Fans of Tintin comics open up on expectations from the upcoming video game on the series

Captain Haddock, Tintin and Snowy. Pic Courtesy/@Tintin

The world that Georges Remi aka Hergé lived in 1930 did not have the Internet or satellite television. It was still filled with mysteries and eccentricities that dominated the illustrator's legacy - The Adventures of Tintin. Almost a century later, game publisher Microids and developer Pendulo Studios have announced the development of the video game Tintin Reporter - Cigars of the Pharaoh, to be released on Nintendo Switch and other platforms in 2023. We spoke with two fans of the series to learn what they look forward to in the latest adaptation of the character.

A screengrab from the preview of Tintin Reporter and Cigars of the Pharaoh. Pic Courtesy/Microids.com

For the love of adventure
Amrita Banerjee, 33, product designer

Hergé's character provided an introverted Banerjee with confidence to set out on her own adventures. "Tintin introduced me to so many interesting new concepts," she says. Her favourite adventure in the series remains The Blue Lotus, but Banerjee feels that each book offered an escape. "For instance, The Prisoners of the Sun gave me an insight into eclipses and Incan civilisation," she says. As for the video game, Banerjee admits she is not too fond, but would definitely try them out for Tintin. But she would not choose the Belgian journalist as her main character. "I actually want to play the character of Snowy, if the game allows it. My love for dogs and cats traces down to Snowy," she reveals. The product designer explains, "He is mischievous, but is also able to help out at key moments. I would love to take on that perspective for a change."

Let the classics be
Amrita Jagtap, 35, managing editor

Jagtap's fondest memories of the stories involve Captain Haddock. Cigars of the Pharaoh is not her favourite series though. The 1934 comic sees the Belgian journalist travel through Egypt and Arabia to land in India. It was the last connection that sparked Jagtap's childhood imagination. "You did not have many international comics that mentioned India," she notes. She was also intrigued by the name of the adventure's villain - Roberto Rastapopoulos. As for the game, she sticks to Captain Haddock as the choice of a first-person character. "My concern is that video games are limited. They lack the fluidity and humour of the human element in the comic. Some things should just be left alone. But if it draws more readers to the comic; that's a great result in itself," she reasons.