The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes 2 Review

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.

System Requirements – PC

• Windows® 2000/XP/Vista
• CPU: 600 Mhz
• RAM: 256 MB
• DirectX: 8.1
• Hard Drive: 147 MB

System Requirements – Mac

• Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later
• Intel required