THE TESTAMENT OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
I'm sure there are many Sherlock Holmes fans amongst you and I am certainly one of them. Over the past few years, I'm quite proud to say that I've managed to play most of the games from the series. The latest release however, is probably the best yet. "The Testament of Sherlock Holmes" is a much darker game, especially in contrast to the previous games. The game guides players through blood, gore, and plenty of terror. Moreover, it also features a gripping narrative that is both entertaining and realistic. The Victorian era, which is when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, is extremely intriguing to those of us who are born more than a century later. The game does a fantastic job with regards to recreating that distinct environment but what is more important is the fact that the game also focuses on the dark and gritty corners where Holmes did much of his work.
Players immediately plunge into suspense as Holmes and his sidekick, Watson, start their investigation by examining a mutilated corpse, and then stumble across other equally gruesome scenes like poisoned dogs, an autopsy and even an opium den (the drug was legal and widely used during the time). Like the previous games, players are tasked with scoring the rooms for clues with Holmes' signature magnifying glass and a variety of other chemicals,
tools and puzzle solving skills.
Once again I just have to mention the brilliant script in the game, that really plays well into Holmes' character. For instance, throughout the game he usually gets distracted by the other characters, commenting on simple things like Watson's shoes. This characterisation is quite similar to that of the books. Of course the game is not only about corpses and cemeteries. Every now and then players find themselves walking around a picturesque walk, which is actually well timed and is more of a reprieve than an annoyance. However, the game does seem to go a little overboard with the puzzles, which might be fine for someone who loves them, but I found them a little annoying towards the end of the game. The visuals, sound effects and music is also quite good and always seems to fit the mood of the game. In addition, players can choose between three different control schemes. Players can easily cycle through first-person view, third-person gamepad-style view, and third-person mouse-click movement angle. Thus, players have a lot of flexibility when it comes to actually playing the game. In conclusion, the game should allow for about 20 hours of great gameplay (assuming you don't try to finish it in one setting). The puzzles, script, music and visuals are really good. Admittedly, some puzzles can be a little confusing but I would highly recommend fighting the urge to go check out a walkthrough online, because that would really ruin the fun of the game. Overall, the darker characterisation is simply brilliant and if you are a fan, you should get your hands on the game as soon as possible.