Murder On The Orient Express

[Kiril_Valchev]

Is the game released yet?

[Pharmboy]

Apparently not. According to EBGames it slipped to next week. Hopefully not a delay of a month like Tunguska went through. FutureShop in Canada still lists it as a release this week, but none of the stores have stock so I'm guessing it has indeed slipped.

[Once A Villain]

Yeah, my EB pre-order orginally said "Ships on 11/14". Now it says "Ships on 11/21"

[Kiril_Valchev]

Hm!!!I hate it ,when that happens!:frusty:

[Legolas813]

What's with adventure games not having solid release dates? You don't see that as often in other genres.

Adventure games almost always have very quiet releases, which are often delayed.

[Kiril_Valchev]

What's with adventure games not having solid release dates? You don't see that as often in other genres.

Adventure games almost always have very quiet releases, which are often delayed.

You're absolutely right,dude!

[Kurufinwe]

Frankly, I don't know what you're complaining about. Having played the buggy version of Tunguska that caused the game's release to be postponed by a month, as well as the very early alpha build original, unpatched release of Paradise, I'm all for giving developers some more time to deliver a better game rather than hurrying up and release something buggy that ruins the experience.

[Erwin_Br]

I agree.

--Erwin

[Kiril_Valchev]

[/s] I'm all for giving developers some more time to deliver a better game rather than hurrying up and release something buggy that ruins the experience.

You're right,but then again,why should they give release date,when actually.....

[Fairygdmther]

I got an email from Amazon saying they shipped mine today.

[fov]

What's with adventure games not having solid release dates? You don't see that as often in other genres.

Adventure games almost always have very quiet releases, which are often delayed.

The first Agatha Christie game came out ahead of schedule (http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1082), so I think we should cut this one some slack. ;)

[Legolas813]

I wasn't really complaining about this game, just the adventure genre in general.

[The Viking]

I got an email from Amazon saying they shipped mine today.

Same here! I got an email saying that it shipped this morning with an estimated delivery date of November 20th!

[Legolas813]

Looks like the game is shipping with the novel. I already own it myself, but it's great for people who don't.

http://www.amazon.com/Agatha-Christie-Murder-Orient-Express/dp/B000GCGQ6Y/sr=1-1/qid=1163738217/ref=sr_1_1/103-3575017-7043046?ie=UTF8&s=videogames

[The Viking]

I just received my copy today from Amazon! Woo Hoo! :)

[honeycomb]

Looks great. Interview with David Suchet shows the care taken with the characters and voice acting.

[Pharmboy]

David Suchet is making this a real treat for me. His voice acting is faboo.

I like the insertion of the player character too, makes sense for her to be there. Some model issues (Poirot's huge dining room hand) and subtitle problems (one scene I saw one person have several different colors for their talking subtitles) but otherwise fun so far. The pseudo-tutorial level where you chase Poirot through Istanbul was clever as well.

[Rayzor]

Faboo?

[CoyoteAG]

David Suchet is making this a real treat for me. His voice acting is faboo.

I like the insertion of the player character too, makes sense for her to be there. Some model issues (Poirot's huge dining room hand) and subtitle problems (one scene I saw one person have several different colors for their talking subtitles) but otherwise fun so far. The pseudo-tutorial level where you chase Poirot through Istanbul was clever as well.

My copy is in transit and should reach me today or tomorrow. I hope this game is much better than "And Then There Were None". The thing that drove me crazy about ATTWN is that there were all these other things that you COULD do but didn't NEED to do to advance the story. Is Orient Express the same way?

[chocolade]

I just want to know if the game worth buying ?
Good classic point and click adventure ?

Thnx a lot.

[Gabe]

It was a train voyage whodunnit right,guess which one i'll compare with,Last express 10 years later?:D

[Pharmboy]

I doubt it will hit the classic status of Last Express, though I was never a big fan of that game so I already enjoy Orient Express a bit more.

Just started on Act II. Definitely better than ATTWN so far, lots of nice little upgrades and the integration of Poirot into the storyline is very well done. The puzzles have not been too tough, though there have been some plenty fun ones like the bacon and the puzzle box, which is the ONLY puzzle box style mini-game I've ever enjoyed in a game.

It's not perfect; the combination screen for putting items together still needs a little bit more in the way of cues from what I've seen to indicate whether you're on track or not and there are some subtitling and graphical anomalies popping up, but nothing to detract too much from my savouring of the title.

Keep in mind that I'm a HUGE Christie and especially Poirot fan, so I am biased as all get out when it comes to this game.

[GombeTo]

The game just knocked on my door.
*being istalling*

Wot woot.
Can't wait as I really really liked ATTWN.

