#CutTheFrag | [REVIEW] | Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases
32This game feels more like a highly interactive visual novel than an adventure game. Without wanting to spoil my own discovery, all signs point to "Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot - The First Cases" being somewhere in the middle. It doesn't really commit any crimes against gaming, although it doesn't really stand out in terms of gameplay ideas. But there will be many mysteries!
The actual gameplay consists of three main parts: finding clues, communicating with the people involved, and piecing together what you know. Exploring the luxurious estate, or at least the areas relevant to this stage of the investigation, is done from an isometric perspective, and various objects in each area can be interacted with. It's actually very simple: whenever Porio is nearby, a small icon will appear and you'll never miss anything important. Something I did notice is that many interactions have no real meaning and produce the same repetitive dialogue, such as fireplaces, windows and plants.
Overall, this one may surprise players because the biggest concern when trying to tell an original story is perhaps its greatest strength. But that's not saying much when the gameplay is generally mediocre and makes it feel like you're just cruising along throughout the adventure. You never feel smart when solving anything, with those little gray cells barely exercising, and the game is devoid of mini-games, meaning there's not much fun in it.