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Topic: Sherlock Holmes at last ..but with a lot of changes.
I see this time it's specifically been designed for consoles, so i really hope they haven't turned it into some action kind of hybrid. As long as it follows the style more or less of The Awakened, I'll be happy. I must admit that this statement has me a little worried: " With the trailer shown in the E3 2011, Wael said that Holmes will now rely in his survival skills and street-smart paired in a cat-and-mouse style plot widely seen in other games such asSplinter Cell: Conviction and The Bourne Conspiracy. "
Furthermore I wonder if it's going to be a Steam release.
Ah, where are the days of Adventure nerds being big players in the gaming market?
Anyway, i must say that the graphics at least look stunning...
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
Ooh, September would have been exciting if only i wasn't writing exams then...
Btw, i love your new avatar, Ines!
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
Oh! Btw, i see you're also doing a current long-term playthorugh of Skyrim Ines! Let's post again a bit on JA, I'm starting to miss all my old JA pals. I'll post something in the Skyrim thread this weekend, I'm currently obsessively playing the game. The more i try to get my unfinished quest list pared down, the more quests simply turn up and start after i finish current open quests.
So the list seems to be growing instead of getting smaller... :s
Oh well, at least my "finished quest" list quest is building up nicely...
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
lol alright, I'll try to join in this weekend on the Skyrim thread!
I think I played like 30% of it, I'm still in Riften, and there's at least one city I haven't been to... I just keep wasting time visiting abandoned houses or greeting farmers and browsing their crops, and other random/useless stuff like that ...
Posts : 2751 Joined: 15 SEP 2008 Location: SE, Stockholm
Status : Offline
That "designed for consoles" part is a bit worrying. Hopefully the main focus of the game will still be puzzle solving and good old detective work, rather than action sequences.
I've spent a number of hours with this game and have yet to get out into the foggy London I want to experience. It is all interior lame puzzles and non-story-driven drivel. Even the constant background music is annoying....but without it, the game woudl be void of atmosphere. I'm hoping it gets better as we go on, but it pales in comparison to Jack the Ripper and I'm very disappointed so far.
I've spent a number of hours with this game and have yet to get out into the foggy London I want to experience. It is all interior lame puzzles and non-story-driven drivel. Even the constant background music is annoying....but without it, the game woudl be void of atmosphere. I'm hoping it gets better as we go on, but it pales in comparison to Jack the Ripper and I'm very disappointed so far.
This seems to be a universal sickness that is affecting games these days... caused by budget cuts?
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
The music in the game is intrusive and overly dramatic. My advice: turn it down.
Finally, I'm on the streets in Whitechapel. Although they've set up a fog barrier to control distance, the streets and people are great. Well done.
But the plot and and treatment so far is very amateurish and gratuitous, as if they think we are all young and naive instead of sophisticated Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts.
I'm not sure they know the audience. How do I know this? Not one pipe has been smoked yet or has there been any talk of drug use. But no pipes????? Can you imagine? We're reaching back in time to rewrite literature by erasing pipes so we can be squeaky PC? Tell me it ain't so!!! Hell, I was smoking a pipe while playing this, which I always fire up when reading and playing Sherlock Holmes. I'm crushed.
As I've always postulated where I postuate, there are plenty of talented artists who can create wonderful worlds, but the heart and soul of any game is the story and the writing and the plight of the characters. So far, this game is very very thin on story and character. Sherlock is a badly dressed, boring shadow of his true character.
I want to be hooked on this and play it all night until dawn, but instead I'm shutting down after an hour two, totally irriatated.
The last game was so rich and challenging and fun and atmospheric. Maybe this will get better...I've only just begun really.
OMG! In the game you have to Spoiler Alertyou have to perform a detailed autopsy with scalpels and bone saws, etc.
I'm not sure I can handle that. This game has no spirit of adventure or fun. It's not dark either, like Jack the Ripper. It is just bland and it relies on relentless music and gore to add an edge.
I haven't read any reviews yet. I think I will to seee how this game was received.
Posts : 2588 Joined: 27 JUL 2003 Location: US, Close to the Edge
Status : Online
That sounds downright grizzly, DejaVu.
After seeing so many trailers and screenshots I was hoping Testament would be at least as good as Holmes vs Ripper, which I really enjoyed. But I'm going to hold off for awhile to see what others have to say. JA should be reviewing Testament soon as well.
I appreciate your letting us know your thoughts, DV. Does anyone else out there who's playing the game want to share?
I must admit that for the last year all the trailers and teasers made me very skeptical that the game would not bring the feelings that Awakened and Arsene Lupin brought. I think I am nearing the end of the game and now I must admit that my skeptisism was totally wrong...the game is fantastic! Also, I didn't even realize there was music playing in the background until I read the post above.
And for the record, I didn't think Jack the Ripper was as good as Awakened and Arsene Lupin.
"Don't Hate Me Because I Am Beautiful...There Are Many Other Reasons"
Originally Posted By GreyFuss (30 SEP 2012 9:40pm)
I must admit that for the last year all the trailers and teasers made me very skeptical that the game would not bring the feelings that Awakened and Arsene Lupin brought. I think I am nearing the end of the game and now I must admit that my skeptisism was totally wrong...the game is fantastic! Also, I didn't even realize there was music playing in the background until I read the post above.
