Games on books. Agatha Christie – The Abc Murders.

Today we will look at the comparison of Agatha Christie’s book “Alphabetical Murders” with the game Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders .

Agatha Christie, her name is familiar to all lovers of detectives, and the heroes created by her deserves various tops of the most popular detectives. It is not surprising that her detectives often received theatrical or movie adaptations. Naturally, the video game industry also did not bypassed the works of the English writer.

In October 2016, ArtEFACTS Studio, which has so far responsible for creating such a game as Garfield Kart, V -Rally 4 and Motoracer 4 produces the Agatha Christie quest – The Abc Murders. The game is a Point-And-Clik quest, in which the player will take under the control of the Belgian detective Erkul Pooir

Since the detective is before us, it is obvious that this article will contain the answer to the main question – who is the killer? Therefore, if the riddle seems interesting, then I suggest you read the book or go through the game yourself, and only then return here.

The story begins with a mysterious letter. A certain unknown drops Poiro call and reports that on the 21st in Andover there will be something interesting. The detective received such letters before, but this time intuition tells Poiro that the matter is bad. However, the detective cannot take any significant actions, which means it remains only to wait.

At this moment, the game and the book make one and the same thing, namely, show the story on behalf of the killer. Moreover, in the game this moment looks good, since the scene lasts only a few seconds, the appearance of the killer does not give us anything, and the sound accompaniment complements the picture, creating the right mood. In the book, these moments spoil the narrative, because the author immediately reports the name of the killer, which means that he significantly destroys the intrigue.

The 21st of the number is coming and Poiro reports that Mrs. Asher, the murdered owner of the tobacco shop, was found in Andover. Of course, the detective cannot leave this crime unattended and in the company of his assistant Captain Gastings sets off.

Having examined the crime scene, the detective has no doubt that the murder is the work of the one who sent him a letter, because next to the body of the murdered, a railway reference was found, opened on the letter “a”. After interviewing the witnesses, the detective concludes that the murdered did not have any significant enemies, except that the alcoholic was a husband who constantly threatened to beat her, but at the time of the crime he got drunk with his friends in a tavern, so he has some kind of alibi. Yes, and the guide is clearly hinting that someone was planning the murder than the old drunk.

It is worth noting that in the book Poiro received all this information, communicating with various witnesses, bypassing the surroundings, studying police documents and doing other routine. In the game, the scene of the crime is compressed to one location, and all important information is invested in the mouth of a couple of witnesses. Of course, for the sake of gameplay there are game conventions. For example, the key to the apartment of Mrs. Asher is stored in a cache, for the opening of which you need to choose a password. But the developers were able to put all the important information on the investigation in short dialogs. With the solution of puzzles, everything is also good. As a rule, a safe that needs to be opened contains tips for solving. Occasionally you need to walk around the location and compare some comments on the detective with a mystery. Oh yes, the game still gives the so -called ego points for all the successful actions of the detective, but these glasses do not affect anything and do not need anything. But are always an occasion to once again invite the famous mustache.

Speaking of the investigation. At the moment, Poiro is forced to admit that he has no information about the killer. He is sure that there is definitely some important evidence in the case file, but it is not possible to realize its meaning yet. It remains to wait for the next course of the criminal.

Moreover, he does not force himself to wait. The second letter comes. This time the killer writes that he won the first round and the next murder will occur in Baxhil on the 25th, that is, after 2 days. The detective compares the name of the victim and the city indicated by the killer and comes to the conclusion that, perhaps, the surname of the next victim begins with the letter “B”.

The police are trying to take preventive measures, but it is not possible to prevent murder. This time the young waitress Betty Barnard was killed. Arriving for us a place, Poiro finds out that the girl was killed while walking on the beach. The killer strangled the victim with her own belt.

Witnesses claim that Betty, although https://robocatcasino.co.uk/ she was a good girl, at the same time behaved quite frivolously. Despite the presence of Donald Fraser, Betia loved to hang out in the company of some random men than caused her boyfriends of jealousy. By the way, during the last quarrel, the young man shouted that he would kill her, which made him in the eyes of the police with a clear suspect.

