as Poirot is often reminded by his mental Poirot of not doing things in this body such as wading and playing golf. At one point, after expressing some unsureness about a particular matter, Poirot gently reprimands Hastings/Poirot: “You may have reason to be modest, Hastings; I do not.”

Characters can disappear, at least for a while. One of the techniques the developers use within an act is to have a character stick around an overlook, for example, if you will soon need to revisit him/her. If the person is gone, that suggests you’re done with him/her, at least for the time being. At first, this puzzled me a bit, but I later found it to be a useful way to progress in the story, particularly with the relative open-endedness provided.

Finally, I won’t say anything about the crime, except to say it’s different enough from the book/film that you won’t feel you know the outcome. I can say you’ll appreciate and enjoy the mystery!

“The Sun Shines, the Sea Is Blue, but There Is Evil Everywhere Under the Sun” —Poirot

In his recent review of Gone Baby Gone, Roger Ebert comments that, “One reason crime movies tend to be intrinsically interesting is that the supporting characters have to be riveting.”

Evil Under the Sun succeeds in no small measure because most of the 20 characters are many-layered, burdened, secretive, tortured, perhaps even evil. More than either of the two fine previous Christie games, or almost any game I can think of (with the possible exception of Gilbert’s extraordinary Blackwell series), EUTS reveals the depths and darkness of its cast. Some may think of the game as slow and plodding. But there is a deliberate, gradualized design that increases the suspense in a gripping way. In best Christie fashion, the game is like a good book you can’t put down.

With a compelling narrative, intriguing setting, stellar acting, and gorgeous graphics and character animations, Evil Under the Sun is one of the two finest detective/adventure games I’ve ever played—the other being Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened. It is extremely well-constructed in terms of playability. There are gimmicks to be sure—playing as Hastings playing as Poirot and the silly Finger of Suspicion—but these are minor. Puzzles are largely inventory-based and nicely enmeshed within the context of the narrative. But what makes Evil Under the Sun remarkable is not only the fine story, but, primarily, the exploration of the foibles, twists, and surprises from these colorful characters. Evil Under the Sun is more about people than puzzles. This isn’t a game to be “beaten;” rather, it’s a journey to be savored, reflected upon, remembered. Simply put, when all is said and done, the one feature that makes Evil Under the Sun really stand out is the writing, and that is primarily why it comes most highly recommended.

What I Liked Most About Evil Under the Sun

  • A suspenseful, involving plot, sufficiently different from the book;
  • Engrossing atmosphere—the island and WWII;
  • Marvelously developed characters;
  • Fine hint system, with shadowing (eavesdropping) very neat;
  • Entertaining banter between Poirot and Hastings;
  • Lovely graphics, particularly facial animations;
  • Great voice acting from Suchet’s stand-in, Hastings, and the rest;
  • Relative freedom of progression, though not completely open-ended;
  • Sensible, inventory-based puzzles.

What Bothered Me Just a Bit

  • Though fine, the musical themes become redundant;
  • Starts seemingly slow, requires patience;
  • Can’t pan within a specific scene. The End

 

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: AWE Productions Publisher: The Adventure Company Release Date: October 2007

Available for: Windows

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System Requirements

Windows 2000/XP 1.4 GHz Pentium 3 processor 256 MB RAM 1.5 GB free disk space 16× CD/DVD-ROM drive 64 MB DirectX 9 compatible video card

Where to Find It

Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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