The title's genesis came from Olivier Fontenay, who suggested that
Benoît Sokal make police games.[3] Sokal wrote a ten-page draft in 2005.[4] He decided to have a male playable character to offer a change from his Syberia series.[5] The team created a new interface for the game, entitled PPA (Personal Police Assistant).[6] The game was supported by the
Centre National de la Cinématographie.[7] A sequel was originally going to be released, offering a second Jack Norm adventure set in New York.[8]
Plot
The plot is centered on the investigation of the death of a millionaire named Walter Jones. The main acting character in the game is Jack Norm, a police officer entrusted with the task of solving the mystery. The events take place on a fictional island owned by the late Walter Jones in an
Art Deco-style tower. The plot takes place over three days and follows a classic murder mystery scheme where a detective needs to uncover the identity of the murderer.
Jean-Marc Oliveres of Clubic wrote that the game would engross players into its story and history.[11]4Players reviewer Bodo Naser thought that while the game promised a murder mystery akin to those of
Agatha Christie, the title did not deliver.[12][13][14][15]Adventure-Treff's Jan Schneider negatively compared the game's world to Paradise and Syberia.[16]IGN offered a negative review, describing the game as having "weary, stranded-island sleuthing at its soggiest".[17]GameSpot thought the game would appeal to adventure fans.[18] Gamekult derided the game's difficult puzzles, sleep-inducing dialogue, and lack of plot momentum.[19]
^Balistrieri, Emily (15 September 2008).
"Sinking Island Review". IGN. News Corporation.
Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
^"Sinking Island Hands-On". CBS Interactive. GameSpot. CBS Corporation. July 24, 2008.
Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
^"Test L'île Noyée sur PC". Gamekult (in French). 22 October 2007.
Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.