However, a railway reference book was left near the girl’s body, which means that the killer is still not Donald Fraser. Here Poiro draws attention to an entertaining circumstance – if the killer did not leave obvious evidence, then for his crimes they could well put the innocent. The detective guesses what lies behind such a conditionally generous gesture.

Further, the plots of the game and books diverge slightly. In the game, the police notify the public about the existence of an alphabetical killer, and in the book the information will be made public only after the third murder. By the way about him, the third letter comes. This time the murder should occur in Kerston. Let it not bother you that the name of the city begins with the letter “K”, because in English Kerton is written through “C”. Given that the victim will be called Clark (Clark), we can conclude that the Russian adaptation coped quite well.

With a letter in rust, there was a non. The offender writes that he will commit a murder on the 30th, that is, today. The sender incorrectly indicated the address of Poiro and the letter was delayed by the post office. Time is missed, the murder has already happened.

This time the famous doctor, Sir Karmikel Clark became the victim. Killed during his daily walk. Nearby, of course, the reference was left. Inspection of the crime scene and a survey of witnesses again do not give any significant information. The book police by analogy with the game addresses the public, and Poirot reflects on what is happening. It seems to him that he misses something important, some detail that could shed light on these crimes.

Moreover, the detective decides on a very strange move – he offers friends and relatives of the victims to create a team for capturing the criminal. Poiro is sure that they have valuable information, they just do not know about it themselves. The detective’s call responds: Mary Droier, niece Mrs. Asher, Megan Barnard, sister of the murdered waitress Betty, boy Betty Donald Frazer, secretary Sir Clark Miss Gray and brother Sir Clark Franklin.

They are ready to actively cooperate with the detective and again in the smallest details try to recall the events taking place during the murder. By the way, one might even say that the plan has worked, but the heroes will not know about it. Witnesses really mentioned in their testimony one important detail, which then help the detective. In the meantime, they simply sketched a small plan of action and dispersed. At the same meeting, Franklin passed Poirot a request from the wife of the murdered Sir Clark. She dies of cancer, but still would like to chat with the detective.

So it’s time to go to Krton again. There, Poiro learns that Mrs. Clark immediately after her husband’s death drove his secretary Miss Gray, because she considered her a keeper. Moreover, Mrs. Clark, although he is influenced by a huge number of medicines, he remembers exactly that a salesman came to the house on the day of the murder and tried to sell stockings. He seemed so inconspicuous man that everyone immediately forgot about him.

Here the plot of the game rejects the book again. After talking with Mrs. Clark Poiro gets the opportunity to freely explore the family mansion Clarkov. Of course, the house is full of riddles, deciding which Poiro will take possession of curious documents. True, someone tried to burn them, so the content would still have to restore them.

Upon arrival in London, Poiro again refreshes the testimony and Miss Gray recalls that on the day of the murder, some person really tried to sell her stockings. He seemed to her a very uncertain gentleman of the most average appearance. So she cannot even really describe it. However, Poiro had already folded all the details of the puzzle together and realized that he had lost sight of. In the room of the murdered Mrs. Asher there was a couple of brand new stockings, the parents of the murdered Betty Barnard also bought stockings as a gift to their daughter and the seller of stocking also came to the house of the murdered Sir Clark. Obviously, this was the killer. The only problem is that he looks like the most ordinary man, which means it will still be very difficult to find him. Moreover, according to the classical detective tradition, the policeman refuses to perceive Poiro seriously and the inspector says that he will not be distracted by the detective. I would like to know how it is so important to be so important, taking into account the fact that the police literally have no other evidence at all, but I think Poiro can do perfectly without the power of the police.

