As someone who’s been on an Agatha Christie kick lately — and as someone who’s enjoyed Hercule Poirot’s other game outings in recent years — here’s a neat announcement from Microids: they’ll be releasing Murder on the Orient Express on all consoles later this year.
Or, more accurately, they’ll be releasing a modernized version of Murder on the Orient Express. As you can see from the screenshots below, that means Poirot looks a little different this time around: he’s no longer a fussy little Belgian, but rather a strapping-looking gentleman. The game will also add in a new character, Joanna Locke, to help with the investigation, and the press release below is promising twists that “will lead your investigation in a whole new light.”
Playing around with the classics can be a dicey proposition — witness last year’s execrable version of Vertigo, which tried to modernize the Hitchcock classic to nightmarishly bad effect — but Microids track record with Poirot games gives reason to hope this one turns out a little better. We’ll find out for sure in the fall, but for now we have some screenshots to tide us over.
Publisher Microids and Microids Studio Lyon are thrilled to announce the video game Agatha Christie ? Murder on the Orient Express, a modernized and revisited version of the Agatha Christie’s classic.
Set in 2023, this video game will bring the classic tale to life in a way that will surprise even the most dedicated fans. With brand-new elements added to the original story, players will experience the mystery and suspense like never before and rediscover one of the most famous cases of Hercule Poirot.
Murder on the Orient Express will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC in Q4 2023.
About Agatha Christie ? Murder on the Orient Express:
On board the Orient Express, the legendary detective Hercule Poirot tries to solve the murder that has taken place on the prestigious train while surrounded by a cast of intriguing characters with their own secrets and motives. Solving the mystery won?t be easy and through numerous twists and turns, players will have to use their little grey cells as well as detective skills to unravel the truth and bring it to light.
Whether you are a fan of the iconic book or movies, a lover of murder mysteries, or just looking for a thrilling adventure, this new proposal has something for everyone.
Game features:
- Faithful, but augmented: The game is a faithful but augmented adaptation of the original story, with a new character named Joanna Locke added to the mix. With her, you can regularly exit the train environment during playable flashbacks.
- Embody the legendary detective Hercule Poirot: Enter into Hercule Poirot?s head to discover mind maps and make deductions, adding an extra layer of depth to the gameplay. And don?t forget the many puzzles with object manipulations that are scattered throughout each chapter.
- A rich adventure with strong twists: Get ready for major plot twists that will keep you hooked until the very end. Murder On the Express is renowned for having one of the best plot twists in literary history, and this game is no exception. But this time, set in 2023, you will lead your investigation in a whole new light.
- A brilliant detective and mystery game: As you play, you will take on the roles of Poirot and Joanna, solve puzzles and make deductions to uncover the truth behind the murder. In a 3rd person view, you will inspect the sets and talk to all the protagonists, searching for clues and confronting the suspects.
- Fully voiced: Fully dubbed in English, German and French.