Another problem is the timed sequences. There are several of these scattered throughout the game, and failure to solve them quickly results in Nikopol’s death. Here the graphic detail also works against the player, as there are too many things that could have relevance, with the result that only lucky players are likely to complete these the first time. Fortunately, the game allows you to restart immediately from where you failed (including part-way through if you’ve progressed far enough). Less fortunately, Nikopol takes this opportunity to dispense advice which is almost always blindingly obvious, such as “I just needed to block that door.” when something has burst through a door and killed you. This tends to render these scenes more repetitive trial-and-error than logic-based puzzle solving. The problem is further hampered by the linearity of the sequences. Reasonable alternatives, such as hiding in another room rather than blocking a door, are not allowed for, and seemingly similar actions can have different results when performed in a different order. This linearity persists in other parts of the game as well, with Nikopol refusing to take certain actions until the story requires and hotspots spontaneously springing into existence on items present the whole time, but the repercussions are much greater when facing mortal danger. Whilst providing a change of pace that adds to the tension of the game, such problems render these sequences a game-slowing nuisance rather than a pulse-pounding enhancement.

But by far the worst problem is that too many of the puzzles are illogical and in some cases downright frustrating. One puzzle involves clearing a window that has been bricked up, allowing Nikopol to escape from his apartment building. For some inexplicable reason, you are only allowed five blows with your hammer to accomplish this. Not clearing the window with the allotted strikes results in Nikopol bemoaning his failure before the bricks magically reform. Had such failure at least resulted in his visible capture, this would have made a degree of sense, but as it stands the restart feels completely artificial and jars with the realistic setting. A more complex version of this puzzle appears later when there isn’t even the excuse of having to act quickly to escape pursuit, making the arbitrary limitations even more contrived than the first.

Another puzzle almost had me hurling the disk away in frustration. Powering up an old metro station requires you to direct an apparently random stream of particles to activate various sections. Each section only stays active as long as it receives a constant stream of particles. At first glance, it appears you need to activate all sections at once but long experimentaton (and I do mean long) indicates that this is impossible. This is made worse by an electronic voice announcing each time a section activates, a repetition that led to me muting my sound. As the sections still flick on and off continually without your intervention when in close-up view, it’s even stranger that they cease to do so once you stop looking at the controls. This led to me hovering over the exit button trying to “lock-in” my desired combination. Having sections stay powered up would have rendered this puzzle too simple, but making a carefully timed view change part of the solution is hardly a reasonable alternative.

There are some decent puzzles, such as a machine where you reprogram security cards by forming patterns equating to security levels. The system is elegant in the simplicity of its operation but fiendishly complex in achieving the desired results. However, even that begs the question why a machine that allows any user to give themselves higher access should exist. The puzzle selection also shows some nice variety, with inventory puzzles, manipulation of the environment, and standalone puzzles all factoring in. The puzzles should present a moderate challenge to experienced gamers, though the linearity and illogical nature of many make them harder than they need to be.

I am also led to suspect a lack of extensive play-testing of the English language version, as a couple of issues that appear to be translation errors have crept in. One written clue is demonstrably wrong, leading to you place a symbol incorrectly. Even more unfortunate is a coded message whose solution is entirely in French. All the characters speak English and all other written materials are in English, so despite the Paris setting, this is a clear oversight.

The puzzles aren’t the only confounding element of Nikopol, as I must admit to finding the story rather a confusing one. Not having read the original graphic novels, I can’t say what details originate from those and how much arises from their transition to a game, but several plot points seem to go unexplained. The Immortals themselves appear to be Egyptian gods and are seen to wield uncanny abilities, including complete bodily transformation and energy projection. The main story revolves around the actions of Horus, who has involved himself with the politics of Paris, and Anubis, who seeks Nikopol’s help to find and stop him. I never came to understand what Horus expected to achieve or indeed why such apparently powerful beings would even need to engage in political subterfuge at all. These attempts at subtle infiltration seem completely at odds with beings who have parked a giant pyramidal spaceship above Paris for all to see. Despite the game being subtitled “Secrets of the Immortals”, I felt that there were many more questions than answers concerning these strange individuals. The main storyline does come to a self-contained conclusion, but the unexplained elements left me hankering for more details. As this game is reportedly adapted from only the first part of Bilal's trilogy, it’s possible that later episodes will address these mysteries, but that won’t help anyone playing this game without prior knowledge.

In the end, this game greatly disappointed me. When I first loaded it up, I was excited by the graphical style and dystopian detail. Unfortunately, that excitement all too rapidly turned to annoyance with the movement and puzzles, and by the time I finished I felt more a sense of relief than achievement. In active game time, it took about six hours, though difficulties with puzzles such as the metro station made actual play time much longer. I cannot say with certainty whether fans of the graphic novel trilogy will appreciate it, though the extensive involvement of the author at least implies it is a faithful adaptation. Regardless, the gorgeous look and feel of the game is poorly served by bad design decisions and ultimately fails as an enjoyable experience. I am intrigued enough by the setting to look into Bilal’s original work, if only to find out if the story is clearer, but Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals is ultimately a game I can’t recommend.