The Testament of Sherlock Holmes Review

“Well, what do you think Holmes?”

 

Sherlock Holmes, London’s great detective, has returned to our screens in a new adventure which tests not only his ability to detect the villains behind the cases he takes on, but also to defend himself when he is the accused. The game was widely anticipated by fans of the detective, appearing to be one of the most active adventures that the character had been featured in for a game before. The game however has a lot of things, but activity seems to be one that was in a bit of a short supply…

While the trailer boasted the vast city of London as the setting for the game, it is more accurate to state that a few select spots of London are where the story takes place. Anyone who was hoping to wonder the capital city and marvel in its beauty will be disappointed, as in fact the means of travel employed is merely loading from a map into small locations to gather clues. For fans of classic Sherlock Holmes games this one is just perfect; you are put into an environment where you must gather clues and solve puzzles to solve a crime. The build up to this release however gave quite a different impression of action and adventure though, and so those who pick up the game for what they have seen in trailers may not get what they were hoping for. The storyline itself is in fact well written; a sentence which in the games industry today is increasingly hard to use. Sherlock Holmes is a character who people in general are used to seeing catch out devious criminals, but he is generally not given the background of being the potential villain himself. While it seems the developers of the game may not have delivered the active adventure as promised by its marketing, the writers seem to have been very much on the ball here.

There is of course an element in almost any story in a game which does not really live up to expectations, and in this case it is the characters. Anyone who has read the Sherlock Holmes novels will know that the classic depiction of the man in older games and television is not particularly accurate. While he is often depicted as distinguished, gentlemanly and generally well thought of, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels describe a man who is something of a hermit, a drug taker and is often obnoxious towards others. This game seems to have sat on the fence in the middle of the two ideas, which to cut a long story short has not really worked very well. The dialogue and textual items in the game describe Doyle’s character well, whereas the appearance and voicing of Holmes in the game fits closer to the older games’ depictions of him. Unfortunately these worlds clash a little too much here and it is hard at times to understand exactly who Holmes is supposed to be in this instance. Poor voice acting seems to be a bit of an unfortunate theme in this game among many of the characters. Doctor Watson, who is supposed to be a very intelligent man but does not always follow the methodology of Holmes in their investigations, speaks something like a child and could almost be described as naive and foolish. This would appear to be a case of overcompensating to make the fact the Holmes has an unusual skill for detection of crime stand out to the player. Unfortunately the end result has made a doctor and dignified man look like a bit of a fool.

The game should not be seen as a completely poor effort however; this is far from the truth. The look of the game is excellent, and with only a very minor exception of out of sync speaking. The environments that you are placed in are stunningly detailed, with objects small and large each having been clearly and carefully defined in the own right. The lighting used is exceptionally good, fitting both the indoor and outdoor environments very well and adding to the mood of both the places and the story at the time. The characters have well drawn facial features and unusually for many games in recent times actually change their clothes sometimes as they go to different locations. Many of the sounds of the environment, although few are needed in the way the game is designed, fit in well with their surroundings and add to the environments as a whole. The voices of the characters, as already mentioned, are maybe the letdown in this area.

In terms of the ease of playing the game, the player is helped along with learning the mechanics of the game, but at a very slow pace. There are various elements in place to help you if you get stuck in an investigation so that you can move along with the game, and the puzzles will give you an option to skip them if you have taken some time solving them. The investigations that you are involved in are very in depth indeed, in fact quite impressively so. The game incorporates you in all elements of the crime solving process, from observation and collection of evidence on the scene to using chemistry to identify an element from its reactions with others. The process is long, but quite spectacular in how far the game goes to make you feel as if you actually are solving the crimes yourself. There is a downside to the investigations in the game however. Often on loading screens some extra advice is given to you in terms of what you could do if you get stuck, but not all of this advice is very good. An example of this is that the game will say something along the lines of “Stuck in an investigation? Why not ask Watson”, which seems like fair advice, apart from when you get stuck and try to speak to Watson he may just repeat the line “Well, what do you think Holmes?” to you; more frustrating than helpful. When you come to play, you must also be prepared to do a fair amount of reading, and of pretty small text at times too. Anyone out there who gets eye strain reading on screens, be warned, and those who have trouble reading small text may want to bring their own magnifying glass to this party!

So the game has a lot of ups and downs. It is not what many people will have expected from the marketing, however it is an in depth and interesting game to play if you have plenty of time and patience to do so. While the characters seem to have been strangely depicted, it may be positive at least to say that all of them have been rather than one or two not fitting in with others. A little more time and thought might have been advantageous in the development of the game in some areas, but others such as graphics and the story have been completed very well. For fans of the classic Sherlock Holmes games, this one will be a fantastic addition to your collection. For those who were thinking of playing after watching the trailers, be warned that it is not exactly what it was made to look like.

The Pros:

Brilliant graphics, a well written storyline, and an interesting and interactive depth in the investigations.

The Cons:

Not as open or active as expected, some poor voice acting, and a strange take on the characters which does not seem to work too well.

Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.