Morning!

New game this week. From Frogwares and running on the Unreal Engine – Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter.

I’ve mixed feelings about the game so far (Have only completed one case at the moment).

I loved Sherlock Homles: Crime and Punishment. But I ended up feeling lukewarm about the Testament of Sherlock Holmes (Crime and Punishment’s predecessor) – mostly from the lack of plot support for the ending, which felt rushed, contrived, and out of place.

With The Devil’s Daughter the negative points so far have been:

1) Lack of clear instruction on what commands or buttons need to be used, especially in “action” areas of the game. All three have suffered from this, but this one is worse than the others as the action has been ramped up and you do more. (A picture of a mouse with a darkened key in no way suggests it needs multiple clicks!) Would it hurt to have a tutorial stage? (Screaming at the screen in frustration is not what you were hoping for your players to do – right? Right?)

2) They sold out and instead of sticking with the original Sherlock and Watson they’d created for the previous two games (based on the stories), they’ve spliced current movie version Sherlock and Watson with original Sherlock and Watson. UGH. Worse, they kept everything else in their universe looking the same as in the previous games. Same 221B, same Lestrade, same Scottland Yard. So it clashes and feels awkward. (Sherlock being emotional and tongue tied with the neighbor was so NOT Sherlock Holmes. Ugh.)

Hopefully, this new strategy will sell more games for them, but for those who’ve bought the other two games, it might prove a little jarring/disappointing. 🙁

Anyway…

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On the left is “New” Sherlock, on the right is “Old” Sherlock. Notice the higher scruffiness ratio in “New” Sherlock bringing him much closer to Robert Downey Jr. than Jeremy Brett.

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Now here on the left is “New” Watson and on the right “Old” Watson. When he first appeared, I didn’t even recognize him! lol. A “brighter” more dapper version of Holme’s old chum.

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Scruffy Sherlock has arrived at White Chappel to investigate a mysterious disappearance.

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A flat down in White Chappel.

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One of Holme’s Irregulars out on a mission. They flipped control to the boy but didn’t let you know! I stood on the street wondering why he didn’t follow the man as Sherlock asked. DOH! The actual act of following the guy wasn’t bad. (Though after several deaths and not understanding how to use the controls correctly, I had to skip the walking the thin beam between buildings part. Grrrr)

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The view outside Holme’s balcony at 221B  Baker Street.

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One of Holmes many possible disguises. Tea shades for the win! 😛

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Walking down into a storage area beneath the streets of London.

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Watson and Sherlock as they stand outside Marsh’s house. Almost a dandy in his dapperness. 😛

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The woods – the start of the game did an action scene here when you first start of things occurring in 48 hours. The transition to the actual action was clunky and jarring. I clicked the map to go spy on a meeting in the woods, and next thing you know you’re running for your life without any segue. Would have been nice to get there and take a few steps or see something before dumping me into the mess. *sigh*

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Sherlock is hiding in a cabinet in a hunting cabin for the final confrontation in the first case. One solution did not fit with what was stated – that didn’t look like a slow death to me! They also never covered how the guy was juiced up to do something that should have been beyond him. Argh. (Unless the game is skipping sequences on me?)

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Picture of a statue in the Archeology Club gardens. The second case looks to be centered around the Curse of a Mayan god!

Hope your Sunday is fab!