As
tired as I thought I was of seek-and-find casual games, I’m
a sucker for a good mystery. Luckily for me, so are the folks at Legacy
Interactive, who have proven themselves, with Mr. Holmes himself as
well as Murder,
She Wrote and Law
& Order, for example, quite masterful at weaving
criminal webs of their own. Their second outing with the greatest
detective in the world, I am pleased to say, proves itself even more
polished and engaging than their first. With sixteen brand new cases,
including some bonus investigations for those extra-diligent sleuths,
it is easy to get hooked on this game and not be bored, unlike in
similar object-hunting adventures, by repetitive tasks.
Each
case opens with a short interaction between Holmes, Watson, and their
new client. From there, you select the crime scene on a map of London
and get to work. The object hunting itself is not terribly difficult,
especially if you have played many games of that ilk and have developed
sharp eyes. What make the game truly enjoyable are the puzzles that
are a part of finding clues and helping to solve the mystery. They
are not unlike puzzles in a regular mystery adventure – piecing
together fragments of a letter, spotting the differences in two different
pictures, etc. They are organic to the mystery and add variety to
the gameplay so that finding hidden objects does not become tedious.
They also move the plot forward by revealing key elements to the case,
all of which come together to play a part in the solution. Even though
there is not a lot of room for character development or plot twists
in one story – indeed, it often felt as though so many possible
suspects were introduced, I had no idea who was who – the stories
are well-written and stay true to Sherlockian form, wherein Holmes
wraps up each mystery with a clear explanation of whodunit based on
the clues given. The only downside is the final puzzle, which does
not allow you to play any role in identifying the culprit, but rather
is based on a simple logic and memory game.
With
games like this one, some level of repetition is unavoidable. By the
end of the game, even if you play it in small doses, as I think is
best, hunting for hidden objects and identifying the culprit through
a memory puzzle can feel as though they have run their course. But
interesting storylines, strong voiceovers, and a range of original
puzzles maintain its appeal and entertainment value. There is more
variety here than in the previous installment, which makes the $20
price even more fitting.
*Note from Site Admin via Legacy Interactive Forums: The
Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes 2 is the name of the game in retail,
and on many websites. The
Lost Cases of 221B Baker St. is the name of the digital (downloadable)
release on Big Fish. It features the same game play as The Lost
Cases of Sherlock Holmes 2.
