Hercule Poirot is the famous Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie in her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. She once said that if she’d known that he would become such a fixture of her novels, she would have not have given him quite so many idiosyncrasies, or made him so old. But her many fans love him with all his odd ways, especially his insistence on being methodical and logical above all, and the importance of applying the mind, the “little grey cells.” Therefore, the treatment that the designers have given Evil Under the Sun is odd, considering the nature of the man.

To be sure, they had to change the story some for the game in order for the solution to be a surprise. However, when we’re immediately confronted with ghosts and magic in the introduction, we know something isn’t quite right. Hercule Poirot wouldn’t take these things seriously, and while he did have a sense of humor, he didn’t consider murder humorous. He definitely wouldn’t have used a “finger of suspicion” magical device to help Hastings discover the solution during Poirot’s re-enactment of the murder. Supposedly, this magic finger was given to Poirot by a magician, and Poirot tells Hastings that this will help Hastings by providing a series of specific clues throughout his, Poirot’s, retelling of the story. Even considering that Poirot is pulling Hasting’s leg about this, it is absolutely outside of Poirot’s character to joke in quite this manner.

Not only are we presented with a magical device in the introduction, we are also presented with a ghost story that has something to do with the future murder at this resort. As stated previously, some changes had to be made to the story to keep the ending a surprise, but in this game almost everything has been changed, and the result is a story that is only very loosely based on the novel, Evil Under the Sun. So, Agatha Christie fans be warned, this game isn’t anything like the book.

That said, let’s get on with the actual game itself. When considered solely as an adventure game, this adventure is somewhat amusing and is well-designed in many aspects. The era of 1940’s England during the war is captured nicely, from the great voice-acting to the clothes and mannerisms of the characters. The buildings and locations are drawn with exacting detail and give the appearance of being from that time, although I’m not an expert on the actual accuracy of the architecture. The resort looks great, anyway, and just how I would imagine it to appear.

As in most traditional adventure games, there is a lot of searching for items to collect and a good bit of dialogue. Not only is there interactive dialogue from the characters, but there are also several instances of conversations that are overheard. All of this information will be used to solve the mystery.

Most of the puzzles aren’t difficult, and almost all of them involve using items in inventory in conjunction with clues gleaned from conversations. There are a few manipulative puzzles, but most of the puzzles are strictly inventory based. The majority of these puzzles are fairly well integrated into the game and are logical. Sometimes, though, the items are a little odd, like in the beginning of the game when Poirot bends over and picks up a huge rock and sticks it in his pocket, I guess. A murder hasn’t occurred yet, he’s just arrived at the resort, but he evidently feels the need for this rock. (He actually won’t need this rock until much later in the game.)

The interface is easy to understand and use, but players need to be sure to choose the menu that gives the save and load options, rather than click on Poirot’s door to exit. If players exit the game via the door, they won’t have a save option for the game.

This is a nice enough adventure game, especially for adventure fans that enjoy leisurely games with lots of exploring and conversations. The atmosphere is just right, and the game as a whole is a pleasant experience and one that won’t tax the brain too much. That is not to say that the game is too easy, it’s not; it requires some thought for many of the puzzles.

However, Agatha Christie fans have been warned, this game is not anything like the book, despite the title. The only similarity lies in the characters of Poirot and Hastings.

Gameplay: 7.0
Considered solely as an adventure game, Evil Under the Sun is a slightly above-average mystery game. The characters are interesting, the dialogue engaging, and the puzzles are fun. However, when considered as a homage to Agatha Christie, it leaves much to be desired.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are very nice and are evocative of the era. The characters are not drawn quite as well as the backgrounds.

Sound: 7.0
The music is alright, but ultimately forgettable.

Difficulty: Medium
The game overall isn’t too difficult. The puzzles take a little time and effort, but aren’t too taxing.

Concept: 6.0
The idea to change the entire story and add magic is odd, and there wasn’t any reason really to do so.

Overall: 7.0
A nice enough adventure, but one that may disappoint Agatha Christie fans. For players who are not Christie fans, it will be a nice diversion.