The rising count of mystery games that we’re seeing as of late is pretty startling. We’ve gotten our fair share of Sherlock Holmes releases over the past few years that have been really good; and Agatha Christie’s star detective, Hercule Poirot, has also gained some notoriety with small releases. Well, add one more to the stack, as The London Case is here for fans to solve.

Like the previous games, you’ll spend a good deal of time looking around environments and talking to potential suspects, as you attempt to track down a painting that’s mysteriously vanished from a museum. You’ll occasionally solve puzzles and even analyze things in first-person view (different from the general isometric setup) as you attempt to find the truth.

The game’s got some technical problems that are hard to overlook – namely with its lengthy loading times. But if mystery games are your forte, this’ll last you several good hours, and its story will definitely keep you going. I just wish there was something more to bring more people into the genre overall.

The Puzzles Are the Thing

The big aspect that works so well for The London Case is its puzzle solving. It’ll take a bit to solve some of the whoppers here, while some have a much easier solution than expected. But it helps the flow of the case as a whole move along pretty nicely, while at the same time providing a twist or two to help crack down motives that people may have.

Getting around doesn’t feel too bad; and I also enjoy the first-person perspective moments, as you can really see what the world might be like through Poirot’s eyes. There’s also a lot to look at, and you might be surprised what clues you manage to seek out.

That said, though, the writing sometimes dips into average territory. Some of the characters are a bit bland compared to others; and there are some story arcs that don’t really pan out the way we expect. But overall, it still manages to tie together into a pretty good mystery.

But, again, I just couldn’t help but wonder if more could be done to attract new players. This seems built for players that have played prior Poirot games, and though the mystery is easy enough to get into, I just expected something that provided a little bit of a recap. There is some lore here, but it’s lacking that certain step to move things forward in the best way.

That said, if mysteries are your forte or you’re curious, The London Case certainly isn’t a waste of money.

Technical Hangups Get In the Way of the Chase

One other aspect of The London Case that end up being too hard to ignore are the technical aspects.

First off, the isometric set-up is very cool; and, again, the first-person switch is a nice touch. But there are times that glitches get in the way, and sometimes the character mouth movements don’t even match up with who’s talking to you. At least the puzzles are presented pretty cleanly; and some of the models are impressive.

The sound is also pretty good. There’s a diverse cast of characters talking up a storm here, and the sound effects are pretty spot-on with the source material. Again, though, be prepared for some characters coming across like their lips are sealed shut.

London Case’s glitches are forgivable for the most part, but one thing that gets in the game’s way is the loading time. You’ll wait a bit of time with traveling to certain areas, which is a bit weird considering how general the game’s design is. And this is across different versions of the game, too, and not just the Nintendo Switch. Hopefully we’ll see a patch that can speed things along.

Case Closed?

So will you enjoy The London Case? Well, it’s not bad. The mystery is mostly well put together, though some parts unravel a bit; and the technical issues, particularly the loading times, can be a real problem. But the game as a whole does carry tradition moderately well compared to previous games, and it’s a decent fit in the genre as a whole – though it caters more to veterans of the genre.

More could’ve been done with it, and, hopefully, will be done with it when it comes to a patch. But as it stands, this chapter of Poirot is certainly worth checking out – if you’re intrigued enough.

GAMERHUB RATING: 3 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS