The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 173 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 120 out of 173
  2. Mixed: 38 out of 173
  3. Negative: 15 out of 173

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  1. Ndi
    Nov 11, 2013
    2
    I used to be a fan of the franchise. I really did, it was all about mind puzzles, giving out pieces of information, in any order, and then, at the end, Sherlock would explain how they all fit together. This is the ESSENCE of a good book, adventure, game, whatever. You have all the pieces, can you put it together?

    Used to be true. Now, every game is worse and worse. All the puzzles are    I used to be a fan of the franchise. I really did, it was all about mind puzzles, giving out pieces of information, in any order, and then, at the end, Sherlock would explain how they all fit together. This is the ESSENCE of a good book, adventure, game, whatever. You have all the pieces, can you put it together?

    Used to be true. Now, every game is worse and worse. All the puzzles are either chess puzzles (f*** hell, people, chess is not the game of the gods) or stupid combinations. Clues are only revealed once other clues have been found, so you are always hunting for one or two. For the most attention to detail person who ever lived, Sherlock sure misses a LOT of clues. When I notice a shovel and a fresh grave, SH should too.

    And finally, the franchise has been going slowly towards shock and horror. Starting with the Silver Earring, a great game, it has descended into dark pits and snakes in cadavers (Awakened), to point and click games where you have to look at mutilated faces (Jack the Ripper) to f*** horror in this game. Torn flesh, degraded, gashed skin, torture victims, dead meat, anything to stand out.

    Well, this is a review, so let's review:

    a) Games went from talking to people (investigating) and looking for clues to search and discover games you can get in Flash form anywhere, free.

    b) Games went from fun puzzles to boxed puzzles, from ingenious to tedious. There is no puzzle solving involved in the bishop problem. it's either a canned response (if you memorized it) or tedious trial and error.

    c) Games went from high society, high stakes murders where Sherlock would investigate to unimportant events in tasteless graphic detail, shock value alone and nothing else. Dialogue is gone, nobody lies or covers, nobody even tries to be difficult unless the "plot" (I use the term loosely) requires them.

    d) Graphics are slightly better, but controls still suck big time, Sherlock "runs" on double click but doesn't just skip to the next scene, like DOTT did 25 years ago. And all other SCUMM games.

    e) Story is mediocre at best. It would be mediocre if it were a puzzle game, but it's not, is it? This is Sherlock Holmes himself, the master of deduction, attention to detail, a visionary. High expectation creates deep disappointment.

    So there you have it. The height of not caring even a little bit about making a GOOD game, just pumping out another SH game. And FFS, leave the horror to the horror genre. Sherlock Holmes is the hero of the intelligent. Stop trying to make him appeal to 12 year olds.

    This game is incredibly cheap.

    Who the hell makes a combination box with the combination STAMPED ON IT, the only obstacle being how to move the pieces around, but only 2 at a time. Why, a bank, of course, they keep money in them.

    The level of stupid in this game is staggering, and it is aimed, assumingly, at intelligent people.

    There is no way this game is, in 2012, up to par in
    * graphics with any other fresh game
    * story with any other Sherlock game
    * taste with any other Sherlock game
    * sound works with any other decent game. You can barely hear the soup guy because of the street.
    * more ingenious with puzzles than Flash games. Combo lock? Bishop problem? Queen problem? Did you just open a book on recreational mathematics and started copying?    … Expand
  2. paprik
    Oct 14, 2012
    3
    Has some decent concepts but fails at executing most of them. The opening and ending "missions" are quite good, though sadly that's it. In all other missions you are a SHEEP. You're not told or hinted why you should do the things you do or even what they are exactly. You're basically kept in the dark THE ENTIRE GAME for the purpose of an incredibly foreseeable plot twist. Half the thingsHas some decent concepts but fails at executing most of them. The opening and ending "missions" are quite good, though sadly that's it. In all other missions you are a SHEEP. You're not told or hinted why you should do the things you do or even what they are exactly. You're basically kept in the dark THE ENTIRE GAME for the purpose of an incredibly foreseeable plot twist. Half the things you're supposed to do don't even make sense.… Expand
  3. miked007
    May 29, 2013
    2
    This is one of the worst games i have ever played, i decided to write this review as i am waiting for a video on youtube to load to explain WHAT in the living F is going on again, this is about all you do with this game, load it up, scream, WTF WTF WTF, for 10-15 mins, and close it so you can look up online just WTF you need to do, this is about my 50th trip to youtube or a walkthroughThis is one of the worst games i have ever played, i decided to write this review as i am waiting for a video on youtube to load to explain WHAT in the living F is going on again, this is about all you do with this game, load it up, scream, WTF WTF WTF, for 10-15 mins, and close it so you can look up online just WTF you need to do, this is about my 50th trip to youtube or a walkthrough since starting this game. The puzzles are just ridiculous half the time, and dont offer so much as a clue as to WTF you are supposed to do, after about 5 mins it will usually allow you to simply skip the puzzle but at no point explain it, or even give a hint.. I would have rated this game much higher if not for this this but the frustratuion level of the puzzles and lack of any clue as to what to do just ruins this game… Expand
  4. fudgepuddlez
    Jul 9, 2013
    1
    one of the worst games i have ever played. The look for clues feature is more annoying then fun. I just wish you would actually ha ve a gun fight in the game rather than watch them hold the gun. Half the puzzles dont even make sense and you get bored of playing it. at the end DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.
  5. shazzadoom
    Mar 4, 2016
    0
    I don't know where to begin with this game. How could it have gotten a rating higher than half?

    Having read all the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I find Sherlock's openness about his findings quite disconcerting given his preference to save his conclusions until the end. The level of arrogance shown by Holmes towards other inspectors and Watson is a tad out of touch with his subtle    I don't know where to begin with this game. How could it have gotten a rating higher than half?

    Having read all the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I find Sherlock's openness about his findings quite disconcerting given his preference to save his conclusions until the end. The level of arrogance shown by Holmes towards other inspectors and Watson is a tad out of touch with his subtle jibes being replaced by overly obvious slaps in the face.

    In addition to personality inconsistencies, the graphics make me nauseous. After the first scene, I wondered if perhaps it was an oversight or an afterthought, but the same animations continued through the game. The controls for moving the characters are quite fiddly and the methods of detection are hit and miss with no real finesse required. The puzzles leave a lot to be desired.

    This is the first Sherlock Holmes game I have played but it has left me sorely disappointed. While I paid peanuts for this game, knowing that other people have been charged upwards of $10 for the "privilege" to play this poorly designed game gives me a more queasy feeling than looking at a severed finger on a table for longer than I should have to.    … Expand
  6. ChoicestGames
    Feb 15, 2019
    3
    I can't help but think that if I played this game a few years ago, my impression of the game would be slightly different. The game would still have the poor animations, occasionally poor voice acting and some unbelievable character traits, but it may have been working enough for me to finish the game, and the gameplay I did manage to experience, isn't half-bad. Pity that continual crashesI can't help but think that if I played this game a few years ago, my impression of the game would be slightly different. The game would still have the poor animations, occasionally poor voice acting and some unbelievable character traits, but it may have been working enough for me to finish the game, and the gameplay I did manage to experience, isn't half-bad. Pity that continual crashes to desktop means I will never be able to experience the entire game and it looks like I'm not the only one.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    60
    The authentic Sherlock Holmes, never uttered the phrase ‘Elementary, dear Watson’. Instead he said ‘when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’. Thusly, when after six games, Frogware refuses stubbornly to acknowledge the fact that Sherlock Holmes’s character and nature fits perfectly in a traditional adventure game, the truth is that, as a studio, it cannot, or does not know how to, create correct puzzles. [January 2013]
  2. Gaming Age
    Dec 7, 2012
    50
    All I can say is if you're a maniac for Sherlock Holmes stories or adventure games, then there's going to be something here for you. I'm not sure what I'd call it, but it's definitely something.
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  3. Destructoid
    Nov 22, 2012
    75
    Despite complaints, it's a compelling story with some standout moments and surprising twists. Even more surprising is that the narrative does make sense in the end; a Sherlock Holmes story needs to be tight and logical, which this game manages to pull off overall.
    Read full review
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