[Once A Villain]

I just completed Murder On the Orient Express, and I must say, it is far, far superior to And Then There Were None. In fact, I believe there is no comparison.

The addition of a character like Poirot was a masterstroke as far as the overall design is concerned. There is always a sense of direction in the game because the player can run back to his room at any time to go over the facts of the case, and get a list of new objectives. And Then There Were None never came close to the wonderful structure of this new adventure.

Granted, the game isn't without flaws. One will discover things that seem to be relevant early on that can't be used until a later chapter, when the game allows them to be used. Even spots where fingerprints can be lifted will be obvious early in the game, but you can't actually get the fingerprints until later. You'll then have to go back and collect them all. There's nothing really wrong with that aside from the fact that I thought, for quite some time, I was missing something that actually couldn't be found until later. Lastly, one of the solutions to a late game puzzle seems a bit out there...

Unfortunately, the game begins in lame fashion with some absurd fetch quests that must be done in order to pass people standing in your way at a public marketplace. Why one can't just walk around them is beyond me, and it felt very contrived. Later on I realized this was a decent introduction the cast of characters in the game, especially since the puzzles get better after this introduction sequence, and fit well into the time period and storyline.

Anyway, despite a few issues here and there, this is an extremely solid mystery adventure game. The visuals are quite nice, despite some occasionally bland 3D character animation, and the voice acting and sound are well done for the most part. Also, the interface and gameplay get the job done nicely.

I loved the ending, including Lee Sheldon's own additions to the Agatha Christie story, and I already have the urge to go through the game again soon. Murder on the Orient Express is, for me, the best mystery adventure game since Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Silver Earring in 2004. In most ways, Orient Express is actually superior to that game. Both are superior to Still Life, if only because Still Life felt so woefully incomplete.

Murder On the Orient Express, by contrast, does not feel incomplete. It tells a wonderful whodunit starring some colorful characters in one hell of a cool setting, and it does so without the bugs and other enormous flaws of And Then There Were None. It's not too long or difficult (I would estimate less than 10 hours), but it reaches a very satisfying conclusion, and I couldn't help but feel like I got my money's worth on this one.

So, AWE Games...job well done.

[eriq]

Great little mini review Villian. Definitely gonna get it!

I love the styling and graphic design on the Agatha games. The title screens, interface, everything is so detailed and period.

[CoyoteAG]

I just finished the game myself and I agree with Villian. Great game. I was a little wary going into this one because I didn't really like And Then There Were None all that much. But this game is way better. The puzzles were mostly logical and the ending was very satisfactory.

[Gabe]

Wow,all ican say adv.of the year so far,suprisingly good:)

[Kurufinwe]

Is there a chance of ever seeing it released in the UK (preferably before 2014)?

[Pharmboy]

I have to agree with the other posters as well. I know some of the devs have been seen around here from time to time, so let me just say in case any read this - you knocked the ball out of the park with this game. I haven't been sad to see a game end in forever, but it was with melancholy pleasure that I just watched the credits roll on this title.

So, so much better than ATTWN, it is true that there isn't a comparison here at all. I was entertained from beginning to end, everything felt like it had a point, and that ending was brilliant. So appropriate and yet it explained away several things that had happened in the game that I thought would never get tied up satisfactorily.

Ah, and to interact with David Suchet's Poirot, such a treat. He made the whole thing work so well, and I LOVE how interactive the finale was, instead of just watching him explain everything away while watching (not to say that wouldn't have been entertaining). Please, please use this template for any of your future Agatha Christie games. I have to admit I was very nervous about how one of my favorite stories would adapt itself after the first game, but I have nothing but praise for this title.

Best adventure game I played this year? Probably the best I played in the last two or three if I thought about it. One of the great ones.

[AFGNCAAP]

I LOVE how interactive the finale was, instead of just watching him explain everything away while watching (not to say that wouldn't have been entertaining).
That sounds fantastic! :9~ Could you elaborate on how the ending looks like (if it's possible without spoilering)?

[Pharmboy]

Well, it's been a while since I played it, but it reminds of the ending of Dagger of Amon-Ra. You have to supply bits of information when prompted by Poirot ("And what did you discover, Mademoiselle?" etc) and then select the right answer from the list based on both things you learned and items you have. I don't think there's any bad consequences for being consistently wrong, but it made the entire thing much more enjoyable instead of merely sitting back.

Given how long the ending is as well, that was a big plus.

[pandanaz]

I have been on the website - but i haven't seen a date as to when Murder on the orient express will be out - does anyone know when it is coming out over here in the UK?

Pandanaz

[grazzt]

A lot better than ATTWN? I dont know about that.

Like the first one, I found this one to be extremely tedious.

