[Rev. Joshua]

This is an open letter to the Frogwares Game Development Studio:

Dear Frogwares,

As an avid adventure gamer, I am very happy that you are in business. You crank out games on a farily regular basis, and thus I am seldom without a game to play.

However, I have noticed that your last two games (Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis, and Dracula: Origin) have demonstrated to me that you are on the downward spiral. The games are being produced with fewer visable glitches (anyone who tried to play Law and Order: Criminal Intent understands how important that is), and I appreciate that greatly.

However, they are becoming less and less interesting to play, in my opinion. SHvsAL made me feel like an errand boy who was forced to run around and perform boring tasks to make up for a development studio too lazy to put some thought into the plot.

Dracula had great potential, with a great puzzle up front with the map, and then quickly made me depressed when I realized that the writers wore themselves out and made me run around again, performing seemingly needless tasks in different countries, with very little of that "adventure" feeling to it. As I have stated elsewhere, Dracula is now in the pile with Darkness Within, and The Moment of Silence, as games that just were too pointless to finish.

But, being a patient and forgiving man, I'll give you one last chance to keep me as a customer (and thereby keeping my money going into your pockets).

So Frogwares, as you have put out a new "quickie" as it were, I now ask you a question. Should I give you my money for this game? As I said, I'll give you one last chance. If The Mystery of the Persian Carpet is worth the 10 euros, I'll continue as your customer. But if The Mystery of the Persian Carpet is teh suck, I'll never buy another game you make, ever.

I already know that if Legacy puts out another L & O game, no matter how great it is, I won't buy it. Because I don't care if a thief reforms next week, if he steals my wallet today, its what I'll remember.

If the next frogwares game is terrible, I won't care if Roberta Williams, Jane Jensen, Al Lowe, and Ben Croshaw get together under the frogwares banner and make the greatest game ever, I won't buy it.

So tell me froggy, should I buy your game? Is my 10 euros today worth losing me as a customer?

-Rev. Joshua

[kadji-kun]

If you feel that AL was boring and such, then you surely dont know Sherlock Holmes. AL/Nemesis was probably one of the more Holmesian type of games to date, requiring pretty much everything you have at your arsenal to bring down AL. For a gamer, that may be asking for too much, but for someone who craves for a SH game, then this is perfect.

I feel you are leading on with Personal problems with the game than anything that is truly destructive. I feel they will ignore you since practically most SH fans (outside of gaming) found the game quite remarkable and spectacular.

[Shany]

"Mystery of the Presian Carpet" is a casual game that uses backgrounds from "Secret of the Silver Earring". So no, it is probably not worth 10 euros.

You should wait for Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, if anything.

[Terramax]

Originally Posted by kadji-kun

If you feel that AL was boring and such, then you surely dont know Sherlock Holmes. AL/Nemesis was probably one of the more Holmesian type of games to date, requiring pretty much everything you have at your arsenal to bring down AL. For a gamer, that may be asking for too much, but for someone who craves for a SH game, then this is perfect.

I feel you are leading on with Personal problems with the game than anything that is truly destructive. I feel they will ignore you since practically most SH fans (outside of gaming) found the game quite remarkable and spectacular.

I completely disagree. It doesn't matter how 'Holmesian' a game is, if it's boring, it's boring. Simple as that.

I like the idea of sending such a message to a games company. If they don't take their fans and previous buyers seriously, they deserve to go down under, and I'd hope they do.

[Jadefalcon]

I still think the two EA Sherlock Holmes games were very good for their day. I've got Rose Tattoo, but I don't know if it'll work on my system.

[Shazzner]

I'm playing Nemesis now, and I've liked it so far except I'm at the part with the Ravens and its slowed down considerably, having a wide open space with only a few points of interest is pretty boring.

I really hope they make another sequel or whatever to Awakening. There is so much awesome potential with SH and Mythos stuff; I thought Awakening did an awesome job. I'm on my third replay.

[kadji-kun]

Originally Posted by Shazzner

I'm playing Nemesis now, and I've liked it so far except I'm at the part with the Ravens and its slowed down considerably, having a wide open space with only a few points of interest is pretty boring.

I really hope they make another sequel or whatever to Awakening. There is so much awesome potential with SH and Mythos stuff; I thought Awakening did an awesome job. I'm on my third replay.

The ripper case will be darker and more brutal than the Awakening.

[Risingson]

I will never trust Frogwares again. Nautilus was bad, Mystery of the Mummy was horrid, Silver Earring was horrible, and The Awakening was, simply, very boring. Enough for me.

[MoonBird]

Originally Posted by Rev. Joshua

Dracula is now in the pile with Darkness Within, and The Moment of Silence, as games that just were too pointless to finish.

Moment of Silence too pointless to finish? Well I couldn't disagree more! It had maybe the best storyline amongst the games that are made after the millennium. On the other hand, Dracula: Origin was a bitter disapointment for me, but that was caused by different matters. (truly horrible interface to start with)

[rtrooney]

Originally Posted by kadji-kun

If you feel that AL was boring and such, then you surely dont know Sherlock Holmes.

