The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo
A graphic adventure sequel featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
In 1996, Electronic Arts published The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo, a graphic adventure game developed by Mythos Software. This sequel to The Case of the Serrated Scalpel stars Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective Sherlock Holmes.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Mythos Software
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts
- Producer
- R. J. Berg
- Programmer
- Craig Suko; John Dunn
- Composer
- Marshall Crutcher
- Released
- September 27, 1996
- Genre
- Graphic adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In October 1889, Sherlock Holmes's brother Mycroft is injured when the Diogenes club is destroyed by an explosion. The player, first as Dr. Watson and then as Sherlock Holmes, investigates and determines the cause was a bomb, not a gas leak. An encrypted note from Mycroft reveals that a chemical formula for a powerful explosive was stolen from the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry's investigation is suspiciously closed by its committee members. Holmes and Watson pursue suspects including an impoverished aristocrat, an ambitious Ministry clerk, an eccentric magnate, and a politically active charlady. The murder of a member of an exclusive Cambridge student society connects the case to a Prussian military officer working to advance Otto von Bismarck's cause against Kaiser Wilhelm II, involving theft, kidnapping, and blackmail. Holmes neutralizes the conspiracy, recovers the documents, and receives a secret knighthood from Queen Victoria. The plot is separate from the previous game, though characters such as Inspector Lestrade and Sergeant Duncan return.
Development
Characters were created by filming actors in costume against a bluescreen, resulting in more lifelike figures, though the game did not display the large, high-quality dialogue faces of its predecessor. This use of in-game video was a transient trend enabled by the CD-ROM's increased storage, which also allowed digitized speech and cut-scene videos. The game is longer and more historically accurate than the earlier title, with near-photo-quality graphics and realistic atmospheric sounds, but less background music. Digitized speech is used throughout, adding characterization. Different actors provided voices and visual sprites; Sherlock Holmes was voiced by Jarion Monroe, Dr. Watson by Roger L. Jackson, Mrs. Hudson by Coralie Persee, and Wiggins by Paul Vincent Black. The graphics for Holmes and Professor Moriarty used the same actor, George Gregg. Story and game design were by R. J. Berg, and sound and music direction by Rob Hubbard.
Reception
PC Gamer's Lisa M. Howie rated the game 80%, noting that the interface, animations, and story met contemporary standards but that characters sometimes walked to a specific spot before speaking. PC Games' Peter Olafson gave an A−, praising the distinctive, authentic voices and stating the game is much harder than its predecessor. Computer Games Strategy Plus's Tim Royal scored it 3.5/5, describing the hand-drawn scenery as a fantastic collection that brings the settings to life, though not state-of-the-art.
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