Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
If it has almost been thirty years, the Nikopol trilogy remains a major work for many fans of comics and after attempting the adventure of filmmaking in 2004, Enki Bilal is now turning to video games. The author did not entrust the adaptation of the first component to anyone and it finally all logic that White Birds, the studio Benoit Sokal, who took charge of the project. A project in a game point & click adventure that arrived on PC and for which we do not know too sadly on Ground.
Nikopol is Choublanc?
Before talking about the game itself, it is important to clarify things, especially for fans of comics Enki Bilal. Indeed, if Nikopol: Frequently Asked Immortals focuses on the first part of the famous trilogy, it is however not a real adaptation. The developers indicate that their game is inspired by the scenario Enki Bilal. In fact, used the cartoon not know in advance what is happening throughout the adventure and, similarly, those who do not already Nikopol will not have the impression of come as a hair on the soup, not including the events told nothing.
The developers have used a staging "BD" for all cinematic
Therefore, it is not even matter to embody the hero of the comic strip, Alcide Nikopol, but his son, a painter without the support which his talents at the service of a religious splinter group that tries to oppose Choublanc dictator. In addition, if the Paris of 2023 is, as in the comic book, divided into two districts and places visited by the player directly from the work of Bilal (the apartment of heroes, the cemetery of Gorgon, the Metro, various changes were made. The fascist government of Jean-Ferdinand Choublanc turned into religious dictatorship, and as players we will have to save the life of our father.
During the five chapters in the adventure, Alcide Nikopol Junior must however also attention to its own existence in turn threatened by various hazards such as a species of bug or terrifying soldiers Choublanc. It is also the first "breach" of the canons of Nikopol adventure game: it is possible to die and it is usually in small sequences limited time that must be addressed as soon as possible. These sequences are not very numerous, but can boost certain sections of the game and it is not wrong. The rest of the time, Nikopol works effectively as a pure point & click.
Developers have adopted a subjective view representation and the player must traverse very successful graphics boards to discover objects or issues for its progression. Via the mouse, you can rotate the entire 360 degrees and discover the whole place where we are. By dragging the mouse pointer across the screen, we discover the interactive features, objects and the ability to move then activates an inventory with ease world with the right mouse button. So a simple interface that allows the atmosphere to settle and the player to concentrate on the puzzles.
Reapproaching elsewhere at a small Nikopol concern at this level and developers seem to have all difficult to balance things. , the graphics, drawing characters and entire sets can truly rediscover happiness with a certain work of Bilal. Unfortunately, the atmosphere does not settle completely, because the player is constantly "embarrassed" by riddles based on pure logic and that some players will undoubtedly Crisp. The difficulty level is something very subjective, but many adventurers will no doubt hold on these puzzles.
Conversely, other players may find the challenges too few records and this time the problem is with life. There is no question of asking dozens of hours of play, but when used bouclent entire history in just five hours, you know that something is wrong. So hard to be excited about this first stage of the Nikopol trilogy. This is all the more regrettable that the creators had successfully avoided the pitfall of return too frequent in these games and also had skilfully out of the trap game over the death of the hero, although sometimes frequent, never really damaging, it takes a few moments before the fatal outcome.
Conclusion
Correct in the sense of the term, this is how we could summarize this Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals. Well produced and with a genuine atmosphere, the title of White Birds, however, suffers a net balance problem: too easy and too short for habitual point & click and minds the most logical, it may run ass in those math puzzles too much at the highest point. Nevertheless, the principle of small sequences "action", the successful adaptation and the very successful scenario leaves us feeling pretty good so we await with some impatience the return of Nikopol for the second series of the trilogy of Enki Bilal.
