Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None Preview August 2,2005 -

Fact: Agatha Christie is the second most published author in history, the bible being the first. She's sold millions and her empire is one of the richest in the world. So it really shouldn't be so surprising that The Adventure Company and developer AWE Games are working on an adventure title based on her novel, And Then They Were None.

The book itself is a murder mystery where ten characters with a secret to hide are invited to a remote island by a man named Owen. None of the men and woman can recall exactly who Owen is, but they travel to the Island in good faith, expecting a jovial holiday all round. However, soon they realize that Owen is intent on ending each of their lives whilst adhering to a childish nursery rhyme and the holiday becomes a nightmarish one. Every man and woman on the island is overwrought with fear. Unsure of who to trust. Confused. Terrified. Slowly they become more and more unhinged as their fellow guests are killed by the mysterious Owen who they realize must be one of them.

This particular novel is possibly the most famous of all Christie’s novels, so it’s no surprise then that the first in a series of Christie games is going to be based on the thriller. The game itself is being described as 2.5D since the backgrounds are all pre-rendered, yet the characters are 3D. It’ll also be a point n’ click adventure game; so don’t expect any Grim Fandango shenanigans.

If you’ve read the book you’ll know there isn’t a detective, which immediately presents a problem for the game’s designers and most notably, writer, Lee Sheldon. Sheldon comments on the fact that the that the game’s island setting is absolutely perfect as it allows the player to wander freely about the island. There are rocks; the ocean and a storm to prevent progression and these barriers make sense in human terms. He believes that adventure games with more expansive locales force the player into a more linear route. Many people believe too that a perfect murder novel should take place in a location akin to an island, so it makes sense that for an adventure/mystery game to be good too, it should adhere to a similar thought-process.

Sheldon was given the freedom to create a completely new character, since the book is devoid of a detective who would usually act as the protagonist in a game like this. The player will control a boatman who acts as the brother of the boatman in the book and he goes by the name, Patrick Narracott. As such, there will be eleven characters in the game.

What with the murders, everyone on the island is bound to be suspicious of one another and here the developers introduce a suspicion index, which monitors what each person thinks of you based on your actions, and effects their dialogue choices accordingly. Every character has a weakness, according to Scott Nixon, who’s heavily involved with the production of the game. You can uncover these weaknesses, and depending on your actions, interaction changes from day to day. So, for instance, on one occasion you might be chatting to a person pleasantly, yet the next day you’re given the cold shoulder because of a way you spoke to another guest, perhaps.

The developers are clearly attempting to make the puzzles logical so that you don’t ever ask yourself: “How the heck was I supposed to figure that out?‿ Sheldon comments on the fact that there will be a journal in the game and that the player will always be given the necessary information to progress. In addition, all the clues are to be found on the island, although you shouldn’t expect them to be easy to spot!

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