Agatha Christie: Evil Under The Sun

by Dreamcatcher

Product Features

• Play as world renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot
• Over 20 unique characters to interact with each with their own motives
• Cinematic camera perspectives emphasizing character facial emotions
• Shadowing ability allows Poirot to stealthily follow suspects from a discreet distance
• Advanced in-game hint system including automatic journal recording

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000UQURQ6
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches ; 1.7 pounds
• Media: DVD-ROM
• Release Date: October 16, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,865 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

How does a millionaire wind up with a phony diamond? Can Hercule Poirot solve a murder on an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous when everyone has an alibi? One of Agatha Christie's most famous characters is back in typical style, turning up at just the right time to begin an investigation into the murder of a famous actress during what should have been the start of a relaxing holiday. Taking on the role of detective Hercule Poirot, players can scour a stunning tropical island for clues and delve deeper into the mysterious relationships between over 20 unique characters to search out the killer. Additional storyline appended to that of the original novel providing a new ending Exceptionally rendered exotic environments with painstaking detail 20+ hours of gameplay.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT game!, October 30, 2007

By 

Laura E. Van Gilder "ladylaurabeth" (Moorpark CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Agatha Christie: Evil Under The Sun (DVD-ROM)

I've loved all of the Agatha Christie games. They're well thought out and a true mystery game. Of course, being based off of the books does help! One reason I really love these games is because you get to meet different characters and investigate, interrogate, etc. It's not full of puzzles you HAVE to complete in order to continue on with the game. It doesn't have action sequences where you're worrying about your character being killed and having to go back and try again. The main characteristics are learning the suspects, finding the clues and coming to the conclusion of the murder.

It also has 7 different Acts, so the game lasts a good amount of time. I highly recommend this game for any adventure game lover and murder mystery fan!

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The good continues, the evil begins..., October 27, 2007

By 

Michail Chourdakis (Greece) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Agatha Christie: Evil Under The Sun (DVD-ROM)

The 3rd episode, long awaited Evil Under the Sun is here.

Graphics? Good as you are used of TAC. Close-ups of the characters are not the best - but it is a minor flaw only.

Sound ? The best of the three games. I very much liked the door and ambient effects, and the fact that, almost on each act, the background music changes.

Dialogs? Very good. Emphasizing Poirot's humor. Poor Hastings can almost never put his own little gray cells to work! The voices are also loud and very clear.

Plot? Interesting. Everyone who has read the book will agree that the plot in the game does not resemble the book with accuracy. Although this might be considered a flaw, I am satisfied - because you will encounter things that were not in the book.

And a nice gift, a very innovative hint system with a moving finger (say, is the Moving Finger the next TAC Agatha Christie game ?).

Advantages:

- Nice gfx, sound, and control system (unlimited (as far as I could see) saves).

- Good plot, no flaws.

- Lots of humor.

- Includes text for the dialogs. (Very important for me).

- Nice and logic , inventory-based riddles. Oh yes, and 1 rather easy puzzle-type riddle found in Linda Marshall's room.

- Full install, play without CDs.

Disadvantages:

- A bit short

- A bit easy

- A bit non-evil ; Good as a game - but no match for the book as far as the atmosphere is considered.

- Some bugs in the graphics ; Not critical, but annoying. Save F2 and Load F3 will do a needed job.

- No book included - Why ? Previous 2 games included the book in the box :(

- No alternative ending. The murderer is the same as in the book - what differs is the method of their 'arrest'. The 'And then there were none' was the only one of the three that had actually changed the plot to introduce a new finale.

