As much work as White Birds always does for their games’ presentation, they are repeatedly criticised in regard to the gameplay. For Nikopol there are several points that could gather a bit of criticism: objects that are not identified as interactive items in the game, but which still work as such when combined with other objects; hotspots which after a single click completely disappear; puzzles which aren’t particularly logically structured. For example, as seen in the recent demo, to paint his father’s portrait, Nikopol needs to have a frame out of an old film from holidays. So we quickly build an easel and direct the projector on it. However, Nikopol does not agree to the idea of projecting the film on the easel, forcing you to find a film screen for him, which requires quite a bit of pixel hunting. Then, when we are finally able to paint, Nikopol is not so sure about this way of doing it anymore, suddenly preferring to project the film directly on the easel. Naturally, all these events must happen in a strictly linear sequence which can obviously create frustration for the player.

These few questionable elements aside, Nikopol plays in a classical way: alongside the traditional searching and item combining, the game promises about a dozen logic puzzles that should all be connected to the story and not overly complex. Yet not all of the puzzles are logical masterpieces. At one point, Nikopol must destroy an escape route for himself through a wall with a hammer because the staircase is reduced to rubble. It is better not to ask why our hero is limited only to five specific hammer hits and why he will have to ultimately hit the stones in a predetermined sequence.

Overall, there are five chapters to finish in the first Nikopol adventure game. They are based on the dramatic structure of the graphic novel and they will take the player from Nikopol’s apartment to Paris’ high society circles and the chambers of the dictator. During the adventure there will be no multiple-choice dialogues, as all conversations play out on their own. What Nikopol offers instead are death scenes. There are supposed to be, uncommonly for today’s adventure games, a few really hazardous situations in which if our hero does anything incorrectly he will pass on. In general, these scenes are a big plus for Nikopol. When suddenly and unexpectedly a mole-like creature crashes through the apartament’s door, and with frantic mouse clicks you hide behind a cupboard while through a hole you see flashes of the monster sniffing and gurgling, the game achieves a tempo rarely seen in adventure games. The surrealistic presentation seems to be worthy even of David Cronenberg and underlines the value of those scenes. Anyone who liked the timed heart-pounding puzzles of Phantasmagoria or Tex Murphy, and doesn’t have anything against death scenes from time to time, can find pleasure in this aspect of Nikopol, at least if the remaining timed sequences are done at the same high quality level as the one we tested. We can give an all-clear signal for concerned parents and purists, as the sequences are free of blatant violence, and naturally there is an auto-save feature right before each one.

With the promising source material White Birds hold in their hands with Nikopol, we must hope that any gameplay slips will end up being held in check, because the atmosphere quickly makes us eager for more. Creator Enki Bilal is well known for the fact that he normally doesn’t give license for using his work to anyone. Only the close friendship with Benoît Sokal, who is also the CEO of White Birds, made the close cooperation possible for the developers. Bilal, as consultant for the game, has approved various artworks and graphic design and was actively involved in the development process. The designers had to pay attention to even little details and remain true to the style of the original despite the new settings.

With this in mind, Nikopol becomes a necessary buy for fans of the graphic novel, but the game should also appeal to fans of first-person adventure games like Dracula or the Atlantis series. While the gloomy sci-fi adventure is certainly not Syberia, and though the product seems more directed at a niche market, the atmosphere achieved and the exciting storyline could push it beyond just its limited target audience. In addition, there’s the appeal of a real thriller complete with “fear-inducing, fast-paced sequences” with succesful visuals and a consistent alternative reality vision. Maybe these unique qualities will help the game find its way to the wider public despite the not entirely logical puzzles. However, its overall success will in the end depend on the actual gameplay that we can’t fully judge before the final version is released.

Since Nikopol is based on a trilogy, there may be some concern that the game is not a standalone adventure complete with a proper ending, but we’re told that each game (assuming potential sequels) represents one comic book episode and focuses around a specific, complete plotline. There will also be a Nintendo DS port of the first game, including full voiceovers, cutscenes and the same first-person perspective. The first impressions we had from the handheld version were already very promising, and we remain optimistic of seeing the full trilogy come to fruition on multiple platforms.


This article was originally published on the German website Adventure-Treff. It has been translated and reprinted here with permission. Translation provided by Igor Hardy.