Murder on the Orient Express Review

With thanks to the folks over at Microids, we’re bringing you our full Muder on the Orient Express review. We’ll be delving into their revitalisation of the great Hercule Poirot, alongside our usual common-sense parent’s guide.

Watch just below or keep reading, to find out if Murder on the Orient Express is ok for kids, and how it rates overall.

The Basics – What is Murder on the Orient Express About?

Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series, PlayStation 4 and 5
Price: c£35
Type: Lightweight Detective Adventure
Download: 21GB (PC)

Murder on the Orient Express is a wandering detective adventure which will see players investigating the eponymous killing. In addition, players will also investigate the backstory as well as additional crimes found after Poirot’s lounge car round up. You’ll use your little grey cells to solve lightweight but entertaining puzzles, interrogate witnesses and piece together the story of the Orient Express.

For those who know the story inside out, Microids have also added some additional plot and characters. Interspersed between Poirot’s investigation, players will control Joanna Locke, a detective investigating the linked crimes (we’re trying not to give spoilers) prior to boarding the train.

Players will puzzle their way through station-site tetris, small object puzzles and passenger interviews, putting together timelines and clues. Using Poirot’s mind map we’ll solve mysteries as we’re guided through the story. It’s not possible to fail here, but there is some satisfaction in getting it right first time.

Is Murder on the Orient Express Safe for Children?

Rating: Caution Advised.

Murder on the Orient Express is rated by PEGI at 12 and above, and by the ESRB at T for Teen. There is a little blood under the victim of our titular murder, but other than that things aren’t exceptionally gory. However, there are a number of distressing themes in the title.

The title includes stories of child abduction as well as murder. While this happens “off-screen”, we read about it and speak to people involved. This one isn’t a gory blood fest, but we are advising caution for those who may be sensitive to these themes, especially younger children.

Is Murder on the Orient Express Accessible?

Rating: Low Barrier.

This one does have some basic accessibility options such as subtitles, but that’s about it when it. However, the title doesn’t have time constraints, and it’s not really possible to fail as players can just pick answers until they get it right.

This means that players can take their time and will be guided to the right answers either way. Bold edges and clear writing mean that when it’s needed, players shouldn’t have an issue with following the action or puzzles, and with this slow nature it’s one which most people should get along with.

The Run Down – Our Five-Point Rating for Murder on the Orient Express

Gameplay – 4: Puzzles in the title are usually pretty straightforward, but mostly fun and fairly engaging. Poirot does hold your hand a little too much, for us, and it’s far more lenient than most puzzle titles. With that said, it’s nice to know there’s always backup available, and if we’re getting puzzles right first time anyway, it’s not that much of a problem.

Visuals – 2: The art style here is lovely and in itself has been well implemented. Sadly, poor character animations do make this art look incredibly dated and it does have an impact on immersion. Scenery is mostly nice, though it can suffer from a lack of detail in city scenes. Overall, especially with the number of person-to-person interactions, things do just need a little more work and polish here for visuals.

Audio – 3: For the most part, the sound works fairly well. Effects are nice and provide good feedback as you are working through puzzles. There are also some clever things done with sound – which are also represented on screen – as part of puzzle solving. Voice acting for the primary cast is decent but there are one or two voices which fall far behind the others in terms of voice acting quality, and should have been re-recorded.

Narrative – 4: You’d have to hope that a game based on a story by one of the best authors of all time would have a decent narrative. Strangely, there is an odd blend of modern technology and older original setting themes which do feel a little anachronistic. This video game adaptation also adds some more story which might not hit the heights of world-leading best seller, but is overall pretty good.

Replay – 2: There are golden moustaches to pick up when travelling through the game, but in terms of replay value that’s about it. These should be picked up as you go, as well, meaning there isn’t too much to drag you back in for a second play through.

The Verdict – Is Murder on the Orient Express Worth It?

Pixel Bandits Little Grey Cells Level for Murder on the Orient Express is a respectable 7 / 10. This one holds your hand a little too much, but the individual puzzles make it a fun journey overall. The title follows the well-loved Poirot story, with a few new additions and twists here and there, so players won’t have heard it all before.

It could definitely do with some visual and audio polishing, but Murder on the Orient Express is a fun if lightweight jaunt through one of the greatest murder mysteries ever written. While there’s no danger of failure, it’s been nice to not get stuck and to keep flowing through. This one does make you trudge back and forth a little to find your answers, but overall is a fairly decent adaptation of Christie’s original, with some additional bits added to keep it interesting for those who know the story.

As ever, to provide this review and common-sense parent’s guide, we received a free copy of Murder on the Orient Express from the folks at Microids.