Moreover, the fourth letter is already waiting for a detective on the threshold of his apartment. This time the killer reports that he will commit a crime in Doncaster. True, in the game a new murder is not destined to happen. Remember about burned papers? So, the detective restores their content. At this moment, the player becomes clear that he connects all the dead and who will be the next victim. It turns out that Dr. Clark’s medical cards tried to burn. Among them are Mrs. Asher, Betty Barnard, a certain Alexander Bonapart Cast and Mr. Dick Donbar. Obviously, the latter on this list is the potential goal of the killer. Poirot transmits this information to the police and the inspector delays the criminal, they are the same Alexander Bonapart Cast.

Arriving in the apartment of the killers, Poiro finds a stack of reference books, and packages with stockings, and paper for letters, and many more small evidence. By the way, in this place, the developers were slightly fucked up because of which inconsistency occurs in the evidence. The fact is that Cast considers himself employees of the company for the production of stockings. It was from the company that he received letters with the instructions in which city should I go. Caste version is refuted by the fact that letters to Poiro, and letters allegedly from the company are printed on the same typewriter, that is, written by Caste itself. Moreover, in the game mini game about comparing the text of letters with each other for some reason is repeated three times. Poiro compares the first letter with the second, the second with the third and third with the fourth. Obviously, the keys A, I and W have defects. But on a letter from the company, all letters look normal, that is, it is printed on another machine. But the replica of Poiro from the book in the game remained, so the detective says that Cast himself printed letters on his typewriter. At the same time, Poiro refers precisely to the fact that letters from the killer and the company are printed on one typewriter. I suspect that the developers forgot to finalize the text of the last letter.

But back to the book. Poiro, along with the newly -born team of assistants, travels to Doncaster and organizes the patrol of the town. However, all efforts are useless and soon report to him that the body was found in the cinema. George Ersfield turns out to be killed, a railway reference was found next to the body.

It turns out the killer was mistaken, because the surname of the victim does not begin with the letter D. It quickly turns out that a man named Dones was sitting in the same row, but since he moved in the cinema in the cinema. The interrogation of other witnesses gives little, many remember that shortly before the end of the film several visitors left the hall, but they cannot describe their appearance.

Next, the most controversial moment of the book occurs. The fact is that in the chapters on behalf of Casta they show us how he accidentally makes minor mistakes. For example, he told the householder that he was going to Cheltenham, and the guy’s daughter of the mistress of the house of the house saw him on the train to Krton. A series of such coincidences gives rise to doubts in a young man, which as a result bring him to the police. This time the inspector treats this story with interest and is going to arrest Casta. True, he has already gone on the run. The fact is that the daughter of the homewriter warned him about the arrival of the police. You want to ask why the girl helped to escape allegedly a brutal killer? Actually, me too. This moment is explained in the book that she was just a compassionate girl. Moreover, this action will not have any consequences, and Cast will come to give up to the police just a couple of days after the escape.

Game and book plots again converge at the interrogation of caste. Poiro still tormented doubts whether Cast is really a killer? A couple of questions only strengthens the detective in the opinion that Cast is not guilty. On the one hand, his biography greatly contributes to the image of a maniac-the absence of a father, an imperious mother, difficulties in social interaction, a wound to the head, because of which Cast suffers from epileptic ancestors and failures in memory. On the other hand, he does not really know who Poiro is, and denies that he wrote a letter to the detective. Moreover, because of problems with memory, Casta thinks that he could kill these people, but does not know why he did it.

However, the brilliant detective has already folded all parts of the story together. Obviously, Cast did not kill anyone, which means it’s time to find a real killer. Poiro again gathers a team of friends and relatives of the victim to put an end in this matter.

When everyone is assembled. Poirot states that he had all the evidence under his nose, he just could not immediately interpret them correctly. The detective suggests looking at the contradictions. Let’s start with the first letter why it was addressed to Poiro? After all, if the criminal wanted fame, it would be more logical to send letters to the police or newspapers, and not to a private person. Then the murder of Betty Barnard, at that moment, Poiro was convinced that the criminal is a man. He was able to seduce a young girl, because she went to retire to him on the beach, and even allowed her to take off her belt. Moreover, in the remaining three murders, the offender did not interact with the victim, but simply struck and disappeared. So, the murder is in different from A, s, D. But still, a reference was left near Betty’s body, which was then known only to the killer and the police, that is, the criminal deliberately made it clear that this murder was precisely connected with the previous one. Having re -read the letters again, Poiro believes that they were written by a completely normal person who only tries to portray a madman. In this case, it turns out that the killer is guided by ordinary personal motives. Moreover, only one murder was directed to achieve the goal, and all the others were committed to take the eyes. Finally, a classic phrase sounds from the detective – the killer here in this room.

