[Kurufinwe]

Originally Posted by MoriartyL

All I saw was the word "Epernay" at the bottom of the screen. Did I not reach it, then?

If it was on the screen, then yes, you're there. You should hear that the train isn't moving any more (but you can't get off, if that was your question).

I don't need to read the newspaper to eventually understand what's going on, do I?

Let me put it this way: The Last Express is not about some guy who got killed by an old flame because he was seeing another woman. The game's plot is deeply tied to the historical context of the time. The crumbling of the old absolute monarchies in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia and the Ottoman empire; the lasting hatred between France and Germany, which were just looking for an excuse to go to war again; the rise of a new industrial bourgeoisie, rendered extremely rich and powerful by capitalism and the industrial revolution; the emergence of a class of urban, educated workers, organising themselves in unions and communist and socialist parties, with the help of some of the intellectual class; the rising nationalist tensions all over Europe, from Ireland to the Balkans: all these elements are somewhat relevant to the plot. So if you feel that you already know all of this, or if you think you can gather most of it from the conversations in the game, fine. Otherwise, read the paper.

Originally Posted by colpet

I have been playing the game for a bit and I'm not sure I like it. Within the first 5 minutes the game ended. I tried to tell the conductor about the body, but that doesn't work.

Spoiler:

It seems you have to dispose of the body and hide what happened. Why would you want to do that?

As you may or may not have gathered from the newspaper cutting Cath is carrying, he is wanted by the police for helping Irish nationalists. The last thing he wants is to draw attention to himself.

It is impossible to take notes as the dialogue happens far too quickly. I like the way the graphics are rendered, but I need to take notes about features that distiguish each character since some of the men look similar. There's so much conversation going on, and not enough time to write down the details. I started summarizing the newspaper articles, but after half an hour it just seemed like a waste of time.
I'm sure my approach to the game is wrong, and I need to take a different tact. I just hate not being able to write down what happens.

Don't worry about understanding everything at first: just take some time to assess the general mood, and get some first impressions on the characters. Overhearing conversations is nice to get those impressions, but you don't need to actually remember anything. As for the (obviously important) conversations Cath has with some characters: as you've seen, most of them want something from him, so they'll come to him again in the future, with clearer demands. For the moment, your objectives are (1) not to get caught, (2) to get some general feel of the mood and types of characters and (3) to realise that Tyler was caught in something big, involving multiple parties. Understanding what exactly Tyler was working on, or getting to know the characters better, will come later, once the dust has settled. For the moment, just work on not getting caught.