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One of the most sought-after adventure CD-ROM titles in existence, Hound of
the Baskervilles is unfortunately a game for which there is good reason for its rarity:
it is terrible. There are not enough 'game' elements to capture any gamer's attention
for long: it is little more than a dressed-up "electronic book" version of the original
Sherlock Holmes novel - and an inferior one at that. The 'gameplay' consists of
clicking on various dates on the calendar to change the active date, then read the
corresponding entries in Watson's diary and browse clues on his desk. That's pretty
much it to the 'game.' Sure, the production value on some of the clues is admirable:
you will find authentic-looking ticket stubs, crime scene photos, and more evidence
than you can shake a stick at. And what is the 640MB CD-ROM space used for? Orchestral
music that helps evoke the Victorian era, nothing else. After you spend a few minutes
with this 'game,' you will realize that reading Sir Doyle's classic is a much better
use of your time than playing this sorry excuse of a multimedia title. Since Sir
Doyle's wonderful prose has been replaced with a tepid narrative that is no match to
the 'real' Watson in the novel, there is nothing to save this thoroughly disappointing better-as-a-coaster 'game'. |