Adventure Gamers - Forums

I think I’m a bit stuck in Thames Wharf. I’m in some kind of control room and I investigated a lever that Holmes said is stuck. However, when I try to leave the room, I cannot get past Holmes. Visually, there is ample space, but I still can’t get past him. Is there just more to do in the room? What, if so?

Well, I’ve just finished the game and I really enjoyed it. The final couple of minutes were incredibly stupid and I’m going to pretend that the story ended after the warehouse blew up, but apart from that it was really a fantastic game. I might wish there had been a few more investigation/deduction segments, and there were a few dubious story points here and there, but that doesn’t change the fact that that was a really, really good game.

I like how odd and ambitious the ending is, they could’ve played it safe but they really go out on a limb and try to put their own unique spin on the usual Holmes canon. Whether it actually works is debatable but for me, just the fact that it is so unexpected is enough to make it a breath of fresh air.

Actually I liked the ending by itself and found it genuinely moving. However as part of the whole game, I had the same problem with it that I had with about half of the puzzles. It felt tacked on and artificially incorporated to the main storyline and it seemed to come out of nowhere.

I really wanted to love this game, because it does so many things right in terms of graphics, general difficulty and overall presentation, but I ended up only liking it and feeling slightly disappointed, because of what I felt was artificial implementation of several story and puzzle elements. Didn’t anyone else feel that there were far too many puzzles that felt like they belonged more in a Big Fish Games puzzle title?

I loved this game. Probably my favorite new adventure in years. I loved the investigations and deduction board a lot and I disagree with Castledoque, I thought the puzzles were tons of fun and worked into the game perfectly. Lots of adventure games include these types of puzzles, not just casuals. At least there weren’t any sliders. The puzzles were a good difficulty level too. I played on a PS3 and I am mad at myself because on 2 occasions I accidentally hit F2 and skipped the puzzles when I really wanted to finish tryin to solve them!

I only really have two real complaints…one is that he voices and speech didn’t match up. I don’t know why but this really bothered me. Not enough to make me stop playing or anything but that seems like a pretty easy thing that could make the game seem really polished. If doing this takes a lot more time/cost then I understand I guess but I would have enjoyed it a bit more, I think. The second is that I wish there were more deduction board things to work out. I really enjoyed its use and was a little disappointed that the latter chunk of the game didn’t use it.

There were other minor issues with the game but none of them took away from my enjoyment one bit. I am bummed that I am done. I had a blast playing this.

I am on the side that I didn’t really like the last few minutes of the ending either but it didn’t bother me.

CoyoteAG - 01 October 2012 09:44 AM

Lots of adventure games include these types of puzzles, not just casuals. At least there weren’t any sliders.

Just because lots of adventure games include these types of puzzles that doesn’t mean that they are the sort of puzzles that belong in an adventure game. And maybe there were no actual sliders, but there were a great many slider-like puzzles (match the colors, move the blocks, move around the bishop on the chessboard, etc). A few of them would be all right, but here they constituted half of the game’s puzzles, while great puzzles like the deduction board puzzles and the clever little mock-maze near the end of the game constituted only half of the gameplay if not the minority.

I did enjoy the game (thanks to the rest of the puzzles, the great characterizations and the wonderful graphics) but I prefer puzzles that are seamlessly integrated into the game world rather than stand alone mini-game type of puzzles. In many ways the puzzle design reminded me of old games like Black Dahlia, which I did enjoy back then when it was originally published, but now consider to have a horribly dated puzzle design, and some of the better Big Fish Casual Games, which I do like, but do not really consider nor play as adventure games. Continually opening locks and boxes by solving mini-games for about half the game is not my idea of adventure game puzzles and doesn’t much feel like detective work, when it takes up half of the gameplay time.

I may sound overly critical of the game, but that is only because I feel it could have been a truly amazing game since it does so many things right in terms of presentation and the wonderful detective work and deduction board puzzles, but then goes over the top with the casual-like mini-games. I did like most of these types of puzzles as separate entities, but I’m not crazy about them as part of an adventure game. I prefer adventure games to incorporate puzzles that make me feel like I am participating in the actual adventure instead of going through stand-alone puzzles that feel more like solving cleverly constructed and satisfyingly difficult crossword sections in a newspaper that have no real relation to the game world.