So let’s go through all the candidates. The first victim was Mrs. Asher, a probable suspect husband, but it is unlikely that the old alcoholic is able to come up with such a complex and confusing plan. The second victim is Betty Barnard. The suspect is her boyfriend, Donald Fraser. However, a young man would rather kill her out of jealousy, and a crime by passion is poorly considered cold -blooded planning. The third was killed by Sir Karmikel Clark. Here Poiro announces that it is Sir Clark’s brother, Sir Franklin and is a killer.

Mr. Franklin first, of course, unlocks, but quickly surrenders under the peremptory arguments of the detective. First, Poiro says that Cast could not plan and carry out all the murders, since he does not have a mind, a hard character, or a seductive appearance. Further, the detective indicates that Sir Clark was a rich man, but he did not have children. So, after his death, everything will inherit the wife, but she dies of cancer, and Sir Franklin will become the next owner of money and real estate. In addition, the third letter was lost by mail not by mistake. It was for this trick that the killer chose Poiro. If Franklin sent a letter to the newspapers or the police, then it would not be lost, and he needed to win, because if the police warned, his brother would not go for a walk.

“The organization itself was great. On behalf of Casta, you ordered a large batch of hosiery. At the same time, you made it so that he was sent a pack of alphabetical railway reference books, packed in a similar way. You sent him a letter printed on a typewriter, in which on behalf of a large company offered him a decent salary and good commission. You thought out so well that you printed all the necessary letters on the typewriter in advance, which you then handed over to the unfortunate ”.

Agatha Christie

Of course, after the third murder, it was necessary to commit the fourth. Here the game looks a little strange, because Poiro himself found evidence that allowing Casta to arrest and it is not clear what would happen next. It would be interesting to know if the game Franklin planned and continue to commit murders. In the book, Franklin is deliberately mistaken and leaves evidence that allows the investigation to go to the caste. This plan also works doubtfully, because we remember that Caste was calculated by a random guy as a result, but in the book after the fourth murder, the police at least begin to get to Casta precisely because of the intentional “mistakes” Franklin.

And in the game they also changed the finale. At the same time giving the player a choice, but making it a little ridiculous. The fact is that in the book Poiro foresaw Franklin’s actions, and therefore secretly discharged his revolver. Therefore, when Franklin recognizing the defeat tries to shoot himself, the weapon does not work and the killer is arrested. In the game, Poiro gives the revolver to Gastings with the words that his help may be required. The player is free to charge weapons with combat or idle cartridges. The doubtfulness of the scene is that the exposed Franklin grabs a revolver from the Gastings pocket and lets himself with a bullet in the forehead. And how did he know from the captain in his pocket trunk?

Okay, such stories turned out. Guys from ArteFacts Studio have done good work to adapt the detective. They managed to adjust the narrative to the game design practically without losing the essential information necessary to disclose the murder. Even stockings are mentioned in passing when discussing each murder, and the most attentive player may even be more guessing than the Belgian detective. But with the ending, the developers were worn out. Key evidence in the form of burned documents destroys the intrigue even before the capture of Casta, since it becomes clear that all the victims are associated with the estate of Clarks. The book also could not do without roughness. You can argue about where Franklin has such ideal Stlas skills, because in the cinema he managed to quietly kill the man with a knife, wait for Cast to leave the hall and throw a bloodied knife into his pocket. But I don’t really want to do it. The story copes with driving the reader by the nose until the same scene with the announcement that the killer is one of those present. For me personally, this is an indicator of a pretty good detective.