Sherlock is back in this third
adventure from Frogwares, and it is by far the
best yet in this series. It is almost exactly what an adventure game featuring
that greatest of sleuths should be, a thrilling mystery with intelligent
dialogue and period atmosphere. Coupled with the occult horror of Lovecraft,
this tale is one that will definitely set the mood for Halloween.
Sherlock Holmes is feeling a sense
of ennui due to a lack of worthwhile projects to pursue. Things soon change,
though, and he embarks on a quest to solve the unexplained recent
disappearances of immigrants from various countries. Taken singly, these cases
have mostly been dismissed as mere “youth at large in London” cases by the
local constabulary. When studied more closely, however, it becomes apparent to
Holmes that at least some of these cases involve kidnapping by unknown
foreigners. As he searches for clues to the identities of the kidnappers, and
the whereabouts of the victims, he is soon drawn into a deeper mystery that
involves mystical “gods” from otherworldly realms.
The first case Holmes investigates
is that of a missing Maori boy that has been in the service of one of Dr.
Watson’s patients. He has abruptly vanished, and his employer is convinced
there is no logical reason for him to leave for a few days adventure around
London, as he knows no English and doesn’t have any acquaintances. Holmes uses
his deductive skills to ascertain that the boy has been taken by force
involuntarily from his living quarters in the garden.
Holmes uses several different
methods to deduce this probable kidnapping. First, he conducts research in the
bookstore on Maoris, and then searches the grounds around where the boy lived.
He discovers several clues such as fibers, fish scales and footprints. He also
finds a lump of opium. Holmes concludes many things from the footprints, and
then heads to his room to conduct chemical analysis on the items he found. He
interviews several people around town, and writes up his conclusions in his
journal. These deductions, while solving the immediate
mysteries, further lead Holmes toward the real reason behind these
disappearances, where horror awaits.
This is how most of the game is
played. Players will spend much of their time speaking to other characters and
searching for clues. Most of the puzzles are of a “locational”
type, where Holmes will use items found on location, directly there on the
spot. Some puzzles will require use in the future, and will be saved in
inventory. Some items can be combined. There are also some fiendishly
difficult puzzles of a mathematical nature here and there.
The game is played in a
first-person perspective with a free panning camera. The camera is panned 360
degrees, all the while the player is moving forward and back through the
locations. At first, I experienced a slight sense of vertigo, as I’m very
susceptible to motion sickness. Soon, though, I became used to this type of
movement and it quickly became an intuitive method for moving through the
scenes. It added to the sense of realism and immersion splendidly.
Conversations are exactly what one
should hear from Holmes, Watson and company. Reading the dialogue was
reminiscent of Agatha Christie novels and of course, the Arthur Conan Doyle
works. I was tickled to see homage paid to M. Poirot
later in the game. There were a few times when there were some jarring
dialogues, as when the designers for some unknown reason included a gratuitous
mini-monologue from a sailor about the woes caused by having a hook instead of
a hand for relieving bodily irritations. This wasn’t funny, it was just gross.
While there was a clue that led from this conversation, the conversation could
have been a more pleasant one.
Other than a few instances like
this, though, the dialogues and the voice characterizations were well-done and
appropriate for the Victorian time period. The scenery was also almost exactly
what one would expect, except for a strange emptiness on the streets and in
the bars of London. This is London! It would have crowds of people at all
times of the day and night, especially on the docks. However, in this game,
there is no one around on the docks. When Holmes and Watson travel to
Switzerland, it gets a bit more populated, but the people are still rather
sparse except for in the mental facilities.
The puzzles are mostly
incorporated into the actual game. This means they aren’t just thrust in
willy-nilly to give players something to do. It really feels like the player
is a detective working alongside Sherlock Holmes, which is tremendously fun.
However, a few of the puzzles are very difficult and do feel a bit as though
they were added for the sake of having a puzzle here and there.
Many of the clues involve the
player searching high and low all over the scenes to see if a hand or eye icon
shows up. This does require some pixel-hunting. It is sometimes easy to miss
vital clues, because a location hasn’t been searched diligently. And, a few
times the hotspot is very small. Just be warned to look over every inch of
every new location. If the game won’t advance, then it’s usually because of a
missed clue.
The Awakened is rated Mature
because it is a game that features very graphic, bloody scenes of mutilated
people. This is not a game for teens, or for anyone who minds this type of
graphic violence. It’s similar to the Hellraiser
movies.
This is one of the best adventure
games I’ve played in recent years. The combination of intelligent dialogue,
spooky atmosphere and creepy storyline really grip the player’s attention. The
puzzles are mostly logical, and even the most difficult ones are solvable if
approached correctly. I don’t like graphic violence and could have done
completely without the mutilated corpses, but even so, I was absolutely drawn
into this game and really wanted to continue playing. Anyone who is a fan of
British mysteries will enjoy this game. And, of course, adventure game
enthusiasts will love it!
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Gameplay: 8.5
Finally, a recent adventure game that doesn’t
insult the intelligence. Carefully designed puzzles,
clever dialogue and attention to Victoriana and Sherlock Holmes come together
seamlessly to present an intriguing mystery.
Lovecraftian themes tie everything together for a thrilling occult
adventure.
Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are very nice and atmospheric, but
the scenes are often strangely empty. A high-end video card is required.
Sound: 8.0
The music and sound effects are nice.
Difficulty: Hard
The game is often challenging and difficult,
because of a lack of direction at times and some pretty difficult puzzles.
Concept: 7.0
It’s designed like most adventure games, but
the movement is unusual. The overall presentation is good.
Overall: 8.5
I’m enjoying playing this game, and can’t wait to get to the end. I’ve
played through about three quarters, and it’s getting pretty intense! Kudos to
the design team for presenting an interesting and involving mystery that
causes players to think. My only negative opinion is that the unnecessary use
of graphic violence precludes letting the teens play, which is unfortunate.
This could have been a good game to introduce teens to the Victorian age and
Sherlock Holmes. As it stands, though, adults that aren’t squeamish will not
regret playing this adventure.
