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Bob Bates' first game for Infocom (before the much better Arthur and his more
famous role as the founder and designer of Legend Entertainment) showcases his talent
in writing and attention to detail, but sadly falls flat as a game due to very obscure
puzzles and lack of direction. In this game that follows in the footsteps of the
world's mose famous fictional detective, it lets you play the role of Doctor Watson,
Holmes' trusted companion. You have received an urgent summons from the Prime Minister
that is, naturally, of national importance: the royal family's Crown Jewels have been
stolen, and you have only 48 hours to solve the crime before the Golden Jubilee
procession. Although the game consistently evokes Victorian London just as Holmes
would have seen it, thanks to Bob Bates' intensive research and writing excellence,
Sherlock doesn't really succeed as a game. For starters, the game's excuse for not
letting you play the famous detective himself is a bit illogical: Holmes turns the
investigation to you, Watson, because he wants to throw the villain off guard (riddles
left at the scene of the crime include a direct challenge to Holmes, who suspects a
deadly trap). Much of the game involves travelling all over London (and there are
dozens of places you can go right away, adding to the confusion) to find similar
objects whose use won't become apparent until the last portion of the game. The riddle
which the thief left at the scene serves as the game's "meta-puzzle" and overall
direction of what you should be doing next, but most gamers will probably find it too
obscure. Most disappointingly, Holmes rarely interacts with you in the game, and
since most puzzles resemble a scavenger hunt, there is no room for Holmes to display
his legendary deductive powers. The game will probably appeal only to IF experts and
die-hard Holmesians who can decipher a huge amount of obscure puzzles. For a more
accessible Holmesian game (although admittedly not as true to his mythos), try
Bantam's Another Bow or EA's Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes instead. |