Overall:

Although the game is very good overall,it is inevitably compared with the book masterpiece, and it most probably fails in the comparison. I congratulate the TAC developer's efforts, but I would suggest they spend their programming hours and talends in designing new games and not copies of the Great Lady's books, because a copy of a masterpiece is bound to be an eventual failure.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wild journey through criminal minds, May 25, 2008

By 

S. Hodge - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Agatha Christie: Evil Under The Sun (DVD-ROM)

Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun is AWE Game's third Agatha Christie adaptation for the PC, and as such, has made admirable improvements over its predecessors, with a few small glitches. Based on Dame Agatha's Evil under the Sun (Hercule Poirot Mysteries), it is the tale of seemingly unrelated guests vacationing on a nearly-deserted British island early in WWII. However, all is not quiet in this apparent paradise; Arlena Stuart-Marshall, a rich and beautiful actress, turns up dead on an isolated beach, and nearly everyone has some connection either to the murder or the strange goings-on on Seadrift Island.

The game opens with the unique premise that Poirot and Hastings are in Poirot's London apartment during an air raid, and in order to distract themselves, Poirot offers to retell the details of his latest case, which received scant publicity due to being upstaged by Hitler. Poirot offers the services of the Finger of Suspicion, a "magical" device that helps eliminate suspects if you get stuck. During the tale, Hastings will jump back and forth between Seadrift Island, 1940 and Poirot's London office as the two share details of the case.

Unlike the previous AWE game Agatha Christie : Murder on the Orient Express, where you played as Poirot (voiced by David Suchet, the BBC Poirot), in EUtS you play as Poirot's friend Captain Hastings as you retrace Poirot's footsteps leading up the the murder and its investigation. However, your physical appearance is that of Poirot, and your thoughts alternate between Hastings and Poirot as the two banter about clues and suspects. Sound confusing? It is at times. Also, David Suchet didn't reprise his voicework here, deferring to the capable Kevin Delaney instead. However, the time travel / body swap gimmick works, and the clever writing results in comic relief.

There are no fewer than twenty possible suspects, and each has their own motive. There is not one, but several crimes unfolding simultaneously, including subplots involving a fascist spy, drug smuggling, past murders, pirate ghosts, hidden treasure, small thefts, and of course, Arlena's murder. Also, Seadrift Island and the Smuggler's Rest hotel are incredibly vast compared to the first Agatha Christie game Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None, offering hours of exploration.

Graphically, the game is flawless, including the Art Deco hotel details and elaborate period costumes. However, I had to giggle on several occasions at a few of the characters who really, really looked like men in drag, especially during cutscenes. I wondered if that was part of the deception at first, but no. Another graphic improvement was in the game's extensive use of ambient effects such as rolling fog, moving shafts of sunlight, distant waves, and rustling leaves that helped to bring static 2D backgrounds to life. The game's voice acting is generally very good, with the exception of some truly bad German accents, and the music is perfectly tailored to suit the mood. The cinematic cutscenes are beautifully executed, and many times are for comic effect as Poirot's grumpy face is featured in close-up, the crinkling of his eyes expressing his disapproval.

The inventory system remains unchanged from previous games, but thankfully, you carry few unnecessary items. Generally, the puzzles are inventory-based and are straightforward, sometimes requiring you to combine items or examine items more closely. Another new twist is the stopwatch; in this game, you time several routes around the island to the scene of the murder to determine whose alibis are sound. There are also numerous documents that are added to Hastings/Poirot's notebook that shed light on past events that are connected to the murder. Poirot also engages in eavesdropping on several occasions, and shadowing shady characters (and ghosts). Another pleasant addition is the use of chemical testing to determine contents of items found in suspects' rooms and at crime scenes.

Two small gripes: when testing evidence, the results are delivered automatically, with no chance for trial and error. A little more freedom of experimentation in determining content would have been nice. Similarly, Poirot is required to play darts at one point, and he wins automatically. I was hoping for a little eye-hand coordination practice instead of having the computer do it for me. Also, some players had issues with gameplay crashes and glitches, but the game ran smoothly on my above-specs computer.

Overall, this is a welcome addition to an impressive series of games that capture the diabolically clever murder puzzles in Dame Agatha's famed mysteries while bringing bygone eras to vivid life. The touches of humor and vivid environment, combined with the extended gameplay, make this the best entry in the series by far, and fans of murder mysteries and adventure games should definitely add this gem to their collection.