The story is set in England, 1897. The renowned private detective is attending an event hosted by Sir Melvyn Bromsby. He’s organised the lavish affair to welcome home his daughter, Lavinia. Everything is spiffing until Bromsby is fatally wounded by a gunshot.
Platform: PC
Genre: Adventure
Game mode: Single-player
Your playable characters are Sherlock Holmes AND Dr. Watson; you need to start an investigation immediately to find the culprit!
However, this won’t be a doddle! The mystery will test your fact-finding skills like never before. It’s a journey that requires you to untangle an intricate ‘web’ of mind-boggling puzzles – everyone is a suspect until you can confirm their innocence.
This is a point-and-click game; you use your mouse to perform the various actions. As Holmes, you have access to his iconic tools, which include a magnifying glass, test tube and a measuring tape. However, the tool that will help you solve the murder is a notebook – you will not succeed without it.
So, what makes the notebook so special? Well, it contains the conversations of all of the witnesses, as well as a detailed analysis of the physical evidence – make sure you keep this safe!
If you’re worried that you’re not going to remember all of the information, you can breathe easy, every time you find something or have a conversation a suspect, it’s automatically recorded in the trusty notebook.
Throughout the game, you can expect to be searching and examining a plethora of clues that the police have missed. This is a thrilling adventure; will you be able to uncover the murderer? Remember that clues can be anywhere – in addition to Watson, perseverance is your friend!
Gamespot comments, “The game’s environments are richly detailed, and you’re expected to find little strands of hair or suspicious smudges in them. Real-life crime investigators might engage in the equivalent of pixel hunts, but this is a game, and games should be fun, not frustrating.”
One problem that is evident is the limits of the movement of the characters. Sometimes the controls are unresponsive, which negatively impacts the experience. For many, this flaw can be a deal breaker.
However, like we said, patience and perseverance is vital and if you can overlook this flaw, you will experience a rich, captivating story filled with twists and turns.
Pros: Fascinating storyline; detailed environment; a notebook is available to help you re-check information
Cons: Limited, staggered movement of characters
Verdict: 7/10
