Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express Demo Impressions

Unless you are very young, you definitely know Agatha Christie's novel, Murder on the Orient Express. It is one of the most famous ones which over the years has also been adapted as a film, until today it has also entered the world of video games. In fact, after the videogame transposition of other Agatha Christie stories, the time has come for this one too. On the occasion of the Steam Next Fest, the developers have made available an Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express demo in which we can experience the first part of the game. In this article, therefore, we will tell you about our impressions, before the game releases this month.

Murder on the Orient Express demo plot

The Murder on the Orient Express demo catapults us directly into the heart of the game. After a very brief introduction of a few seconds which only serves to make us understand when and where the story is set, we will immediately take on the role of Poirot. Initially, everything seems to be normal and we will have to carry out simple tasks, such as asking for breakfast or interacting with the other characters (although not obligatory, but certainly recommended to better understand the plot), all to while away the wait. and wait until the train can move again after stopping due to snow.

However, once we sit down to enjoy our omelette, we will be called back by the train conductor who orders us to head to the train conductor. Arriving at our friend Bouc, we will make a chilling discovery: one of the passengers, Mr. Rachett, has been murdered. At this point, as Poirot, we will have to investigate his room in search of clues. Our investigations will lead us to confront several passengers on the train, including the doctor, the conductor, the neighbor, and two men who worked for Mr. Racett.

As we conduct our investigations, we will always discover more important details about what really happened, and it will be our job to connect all the pieces to arrive at the final solution. Once we have investigated and spoken to all the characters interested in the matter, we will return to Bouc to present the situation to him. However, during our story, we will be interrupted by the conductor who will warn us of a problem with one of the bathrooms in the second class.

Go there and open the bathroom door, we will see a woman lying on the floor. After a quick analysis, in addition to understanding that she is still alive, we will learn that she is an American detective, even if her presence on the train is unknown to us. Once the woman wakes up from her sleep, we will start a conversation with her to understand why she is on the train. At this point, in a flashback, we will take on the role of the woman. The story will give us a glimpse of what the woman was investigating, before the Murder on the Orient Express demo ends, leaving us curious as to what will happen next.

Murder on the Orient Express demo gameplay

From a gameplay point of view, the game is very similar to the others that were based on the stories of the famous writer. Consequently, as Detective Poirot, we will have to unravel mysteries and solve cases. To do this, as in any self-respecting investigation game, the most important thing to do is to pay attention to details and talk to all the people involved. Indeed, over the course of the game, we will have to conduct many interrogations and try to draw our own conclusions with what we have discovered.

As per tradition, there is a sort of minigame in which we will have to discover safe codes, recompose torn photos or documents, use our wits to find the object we are looking for, and much more. In short, as usual, in games like this, your wits will be tested. Furthermore, by talking to the various characters, you will have the opportunity to reconstruct their identikit and understand if and when they are lying, which will allow you to face them in a confrontation.

Another important thing will be your ability to correlate two or more events together to understand some clue or you will also have to be able to reconstruct the timeline of the actions carried out by a particular character. Consequently, listening carefully to everything that the characters in the game have to tell you is extremely important not only to understand the plot, but also to continue with it.

Ultimately, we can say that what we saw in this Murder on the Orient Express demo satisfied us, as it was exactly what we expected from a game of this genre, at least as far as the gameplay side is concerned. In fact, it appears to be in continuity with those of the games that belong to this genre, something that we do not feel like pointing out as a flaw as we believe that, for a game of this kind, it is the best solution to focus on.

Murder on the Orient Express demo technical side

From a technical point of view, the Murder on the Orient Express demo did not highlight any type of disabling problem that would not allow us to continue with it. At least as far as our experience is concerned, the game does not seem to have any obvious problems to highlight, neither from the point of view of performance nor from that of animations, graphics, or the sound sector. Everything seems to be done to perfection.

A note particularly in favor of this Murder on the Orient Express demo, is certainly its sound. The developers, in fact, have done an excellent job both in terms of the characters' dialogues and their way of expressing themselves, and in terms of the music and sound effects in general that will accompany our investigations. In fact, while you walk around the train and pass from one setting to another, you will have the opportunity to hear different music based on the place you are in, all very appropriate and well cared for, which will be able to immerse you more in what you are in. experimenting in the Murder on the Orient Express demo.