Unfortunately, knowing Sherlock and knowing Frogwares are two different things. Dracula Origin demo is their last chance for me. I've got it loaded, but haven't had a chance to play. If it doesn't inspire, there's little chance I will even play a demo, let alone buy a game again. I'm in 100% agreement with the Rev.

[skurken]

Well, Journey to the Center of the Earth made me go "Yawn". Had some potential but didn't deliver (for me).

The Awakened made me sick. Litterally. And physically.

I'm currently playing "Dracula Origin" and am dangerously close to going "Yawn" again.


I do, however, have in mind that this is MY opinion. MY experience. I'm certain that lots of people love the Froggies' games.

Reply to the starter of the thread: Try to respect the developers. Even if they don't please your personal taste. Peace.

[kadji-kun]

80 days wasn't that bad. Sure the gameplay needed plenty of changes but the art direction had much to inspire.

Honestly, I'd say that Arsene Lupin has SO MUCH to inspire. It actually made me take out my notebook and use it to solve the puzzles in the game. I actually felt like I was Sherlock Holmes solving a case. I've never felt that way before with any other game.

You may call it boring, but if you give it a chance and allow yourself to succumb to a complicated game such as AL you can truly feel the awesome immersion the game has to offer.

@Terramax: So its okay to break the holmesian fanbase? Its sherlock holmes. Not a typical adventure game. It should be its own Genre to be honest. The detail put into SH games are far more complex than the Myst games. Frogwares is honestly holding back. Some SH stories are boring...but it doesnt change te fact that it is Sherlock Holmes or the fact that its a more advanced gameplay than most adventure games.

Its complex, its immersive, its 3d, it requires noting it is huge, it is Sherlock Holmes.


Edit: I do agree though that Frogware should up the fun factor. It can get quite boring, but that is no where near how boring 'the Experiment' was.

You know, I agree with the heart of this letter. By sending this in, we hopefully might get more lively games from Frogwares. Two Thumbs up.

[rtrooney]

Originally Posted by kadji-kun

I do agree though that Frogware should up the fun factor. It can get quite boring, but that is no where near how boring 'the Experiment' was.

Calling a game "no where near" as boring as another boring game is hardly an endorsement.

[Sar]

80 days was beyond awful. Anytime a game will not allow you to create a save that is a terrible design. When a game designer requires you to keep playing until you reach a predestined spot to get their auto save it's a deal breaker. I started the game played a bit and had to quit unexpectedly, real life happens. Learned if I quit at that point I'd have to restart from the beginning or keep playing to wherever they determined I must. That little game design decided where I'd go next, Start- Settings- Control Panel - Add Remove Programs and so on.

An absolutely terrible game design that vacated any chance of discovering if the adventure was worth taking. If they actually published a game with so little consideration for its construction how could anyone believe they could make a game worth playing.

So it went into the scrap heap faster than any game before or since.

[kadji-kun]

Originally Posted by Sar

80 days was beyond awful. Anytime a game will not allow you to create a save that is a terrible design. When a game designer requires you to keep playing until you reach a predestined spot to get their auto save it's a deal breaker. I started the game played a bit and had to quit unexpectedly, real life happens. Learned if I quit at that point I'd have to restart from the beginning or keep playing to wherever they determined I must. That little game design decided where I'd go next, Start- Settings- Control Panel - Add Remove Programs and so on.

An absolutely terrible game design that vacated any chance of discovering if the adventure was worth taking. If they actually published a game with so little consideration for its construction how could anyone believe they could make a game worth playing.

So it went into the scrap heap faster than any game before or since.

There are plenty of games like this, but very few suffer from the inability to place the autosave points correctly.

As I claimed before, the game is horrible, but the art direction is there.

[darthmaul]

Do you think the company reads these forums? Send them a email directly.

[Dale Baldwin]

Wael Amr has been known to pop in on occasion.

[Psychocandy]

Originally Posted by MoonBird

Moment of Silence too pointless to finish? Well I couldn't disagree more! It had maybe the best storyline amongst the games that are made after the millennium.

I agree - MOS definitely ranks amongst my all-time favourite adventure games and is definitely one I replay frequently. Each to their own, however!

[Risingson]

Originally Posted by Terramax

I completely disagree. It doesn't matter how 'Holmesian' a game is, if it's boring, it's boring. Simple as that.

And the old EA games are way more holmesian than these ones...

[AdrianWerner]

Personaly while I do have many problems with their games I definitly enjoy their recent outings and they are IMO improving on pretty steady basis.

Their first SH game was just awful, the same with Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 80 days showed some promise, but in the end it was just an interesting experiment, not an interesting game
Silver Earing was the first of their games that I actualy liked.
Awakaned was one of most pleasant gaming surprises of last couple years for me.
From the newest I'm only about halfway though new SH game and so far I like the gameplay more than Awakened and at the same time I like it's story less. I'm hoping that The next one will combine the story and dark atmosphere of SH3 with gameplay more like SH4(altough still improved of course).
Dracula Origin I've yet to try, but I am dissapointed they went for 2D route in this one.