Castledoque - 01 October 2012 11:04 AM

CoyoteAG - 01 October 2012 09:44 AM

Lots of adventure games include these types of puzzles, not just casuals. At least there weren’t any sliders.

Just because lots of adventure games include these types of puzzles that doesn’t mean that they are the sort of puzzles that belong in an adventure game. And maybe there were no actual sliders, but there were a great many slider-like puzzles (match the colors, move the blocks, move around the bishop on the chessboard, etc). A few of them would be all right, but here they constituted half of the game’s puzzles, while great puzzles like the deduction board puzzles and the clever little mock-maze near the end of the game constituted only half of the gameplay if not the minority.

In my opinion, these types of puzzles are completely appropriate in an adventure game as long as they make sense in the story. And I think Sherlock Holmes incorporated them quite well. I guess you disagree on both counts and, of course, you are entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine.

Kurufinwe - 29 September 2012 09:57 PM

Well, I’ve just finished the game and I really enjoyed it. The final couple of minutes were incredibly stupid and I’m going to pretend that the story ended after the warehouse blew up, but apart from that it was really a fantastic game. I might wish there had been a few more investigation/deduction segments, and there were a few dubious story points here and there, but that doesn’t change the fact that that was a really, really good game.

Wow I actually saw more comments saying that the last cutscenes left players breathless and that was our plan :-)
Anyway its hard to please everyone and perfection is rather an elusive target but we are pleased with so the attention that we are getting from the press and gaming journalists. Its 4 out of 5 or 8 out of 10 by gamespot, gamezebo, hoockedgamers, trueachivements and other. You can see the updated list at the blog: http://www.frogwares.com/blog/the-testament-of-sherlock-holmes-critical-acclaim/

Any reason why AG doesn’t have a review up yet? Is it because the game is prominently advertised on the site or something

Foinikas - 04 October 2012 06:15 PM

I’ve never played any Sherlock Holmes adventure games,would it be ok if I bought it?And is it worth buying?

It depends on what sort of games you like. In my opinion it isn’t the best adventure game this year, but it is a good game and definitely worth buying. Graphics and overall presentation are great, the storyline is consistently interesting and the puzzles are suitably difficult (though in my opinion there are too many “open the lock” puzzles and some of them are not very well integrated into the story). The deduction puzzles are a great plus. Navigating Holmes in Victorian London is also amazing. First person mode or third person behind the back mode are highly recommended.

Adventure - 02 October 2012 11:11 AM

Any reason why AG doesn’t have a review up yet? Is it because the game is prominently advertised on the site or something

Or something.

Of course there’s a reason. Our volunteer reviewer has a life and hasn’t finished it in his spare time yet. But it will be up on Friday.

Jackal - 04 October 2012 09:53 PM

Adventure - 02 October 2012 11:11 AM

Any reason why AG doesn’t have a review up yet? Is it because the game is prominently advertised on the site or something

Or something.

Of course there’s a reason. Our volunteer reviewer has a life and hasn’t finished it in his spare time yet. But it will be up on Friday.

AG writers are volunteers?

I thought you had them chained up in your basement, Jack, pumping them full of drugs so they can play games and write reviews 24/7!

inm8#2 - 04 October 2012 11:15 PM

AG writers are volunteers?

I thought you had them chained up in your basement, Jack, pumping them full of drugs so they can play games and write reviews 24/7!

Nah, not anymore.  While they slave away for free on their own, I’m off vacationing in my second home on the Riviera, paid for by the lucrative AG advertising. 

But you’re not the first person who suspected us of writing reviews while on drugs. 

Cant wait for the AG review as well!

By the way, just stumbled Game Picks at newsobserver.com with a review of the game saying that overall The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is one of the best games for grown-ups the author has seen this year, and you can’t argue about that.:-)

Here is the entire review if interested http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/04/2387921/game-picks-the-testament-of-sherlock.html