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10 – Another Bow
You know what’s better than a book? A PICTURE book! “Another Bow” is a game which I only managed to play for about a minute until I uninstalled it. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading (I wish I had more time for it) but I won’t spend hours in front of a screen just to read a story, no matter how good it is.
The “game” might be interesting and perhaps it was revolutionary for its time (1985) but right now it is just slightly better than any other Sherlock book out there.
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9 – Consulting Detective
What’s better than a picture book? …probably pizza, but aside from that, some movie adaptations of the famous detective’s stories were absolutely phenomenal. My personal favorite is the BBC’s take of Doyle’s universe.
The “Consulting Detective” series is a bit odd. The acting is not exactly spot on and it feels forced throughout the story, making you feel like you are watching a live-action movie and then the game questions you to check if you paid attention.
Not exactly thrilling but better than text on a screen.
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8 – Mysteries (app)
The movie adaptation that starred Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law was pretty fun. The app based on the movie was not so much, although the art and the visuals were quite decent.
All you have to do is solve a couple of mini-games every now and then as the story unfolds, pretty basic stuff which you can find in most “Online Sherlock Holmes Games” made in flash. It’s okay for an afternoon or for killing time while waiting at the dentist’s office.
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7 – The Mystery of the Mummy
I love puzzles. I strongly dislike Myst-like controls – the I’m-playing-in-first-person-but-I-cannot-move style is dreadful and makes you feel quite claustrophobic. Again, while the story seemed compelling, the gameplay put me off.
I know this list should represent the TOP Sherlock games, but this is the reality of the situation. The list is based on the decreasing level of boredom, not on the style or graphics.
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6 – The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel
Pixels! Pixels everywhere! This series has two entries on this list, simply because the styles were very different, and each proved to be quite entertaining in its own way.
If you combine Monkey Island 1 with Sherlock Holmes, you get “The Case of the Serrated Scalpel” – although strangely it reminds me more of the Sierra games. Huh, weird. You can easily see how much tender love and care has been put into this work, from the detailed description to each and every pixel on the screen.
If you want a blast from the past, try it out. Just bring a little patience along.
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5 – The Lost files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo
Practice makes perfect and this game proves it. While I haven’t played it, I watched a gameplay video on youtube and I kind of forgot to stop. The story starts off with a very interesting idea, one which hasn’t been used before in a Sherlock adventure.
Things get a bit personal on multiple levels and I was genuinely intrigued to learn who did “that” and why did he/she do it. The animations were most likely ground breaking for that era of adventure games and the style is surprisingly pleasing to the eyes. I might just pick this up after I finish this article.
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4 – The Case of the Silver Earring
Frogware games, known for their Sherlock Adventures, tried their best with this series. So far, all their titles have been rather dull to play and I couldn’t get involved properly into any of them.
The Silver Earring’s case was the first one that caught my attention for several afternoons. Unfortunately, it quickly turns into a pixel-hunt and you are very tempted to use a walkthrough. The ideas are good, the gameplay is acceptable, but it quickly becomes difficult and dull. The controls are your worst enemy and, for me, it became unfinishable after a while due to a very poor gameplay decision.
I recommend it for the overall experience and for the fact that it can be a good game, should you have more patience than me.
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3 – The Awakened
Creepy Watson! OMG! This game became notorious for the lack of a “walking animation” for Watson, thus leading to the character popping up in unexpected places, changing the atmosphere to one more suitable for “Slender”.
It can be hilarious, but apart from that (if I remember correctly) this was also the first game in which Sherlock could switch to First Person view. It was quite the gimmick at the time and it was very well received by the fanbase, including myself.
There’s a cool case that comes along too. It does turn into a pixel-hunt at one point, but I don’t think anyone would blame you if you used a walkthrough. I wanted to finish this game but, on my old pc, it kept crashing in a certain place. I might pick this up again though.
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2 – Sherlock: The Network (app)
Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are awesome. The fact that this app exists proves it. You actually feel like you are helping our Sherlock and Watson in their cases. The music is cool, the mini games are nice (and NEW, thank God for that!) and you can’t help but grin when the characters turn to the camera – you – and talk as if you were there with them.
I got it for a lot less than it sells now but it is well worth the price. You can do everything ultra fast and finish it in a day… or spread it out nicely, enjoying it properly. Your choice. I’ve heard they updated it with new cases, so I have to check it out again. Yay!
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1 – Crimes and Punishment
This game represents the first time in which I actually could associate the word “Fun” with “Sherlock Holmes”. The debates I had with my bro regarding the cases, the arguments and evidence presented, the theories and discussions – wow!
If you have a smart friend with whom you like to debate things, this game is for you. The environments are awesome, the music is sweet, the stories are classic BUT feel fresh. This is truly the best one out there.
I’ve heard that Frogware games are making another Sherlock game – the last one sadly – named “The Devil’s Daughter” and I’m looking forward to it. If it’s as good as this one, then we’re looking here at hours of awesome deductions and fun.
What do you think? Do you like a different game I haven’t mentioned here from the Doyle Universe? Let me know in the comments!