And if Im not mistaken, at least ATTWN had some (1?) side quests, does this one have any? Seems like you have to do everything in Orient or you cant move on.

The 3rd ending was ok I guess. Maybe I expected it to be like the movie too much, but I would think they could have shown the 2nd ending more graphically.

Zero replayability, but that was to be expected. :) Unless of course at the end Poirot gives you different rankings? Im not playing through the whole thing again to find out though. :)

[Pharmboy]

Well, I'm glad they axed the side quests. If the ones in ATTWN added something to that title I definitely must not have gotten because they only seemed to be compounding the tedium to me.

Yep, MOTOE has its tedious moments but scouring everything with a fine tooth comb is the basis of detective work. And you DO have the option to let Poirot pretty much guide you around if that's your thing.

[Jonnyquest]

I saw Murder on the Orient Express in Target the other day; I almost picked it up - reading these responses, maybe I'll go back and do just that. That being said, I'm glad to see Adventure Games making an appearance next to heavy hitters in the computer game section of major retailers.

[smulan]

If you enjoy doing things over and over and over again - this certainly is a great game.

[Spricee]

There is still room for improvement, but this is LOADS better than ATTWN. I couldn't allow myself to finish that ATTWN, and I'm such an Agatha Christie fan.

I liked how this ended too. Very good.

[Fien]

Finished it last night and I agree, it's definitely better than ATTWN. I liked Antoinette's voiceacting very much and David Suchet was perfect as ever. Solid story, no holes. (Didn't care for the 3rd ending, but I realize it's not easy to come up with a new and credible solution.) Puzzles okay for the most part. Except that radio thingy... :frusty:

And now for some serious nitpicking and hairsplitting! :devil:

An English accent is no problem, but I've heard no less than three different pronunciations of Monsieur Bouc: Bouk (Poirot), Bous (Antoinette) and once even Bosk... typo in the lines the voiceactress was reading?? It's a bit strange when a supposedly French character doesn't know how to pronounce French words. Her monsieur le comte also made my toes curl. And why is she always saying au revoir to people, where a simple thank you would be more appropriate.

When someone is talking and stops mid-sentence, there's more than enough time to think "right, this guy will be interrupted in a moment... twenty-one, twenty-two...ah, here it comes". It's soooooo unnatrual and unimmersive. I've noticed it in lots of recent games, not in the older ones. How hard can it be to make it sound like a real interruption?

[Ariel Type]

Just finished the game, and I absolutely disagree with everything above. The game was not only worth then ATTWN - it was one of the worst adventures of the year. Actually, I still can't believe it was designed by Sheldon.
Not only the beginning was awful (gosh, it couldn't be any worse then that), but those loooong, boring dialogs with undeveloped, uninteresting characters (that's how they are presented in the game, not in the book), where you just have to click on every single phrase without any thinking, just to complete the day and to report everything to Poirot (another long, boring dialog) - so bad, so bad..
The orignal atmosphere was totally ruined. Going back and force inside the train, searching every single room again and again, collecting passports and fingerprints in the same boring way, asking the same boring questions - and all this in total silence.. There was absolutely no thrilling, no excitement, no interest in the investigation.
And no puzzles. Well, there actually was one puzzle near the end, where you have to construct the radio - so illogical that it would be better if it wasn't included in the game. In all other occasions the puzzles were of "catch the pixel" or "find the person/passport/fingerprint you haven't found yet" variety. Even in the final scene the game didn't give you the opportunity to think. And that third ending.. It wasn't even touching - stupid and out of place.

It is beyond my understandment how people can enjoy this game. And what happened to Lee for that matter. Tha game feels so cheap and unispired, it even can't be compared to such classics as Last Express. I'm so disappointed ;(

[mucknmire]

Hello everyone! On a whim, I picked up this game and I am a bit of a novice when it comes to these types of games. So far, I am really enjoying the game. I am stuck, however, and hope someone here can lend me a hand.

It is quite early in the game still, I just got done listening in on the cabins. I followed the guy back to the baggage car and now back in my cabin. I have explored up and down the cars and the bathrooms. Nothing is happening. I read on another site that there is an avalanche that is supposed to happen after I speak with the swedish lady (who tells me she gave headache powder to Ms Hubbard), but nothing still. I am a standstill and the game and getting a bit frustrated. Thanks for any advice.

[Fien]

Hm... the story should progress at this point. The only thing I can think of is that you've missed one door. Try listening again.

[LeisureSuitedLooney]

Anyone catch the reference to ATTWN in the game? I chuckled over that when I saw it...Great game, so far. Just about at the point where I begin the questioning of suspects, can't WAIT!!

