Sequel Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case from Microids and Blazing Griffin is ready for you to enjoy on PlayStation. Check our Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case review!
Sequel Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case from Microids and Blazing Griffin is ready for you to enjoy on PlayStation. It follows what Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Case – from the publisher and developer combo – presented a couple of years ago. As the name suggests, this time around, the beloved detective will take on a case in foggy London, where he’ll be joined by Arthur Hastings. Yes, that Arthur Hastings. It’s a brand-new story created as the setting for this new adventure, where fans and newcomers alike will get to enjoy the journey.
The game follows a similar mold to that of its prequel, featuring a young Hercule Poirot that is tasked with working alongside Lloyd’s of London to complete what seems to be a rather simple task: ensuring the safe transportation, protection, and sale of a very valuable painting of Mary Magdalene. This work of art is to be the centerpiece of a new exhibit at the London Museum, with other work on loan from Brussels.
The game’s story will begin by way of a prologue that will have you taking control of Hercules Poirot as he travels by ship from Brussels to London. Where you’ll learn the game’s basics, as well as meet Arthur Hastings for the first time. It’s Arthur Hastings who is in charge of handling the insurance of the artworks, as well as overseeing the final sale of the Mary Magdalene painting. You’ll arrive at the museum and meet Mortimer Ailsworth, the new owner of the painting, alongside Evelyn Warbeck, who happens to be the museum’s curator. Will you be able to protect the painting from any potential threats as you work alongside your friend Arthur Hastings? Plot twist: you won’t. The painting ends up being stolen before the preview gala night, so you’ll have to use your detective skills to find out the truth and catch the culprit before it’s too late.
You’ll control Poirot with the left analog stick or the D-Pad as he walks around each area, looking for any clues or for people to interact with. Speaking of which, when you interact with an object and pick it up, you’ll get a chance to observe it in closer detail. It’s then that you’ll be able to try and find any points of interest that might be able to nudge you in the right direction. As to not spoil things too much, allow me to discuss the first predicament you’ll have to solve during the game’s prologue section.
Hercules Poirot is on the deck of the ship that is taking him to London when a stranger approaches him. He doesn’t get a chance to introduce himself, but you’ll later learn that he’s Arthur Hastings. Why couldn’t he introduce himself? Because when he was about to, an apparent drunk individual bumped into a lady on the deck, knocking down her suitcase and spreading her belongings on the floor. It’s then that she realizes that her cigarette case is now missing!
She thinks that the man that bumped into her has stolen it. Your task will be to find the cigarette case and to deduct what has happened in the first place. The first step will be to look around the area to see if you can find something. The good news is that the cigarette case is nearby. Once you find it, you’ll get a chance to inspect it. By zooming in and out of this closer look at the cigarette case by using the L2 and R2 buttons.
By inspecting this object, you’ll notice it has an ornate family lion, which is traditionally associated with courage, nobility, and the British. You will also find a date engraved on the cigarette case, which states 1855, meaning it’s an old object that is still in near-perfect condition. Once you’re done examining the cigarette case, it will be added to your inventory, which you can open by pressing the Triangle button. All you’ll need to do now is press the Triangle button when near the lady’s suitcase so that you can help her put back all of her belongings, including the cigarette case you found under a chair on the deck. She’ll be very grateful and will introduce herself as Florence Farquhar. There’s still one item missing, but another passage – Miss Anastasia Babanin – has procured it.
The next element you’ll be introduced to are mind maps, which return from Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases. Whenever you find an interesting area of investigation, a mind map will be created. From there, you’ll be able to review all of the evidence related to the investigation. You’ll control a cursor with the left analog stick, interacting with each piece of evidence as you zoom in and out with the L2 and R2 buttons. To progress further, you’ll need to connect pieces of evidence to make some deductions. More mind maps will be added as you uncover new information.
Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case has a full trophy list with a Platinum waiting for you. The list is a very long one since it includes 38 Bronze trophies, 4 Silver trophies, and 4 Gold trophies! What will you need to do for the Platinum? A big chunk of the trophies will be tied to finding a secret for each of the many characters you’ll meet during your time with Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case. As expected, there are also trophies for completing each chapter in the game, starting with completing the prologue of the game.
What else is there to do to make more and more trophies pop? You’ll unlock additional trophies for visiting all locations in the game, meeting all characters, asking 25 questions, making 10 deductions, performing 10 analyses, cracking 3 safes open, solving 5 match puzzles, using 10 items, finding every single piece of evidence at the museum, diffusing arguments, and for delivering your findings in a flawless way, to name some examples.
Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case brings us a brand-new story that showcases Hercule Poirot’s growth as a detective, making the most of his deductive skills to solve the different scenarios you’ll be presented with. If you enjoyed your time with Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases, then you’re certainly going to have fun with what Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case has to offer. The game is fully voice acted, which, when done right, is certainly always a plus. Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case is out today on PlayStation 5 with a $39.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by Microids.