And for the record, I didn't think Jack the Ripper was as good as Awakened and Arsene Lupin.
This is good news for me. I too thought JtR was inferior to Awakened and Arsene Lupin, so I hoped it would be a move back to the style of those two. I wanted to wait for a few more reviews but I think I'll take the risk.
So neither of you had any problems with the game up until the point I mention in the spoiler above?
What I enjoyed about Ripper was atmosphere. Obviously, the two prior games were superior--they were real aventures! This game is not. There nothing afoot. Oh, it has great street sounds, sights, and dialogue, as well it should...but it seems to be without weight, because the story is so thin.
So far. Mind you, I'm not done. Not nearly. But don't like the gore, the lack of pipes, the myriad other tidbits that make Sherlock Sherlock.
I'm not sure I can go back to the morgue and continue the game. Why should I put myself through that?
Thought there was just as much gore in Ripper and Awakened, maybe more, than in Testament. Just finished the game a few minutes ago, can't say I saw that ending coming.
"Don't Hate Me Because I Am Beautiful...There Are Many Other Reasons"
Originally Posted By DejaVu (1 OCT 2012 5:47pm) What I enjoyed about Ripper was atmosphere. Obviously, the two prior games were superior--they were real adventures!
I'd disagree about Ripper not being an adventure. It wasn't as difficult as Testament or the others, but that meant the story moved along at a good pace. All of Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes games are different.
This game is not. There nothing afoot. Oh, it has great street sounds, sights, and dialogue, as well it should...but it seems to be without weight, because the story is so thin.
It's not thin, but it takes a long time to get going.
I'm not sure I can go back to the morgue and continue the game. Why should I put myself through that?
I'm not much further into the game than you are. So I can't tell you. But if you got through the Bloody Bishop I think you can get through the morgue.
Originally Posted By GreyFuss (1 OCT 2012 7:11pm) Just finished the game a few minutes ago, can't say I saw that ending coming.
Well, I am mildly more optimistic, but I still don't want to face the morgue. WTF is that doing in a Sherlock adventure?
Just sayin' that there is romance in 221B Baker Street, in pipe smoking, in Watson's angst and protectiveness against Sherlock's drug use and eccentricites. All that is missing in this game so far. Instead, Sherlock is crassly manipulative and mean-spirited.
I'm sorry, I just came off reading thorugh all the stories again, and this game is a pale reflection.
Since both of you say the game is good, I will try my best to squint through the morgue endeavor, but my gut tells me that as a Sherlock conservative, I'll be let down in the end.
Originally Posted By DejaVu (1 OCT 2012 8:08pm) Just sayin' that there is romance in 221B Baker Street, in pipe smoking, in Watson's angst and protectiveness against Sherlock's drug use and eccentricites. All that is missing in this game so far. Instead, Sherlock is crassly manipulative and mean-spirited.
I noticed that too and was told that it was deliberate -- that it's part of the story. But I haven't gotten far enough into the game to see it for myself. Unfortunately my gaming computer had a technical problem and is waiting on parts, so you'll probably find out before I do.
Well, I am mildly more optimistic, but I still don't want to face the morgue. WTF is that doing in a Sherlock adventure?
Just sayin' that there is romance in 221B Baker Street, in pipe smoking, in Watson's angst and protectiveness against Sherlock's drug use and eccentricites. All that is missing in this game so far. Instead, Sherlock is crassly manipulative and mean-spirited.
I'm sorry, I just came off reading thorugh all the stories again, and this game is a pale reflection.
Since both of you say the game is good, I will try my best to squint through the morgue endeavor, but my gut tells me that as a Sherlock conservative, I'll be let down in the end.
You need to play further into the game - as others have stated, it's a great game.
Posts : 2751 Joined: 15 SEP 2008 Location: SE, Stockholm
Status : Offline
Originally Posted By Syrill (1 OCT 2012 8:28pm)
Originally Posted By DejaVu (1 OCT 2012 8:08pm) Just sayin' that there is romance in 221B Baker Street, in pipe smoking, in Watson's angst and protectiveness against Sherlock's drug use and eccentricites. All that is missing in this game so far. Instead, Sherlock is crassly manipulative and mean-spirited.
I noticed that too and was told that it was deliberate -- that it's part of the story. But I haven't gotten far enough into the game to see it for myself. Unfortunately my gaming computer had a technical problem and is waiting on parts, so you'll probably find out before I do.
But that is not entirely unlike how he is in the books. Sherlock is not a pleasant person at all, and has more than a bit of a superiority complex. It is the movies & TV-series that made Sherlock into the person who we think of today (and at the same time turned Watson into a bumbling fool). The recent action movies are, in some ways, closer to what Sherlock should be.
In any case, I think I'll wait with this game, due to the mixed opinions I'm seeing here. I quite liked the previous games (not including Mystery of the Mummy, and I have not played Vs. Jack the Ripper yet, even though I own it).
Oh, and I take it that Watson is not quite as creepy in this game as he was in previous games?
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