Death on the Nile Review (PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S & PC)

Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile is one of those mysteries that never loses its edge, no matter how many times it’s retold. We’ve seen it in books, on stage, and on the big screen, but now Microids has brought it to life as a whole detective adventure. Instead of the 1930s, the story unfolds in the 1970s, lending the murder and its suspects a fresh, stylish twist. 

Now, what makes this version stand out is how it puts players in the investigator’s shoes. Players map clues, reconstruct crime scenes, and switch between detectives to unravel secrets on the river. It’s undoubtedly a bold reimagining of a timeless tale. Let’s check out this review to find out more about Death on the Nile.

Sleuthing in the 70s

When we first heard that Microids was tackling Death on the Nile, we weren’t sure what to expect. This is one of Christie’s most famous murder mysteries, so naturally, the fear is always that a developer will either play it too safe or twist it into something unrecognizable. What Microids did instead was shift the story into the 1970s, add a second playable detective, and lean hard into modern detective game systems. That might sound risky, but once you get into it, the gamble pays off in interesting ways.

Instead of just slipping into the shoes of Hercule Poirot and letting the mustache do all the work, the game splits its narrative between Poirot and a new face, Jane Royce. Poirot brings the methodical side of investigation, while Jane is more grounded and hands-on. The result is a bit like an old-school buddy cop drama mixed with classic Christie flair. Notably, the pacing is slower than that of your typical murder mystery thriller, but that works here. Every conversation, every observation, every slight contradiction you spot matters.

The shift to the 70s adds a nice splash of personality, too. Players are not just wandering around in suits and antique halls; they’ve got disco-era colors, funky outfits, and a sharper edge to the social vibe. It’s a slight touch, but it keeps the story from feeling too trapped in the past.

Detective Work

Let’s talk about the gameplay, because this isn’t just a visual novel where you click through dialogue. Death on the Nile is all about gathering details, piecing together motives, and gradually revealing the truth. If you’ve played Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments or the old Consulting Detective games, you’ll feel right at home here.

Most of the action involves walking through environments, searching for clues, and interrogating suspects. Objects can be rotated and examined in your hands, which sounds simple but makes you more invested. Dialogue works in threes. Each conversation gives you a handful of topics, and you try to press just hard enough to spot cracks in someone’s story.

Now, all of this information gets logged into Poirot’s mental deduction board, which looks like a web of clues waiting to be connected. You’re basically playing detective on paper, stringing together motives, relationships, and timelines. It’s elegant and satisfying. Of course, you’re not just sitting there waiting for the game to spell everything out; you’re nudging puzzle pieces until something clicks. And when it does click, it feels fantastic.

One of the best features is the crime scene reconstruction. Instead of just reading statements, you get to place characters on a timeline, literally dropping them into the scene based on what you’ve learned. Maybe someone was seen at 10:45, someone else exits a room at 11:00, and by midnight, two characters cross paths they shouldn’t have. It’s spatial logic turned into gameplay, and it makes everything feel much more immersive. The moment you realize your half-baked theory doesn’t fit the 3D layout, the case opens up in a whole new way.

The Two Detectives

Mystery games succeed or fail based on their characters, and Death on the Nile handles this part surprisingly well. Not every suspect is full of charm or personality; some feel like they could have come straight from a small BBC drama, but that actually works in the game’s favor. When the cast isn’t competing for attention, it pushes you to focus on what really matters: the clues they reveal and how they connect to the case.

Poirot and Royce, the two detectives, share a central case log that feels like a realistic detective’s notebook or even a shared workspace. Every clue you uncover is stored here, and both characters pull from it during the investigation. It makes the character swapping mechanic feel natural. Instead of magically jumping between two minds, you’re working as part of a shared team effort, which adds to the immersion.

The dialogue itself is written with care. It doesn’t spoon-feed answers, and it avoids making suspects feel too obvious. Some characters sound suspicious but turn out to be more innocent than expected. Others seem trustworthy at first, but hide major secrets. This balance keeps you guessing and forces you to pay attention to every line.

Voice acting also plays an important role. None of the suspects feels over-the-top or cartoonish, which makes spotting lies and contradictions much more rewarding. The performances help the investigation feel like a tense game of reading people rather than just clicking through dialogue trees.

Back to the 70s

Death on the Nile focuses on style more than raw graphics power. The game uses a cel-shaded look with bold 70s-inspired colors, dramatic lighting, and expressive faces. Of course, it’s not realistic, and at times it feels like a game from the late 2000s, but that’s part of its charm.

This design choice also helps with clarity. Facial expressions, clue markers, and lighting stand out clearly, which is important in a detective game. The downside is that some environments feel dated. Particular objects, such as cars or furniture, appear to be recycled from older mid-budget games. The good news is that performance holds steady. Even in larger areas, the frame rate is smooth, and the game doesn’t require high-end hardware.

The audio is intense as well. Each character has a distinct voice, and the soundtrack builds tension without overpowering scenes. The voice acting deserves special mention because it avoids giving away too much. Suspects don’t sound exaggerated or obvious, which means you really have to pay attention to tone and delivery when searching for lies. This simply makes the investigation feel more rewarding.

The Bad

No detective game gets it all right, and Death on the Nile is no exception. Let’s address the annoyances first. The eavesdropping mechanic? Painfully inconsistent. Sometimes you have to be absurdly close to hear a conversation; other times, you’re standing halfway across the deck, and the game pretends you’re invisible. For instance, watching Poirot pace back and forth behind two women chatting by the pool, without them even noticing, completely breaks the immersion.

The story also has moments that may frustrate players. You can spend hours investigating, gathering clues, and building a strong case, only for the game to stop you from sharing your findings. The reason? It “might upset someone’s feelings.” While this choice is clearly designed to stretch the narrative across multiple cases, it doesn’t feel great when forced story decisions block your hard work.

Now, onto the good. When the game is at its best, the puzzles are creative and satisfying. They aren’t just random tasks thrown in for filler; they connect directly to the story. A good example is when you need to repair a jukebox to get a character talking. Notably, a simple task quickly becomes a multi-step challenge involving patterns, logic, and deduction. These puzzles feel natural in the world, and solving them is a rewarding experience.

Ultimately, despite its flaws, Death on the Nile succeeds in delivering engaging detective gameplay. The mix of clever puzzles and layered mysteries makes it a strong choice for fans of crime-solving adventure games.

Verdict

At the end of the day, Death on the Nile is a game made for true detective fans. It doesn’t chase big action scenes, it doesn’t try to be a cinematic blockbuster, and it doesn’t turn Poirot into some superhero figure. Instead, it keeps the focus on grounded detective work, collecting evidence, solving puzzles, and slowly tightening the case around the guilty party.

That focus is refreshing. Many mystery games rely on flashy twists or gimmicks, but here the fun comes from the slow-burning nature of a real investigation. The biggest reward isn’t an explosion or chase scene, it’s the quiet satisfaction of exposing a lie and cracking an alibi wide open.

Of course, there are flaws. The graphics look dated, the eavesdropping system can be frustrating, and the story sometimes delays payoffs longer than necessary. But when you’re deep into a case, testing theories, piecing together contradictions, and updating your crime board, those annoyances fade into the background.

Ultimately, this isn’t the kind of game that will turn casual players into lifelong fans of the detective genre. It’s not flashy enough for that. But for players who already love the genre, it delivers one of the most rewarding video game adaptations of an Agatha Christie novel in years.