[Aurebesh]

I've just read the review (http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,710/), and I've something odd -
Music in MOTOE fits the game perfectly, with a score that sounds like it belongs in a movie from the 1930s. It blends perfectly into the background of the game, coming to the forefront at key moments to draw your attention.
I've finished the game a week ago, and I seem to remember that there was hardly any music at all during gameplay, only during cinemtics and when the menus showed (similar to Tunguska). Did I experience some sort of technical difficulty?

[MadTricks]

I just read review and Im looking foward to play it.
Game is installed but I can't find time to do it.
Luckily there are school holydays, we'll see...

[KanyeWest]

Too bad i already know the outcome..still a nice game

[shraz]

This game is actually pretty good
I played for about 2hrs and it seem to have a nice story.

This game reminds me abit like Syberia w/out the inventions :D

[LeisureSuitedLooney]

I finished it earlier today...the ending was strange. I didn't like how:

Poirot offers up all 3 possible endings at the same time. The developers missed a huge opportunity for replayability, they could have offered each ending separately, to make the player want to come back. Also, the "sappy" ending dragged on and on.

Up to that, though, I was enjoying it. I guess I felt it was too abrupt at the end.

[GEORGEYY]

Just noticed that it's for sale at amazon.co.uk and in stock. Can't see anywhere else listing it.

[rocketpop]

Ugh. Wish I hadn't bought it.

I found it to be incredibly tedious and repetitive, and it required almost no thoughts.

Walk to every door on the train, listen through the door.
Walk to every door on the train, look in the hat boxes.
Walk to every door on the train, rifle through the luggage.
Walk to every person on the train, collect their finger prints.
etc.
etc.
etc.

And the beginning was almost bad enough to make me quit playing. The people blocking your path on the street for rediculous reasons--tile?

[Orange Brat]

I've finished the game a week ago, and I seem to remember that there was hardly any music at all during gameplay, only during cinemtics and when the menus showed (similar to Tunguska). Did I experience some sort of technical difficulty?

Go into the game's sound/music folder and see if there's anything there you haven't heard. There are only 4 pieces of music, and I don't know if there are anymore given I haven't played it, yet.

For some reason, this company leaves their art/audio assets unresourced, so you can look/listen to them.

[Stoofa]

I finished this game last night. I really enjoyed it!

Is it sad that I was so impressed by the fact that the game wasn't buggy at all for me and the interface made sense and was easy to use? There have been so many adventure games out lately that are full of bugs and poor interface designs. They do my head in.

The story was solid (luckily I read the book ages ago so my memory of it was fuzzy) and the scenery was gorgeous. There WAS a lot of running back and forth but it wasn't as tedious as it could have been (partly because of the handy train car jumping option). I thought the addition of Mme. Marceau was cleverly done, and David Suchet as Poirot was wonderful. I liked the little details, like the conversation between Marceau and Debenham about being a working woman in the 30's.

[Ariel Type]

I was so impressed by the fact that the game wasn't buggy at all for me and the interface made sense and was easy to use
How little people need nowdays to enjoy an adventure game.. :)

[Rayzor]

I'm in Act 3 now and think it's pretty good, my only gripe being that Antoinette has the sex appeal of a turnip.

[Aurebesh]

Go into the game's sound/music folder and see if there's anything there you haven't heard. There are only 4 pieces of music, and I don't know if there are anymore given I haven't played it, yet.

Well, well... Out of the four files, one file, Mood_2.wav, doesn't play on my computer due to a codec problem! I thought at first that the file is corrupted, but I've installed the demo of the game and the same file is there, and it's not playing either.

I guess this is the in-game music that I've missed then! (just one music file for all of the in-game scenes!?)
I'll find the time to fix the problem and play a little to hear it. Thank you for the information, Orange Brat.

Now this thing makes me wonder - I had the same problem with Tunguska, no in-game music, only sounds. Is this the same codec issue, or does Tunguska really lacks any background music in-game?

[Dr Zippy Moonflower]

I'd just like to say that I agree with the review on Adventure Gamers. When I first played this game, despite the irritating introduction to the characters by blocking your way, as soon as you meet Poirot, it was immensely fun for the first half of the game.

But the second half, the constant having to switch between screens to combine items, and having to revisit the rooms time and time again without no clue as to where the blueprints are, as well as pixel hunting (I didn't notice the item under one of the bathroom basins for a long time to come).

I'm glad I played it, but I just found the countless items and fingerprint hunting very tedious and overwhelming.

The character development and voices were great. I love to hate the snotty American woman. I was constantly guessing in my mind as to who the culprit was. But I guess that is a lot to do with Agatha. The production team did very well though. Bring on Death on the Nile.