A mysterious host invites ten strangers to remote and isolated house, only to have them die off, one by one. If you think that sounds awfully familiar, that’s because it’s the plot of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, one of the best-known and frequently imitated novels ever written. Though most modern interpretations of the book’s basic story mechanic tend to focus on the killing of the isolates (see just about every Friday the 13th movie ever made), And Then There Were None for the Wii stays faithful to the novel’s intent by emphasizing the mystery, not the carnage.
If you’ve read the book, you might be wondering just how the game could stay faithful to the book and yet be any fun. After all, in the Christie novel (spoiler alert!), one of the supposed victims turns out to be the killer, and later commits suicide after slaying the other nine guests. Not exactly a scenario with “Winner!” painted all over it. The game neatly dodges that potential problem by adding an unexpected eleventh guest, Patrick Narracott, who ferries the other guests to Shipwreck Island, then finds himself stuck when someone scuttles his boat. After making idle chitchat at dinner, the other characters discover that their host has called them to the island to face judgment for their secret sins, and accuses them all of having one way or another taken a life some time in the past. Narracott, as the odd man out, is the only one the host isn't trying to execute, and so it falls to him to unravel the mystery before it's too late.
You’d be hard pressed to find better source material for your mystery game than Agatha Christie, and the story is chock full of delicious intrigue. The guests on Shipwreck Island are a treasure trove of malice and deceit, with plenty of secrets to spare. Narracott's investigation twists, turns, and fishes up enough red herrings to keep even seasoned sleuths guessing. Christie fans might expect to have a bit of an edge on anyone unfamiliar with the book, but the addition of Narracott and the puzzles prevent it from being too predictable for anyone who already knows what’s afoot.
In your efforts as an amateur sleuth, you'll question the guests, collect evidence, and piece together clues in your search for the killer. Your investigation will take you all over Shipwreck Island and include the types of puzzles that are typical for point-and-click adventure style games, such as determining how best to persuade a pair of ornery goats to get out of your way, or how to trigger the latch for a secret passage. Despite lofty claims that you’re “no packrat,” you’ll line your pockets with all manner of random objects as you explore the island. Objects can often either be disassembled or combined in order to solve puzzles, though not all items are actually necessary to solve the game. The puzzles, for the most part, make sense in a real world setting, making progress through the game satisfyingly logical.
The game is certainly not the most visually exciting you’re ever going to play. The house and grounds of Shipwreck Island aren’t going to be featured in Home & Garden any time soon, and the characters are just as ugly. It’s probably best if you think of them more like suggestions of what people look like, as opposed to attempts to actually represent humans. The voice acting is good enough to almost—almost—distract you from the clay doll-like nature of the characters, but it’s unlikely to ever be used in the “games as art” debate.
None began life as a PC game, and the pointing and clicking so typical of classic adventure games translates well to the Wii Remote. Unfortunately, the developers felt they had to give us a little something extra and included some Wii-specific controls, which are completely unnecessary. Turning the Remote to open a door is amusing once, annoying twice, and a bloody chore forever afterwards. I wish Awe Games had simply left well enough alone and let the game stands on its own merits. If you don’t like adventure games, it’s unlikely a few waggles here and there are going to change your mind.
Minor control annoyances and unattractive visuals aside, None’s biggest problem is that it’s so slow to get going. A torrential downpour leaves you housebound for the initial stages of the game, with nothing better to do than repeatedly interview the other guests. It provides much-needed (unless you’ve read the book) background on the other characters and lays the groundwork for the mystery, but it can be quite tedious at times. The game becomes quite intriguing by the time the third body shows up, but until then you’re stuck roaming from room to room, interrogating the same people over and over again.
Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None is a smart adventure game with solid puzzles and a top-notch mystery, but its dated visuals and slow pace will have limited appeal for players who are used to more modern fare.
