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This is a tried and tested scenario which has been covered
by many facets of the media, and adventurers have had
at least three games to play based on the super sleuth.
However, Infocom are giving the player a slightly different
slant on the story by allowing him to take the role
of Watson. Holmes is to be present for most of the game,
but it is the good doctor who eventually cracks the
case.
As
the early Saturday morning pea souper drifts, eerily
around the gas lit cobbled streets of London, the story
of the jewel theft opens . . .
Elementary
adventuring: discovering what's on
Watson
arrives at 221b Baker street to see his good friend
Holmes. As Mrs Hudson the housekeeper opens the door,
she reveals that Mr Holmes, has been in his room for
the last three days, suffering from one of his deep
depressions. He hasn't eaten or ventured out in that
time, and she's very worried.
The
first problem is how do you get Holmes out of his dark
mood. This shouldn't present too much of a problem,
and the meeting with the PM -- complete with clue sheet
and threat to Holmes's life -- should swiftly follow.
Once
outside Holmes's home, the great detective informs you
that Moriarty is at the bottom of the theft, and it
is because the arch-criminal knows how Holmes thinks
that he delegates the sleuthing to you. This tactic
should also hinder the criminal's attempt to kill our
pipe-smoking hero.
Movement
around London is achieved by either walking or taking
a cab. The former takes up a lot of time -- you have
only until 9 o'clock Monday morning to bring Moriarty
to justice -- and the cabs can be unreliable if you
don't know what you're doing.
Exploring
the many famous and the not so well known places in
the town is interesting and some research has obviously
gone into the game background. Unfortunately it's not
as thorough as it might have been. The Tower of London
is closed -- as are most of this places of interest
-- and it bears a sign to this effect . . . a sign which
concludes, with 'HAVE A NICE DAY.' Was this Americanism
in existence in this time period? Also, make sure you're
not sitting in a Growler cab when trying to converse
with anyone, or you may find yourself misunderstood
by the cabbie who will proceed to take you to a random
location, miles from your desired position. This small
bug can prove very annoying when in the middle of a
deep and meaningful conversation with a local.
The
page layout is standard Infocom style with a status
bar at the top of the screen and the more than adequate
text descriptions smoothly scrolling beneath. The disk
supplied include both 64 and 128 versions, although
an 80-column monitor is required to play the latter.
The
overall feel of Sherlock -- The Riddle of the Crown
Jewels is one of interest. The locations, most of
the conversing and the puzzle solving are straightforward
and suitably periodic. Unfortunately, once in a while
there is a slip and you find yourself back in the present
day sitting in front of your computer. The pigeon puzzle,
the notices placed on certain buildings and the slightly
feeble reason why you may not go in some directions
-- 'A CROWD OF TOURISTS PUSHES YOU BACK' -- all help
to kill the atmosphere that the previous few pages of
text had so lovingly created. However, the initial ease
with which the game allows you to play and the overall
inclination it builds up to make you want to crack the
case helps to compensate for these minor glitches. Infocom
have once again produced an above average adventure
. . . even if it's not as high as some of their previous
offerings.
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