Publisher Microids has plenty of experience adapting childhood classics for gaming, and its latest effort will tackle a beloved comic from the 1930s in Tintin Reporter - Cigars of the Pharaoh. Of course, Microids called on an ample amount of Tintin expertise to develop this upcoming puzzle adventure game. Microids and developer Pendulo Studios worked closely with Tintinimaginatio, the company set up to promote the works of Hergé, said Microids product manager Charles Leveugle in a recent Game ZXC interview
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of comics by the Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, better known by the pen name Hergé. The comics follow an intrepid young reporter named Tintin, who together with his dog Snowy tracks down cases from around the world and rises to the daring-do needed by dangerous situations. The stories went on to inspire young people the world over for nearly a century.
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The history and experience gave the team behind Cigars of the Pharaoh some of the deepest insight possible into the works the game is based on. They had access to Hergé’s notes on Tintin and some of the most expert minds on the franchise as part of developing their adaptation. This means informed opinions and expert analysis on some of the hardest-hitting insights into the works of Herge. For instance, who has the best facial hair in The Adventures of Tintin (Captain Haddock, perhaps?) And we wondered who could Tintin have a better companion than Snowy (even though he's irreplaceable). But could there have been a better partner for the young reporter Tintin?
“Tintin and Snowy are such a complementary duo that it would be a shame to replace the dog with another animal… But should I do this kind of exercise, I would do it with other animals we, at Microids, have already been working on… such as Garfield! Or an army of Smurfs , maybe? But let’s face it, there is no Tintin without Snowy, end of discussion.”
Leveugle did explain that Snowy’s role is more important in Cigars of the Pharaoh than simply being the best puppy a reporter could want, however. While he wouldn’t go into details about all the ways Snowy will make himself useful, he did explain that Snowy will be able to unlock situations, find objects, and help solve riddles for players. After all, he said, “Tintin would be nothing without Snowy.”
As for riddles and puzzles, they are integral to Tintin’s adventures as a globe-trotting teen journalist. But life has changed a lot for teens over the past century, and in a modern world, Tintin could be playing video games to get his puzzling fix. It seems obvious in retrospect what game Leveugle thinks Tintin would be aching to play.
“Should he have access to the Cigars video game, I would say that Tintin’s favorite puzzle game would be the ones you can find in the Kih-Oskh tomb. Because they are the first to be encountered in the game, and they are properly enchanting – these puzzles really put you in the steps of a ‘real’ archaeologist! If I was Tintin, I would surely love to face those mysterious Egyptian puzzles!”
The puzzles Tintin would be challenged by in Cigars include one Leveugle is particularly interested in seeing players solve in Pharaoh Kih-Oskh’s tomb, involving the balancing of souls a la Anubis. He called it a beautiful puzzle. And the idea of Tintin playing his own game is evocative of a moment that occurs in “Cigars of the Pharaoh.” In a charming fourth-wall break, the sheikh reveals he knows of Tintin because he read the earlier comics from the Adventures of Tintin. That scene, Leveugle said, will be lovingly adapted in the Cigars of the Pharaoh game.
“ Breaking the fourth wall like this was an unexpected but savory tour de force by Hergé! Of course we had to pay our respects to this iconic moment of the “Cigars” comic… and we did it! But I can’t tell you what it’s going to look like, that would be a major spoiler! All I can assure you is that this particular sequence will be, just like in the comic, a peaceful and cheerful moment for Tintin – and so, for the player.”
Will it involve the Shiekh playing Cigar of the Pharaohs? If so, maybe Tintin can get his hands on it after all.
Tintin Reporter - Cigars of the Pharaoh releases November 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.