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I've never really been an Agatha Christie fan. However, I have always been a major crime show fan, way before the CSI explosion. Since I also am a huge adventure game fan, you'd figure I've played a lot of crime-themed adventure games, but I really haven't. In fact, the day before I saw this game available, I was thinking to myself I need to find one just like it.

Evil Under the Sun starts on a cold evening in war-torn London during World War II. You, Arthur Hastings, are sitting in front of the world-famous detective Hercule Poirot as the two of you pass the time telling tales. Poirot then decides to tell you, in vivid detail, about his summer vacation at the Smuggler's Rest Hotel, where murder occurs shortly after he arrives. Poirot's challenge to you is to re-enact this period of time and see if you can make the same conclusions that he once did; he'll help you by describing everything in such perfect detail, you'd have thought you were really there! At any point, you can return to the office and get clues from the "finger of suspicion," a gross little finger that spins around on a plate that is powered by "magic." It basically is just another puzzle for you to solve.

Starting in your room at the Smuggler's Rest Hotel, you can make your way through much of the hotel, from some open guest rooms, to the office, bar, dining area and more. You can move outside to the tennis courts, the cliffs, a couple beaches, the bar, some ruins and to the town off the small island you are on. On your first day, the real Poirot tells you that you should get to know the people, socialize and see what is going on in the hotel, before the murder happens.

This is where Evil Under the Sun differs a bit from your typical adventure game: It is very social. The majority of the game is spent on talking with people, listening to them, and uncovering their intentions and opinions on others. Some of the dialog options have little effect on the outcome of your game, and there are some that, if missed, can lead to important clues never discovered. Poirot soon advises you, well, I guess ... advises himself, to earn some respect and gain the ability to call in on favors from the guests before the murder happens. Even then, there tends to be a lot less time spent on finding items and solving the puzzles associated with them compared to the typical adventure game. This often means you aren't stuck figuring out something, because the puzzles are not numerous and generally not very difficult; you are more likely to be stuck trying to find someone to talk to or listen in on so you can advance the game.

Evil Under the Sun's story is broken into different time periods, or chapters, and you need to accomplish all your objectives in that period before you can move on. Since there are a number of ongoing storylines in the game, your list of tasks can be much longer than just finding out who the murderer is.

From German spies, to drug smuggling, to ghosts, cheating spouses, past unsolved murder investigations and voodoo practices, there certainly isn't a clear path of either what you're supposed to be looking for or what evidence belongs to what situation. The murder of a famous actress is soon covered up by ill thoughts and wishes of nearly all the hotel guests, as well as the strange events that are happening around the island. Luckily, there is copious usage of video that is placed throughout the game, from the changeovers of the chapters, to new footage when you accomplish your objectives. The video really helps the fantastic storyline in Evil Under the Sun; the story already was great, but this just ties it all in together, especially when the adventure game format just can't on its own.

The interface is very simple, with your cursor automatically changing to a suitable icon when over an interactive area, and left-clicking activates this. A right-click will open your inventory screen for quick access; double-clicking on an inventory item will allow it to be examined further. Pushing your mouse to the top of the screen allows access to hidden menus, suspect notes and documents, Poirot's office, and more.

The graphics found throughout the game are quite well-done and completely in the style for the time period, as are the video scenes. On the other hand, character models are a bit awkward-looking, showing some very square and unnatural sides. Sound effects and music are decent, with relaxing but fitting music and suitable sound effects. The voice acting also is well-done; the main characters and guests all do a great job of creating their own personalities.

Evil Under the Sun, being based on a book, really does show through in the story, which is probably the most important factor in any adventure game. The characters are far deeper than most games, and the storyline isn't just thrown together: It is a treat to play. Poirot's stubbornness and odd behavior adds greatly to the comedic value of the game, lightening things up constantly, because Poirot "does not drive the motor cars!"

Even though the game is a little on the short side (about seven hours), it is still very entertaining. One thing that does bother me a little is the ending, since there are numerous twists and turns in testimony during the course of the game. By the time you are at the end, you don't really have a clear clue through testimony or evidence of what happened. Somehow your character just pulls out some story from thin air. While this is expected in a crime show, I don't know if it really works in an adventure game. I mean, the whole point is to be solving this puzzle, and at the end, you're pretty clueless as to what is going on, so I felt a little disappointed.

Despite that, Evil Under the Sun is a great story to play through and is entertaining. Remember, though, it does not contain the puzzles, challenges or many game elements that a hardcore adventure player would want.