The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes
A Sherlock Holmes mystery set in 1888 London.
The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel is a point-and-click adventure game released for MS-DOS in 1992 and later for the 3DO in 1994. It was developed by Mythos Software and published by Electronic Arts. A sequel, The Case of the Rose Tattoo, followed in 1996.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Mythos Software
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts
- Producer
- Christopher Erhardt
- Designer
- R. J. Berg
- Programmer
- Scott Cronce
- Artist
- Nancy L. Fong
- Writer
- Eric Lindstrom
- Composer
- Rob Hubbard
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In November 1888, Inspector Lestrade asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate the murder of actress Sarah Carroway outside a Mayfair theatre. Lestrade suspects Jack the Ripper, but Holmes believes the killer is someone else. The victim was killed with a serrated scalpel-like knife. Holmes and Watson explore locations including a perfume shop, zoological gardens, the morgue, a pub, Scotland Yard, Surrey Commercial Docks, Savoy Street Pier, St Pancras railway station, and 221B Baker Street. They receive help from Inspector Gregson, Wiggins, and the dog Toby.
Gameplay
Players navigate London via an overview map, with new locations unlocking as leads are found. At each location, nine verbal options allow interaction with objects or people. The inventory menu offers three verbal actions for manipulating items. Dialogue options let Holmes gain information or cooperation. Dr. Watson provides hints and may assist with actions Holmes cannot perform alone; his journal references gameplay events. Graphics are VGA with MIDI music; digitalized speech appears only in the intro, end sequence, and the St Pancras cutscene. The 3DO version adds full voice acting, replaces character portraits with filmed actor clips (David Ian Davies as Holmes, Laurie Main as Watson), and removes Watson's journal feature.
Reception
Computer Gaming World's Charles Ardai praised the story and audiovisuals but argued the game was not a game, calling it a series of animated vignettes where the computer chooses chemicals and tools. He concluded it wanted to be a Sherlock Holmes movie and was unsatisfying as a game. Computer Games Strategy Plus named it best adventure game of 1992; Theo Clarke cited sophisticated controls and scale. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the 3DO version a 6.6/10 average, noting great graphics and sound. Adventure Gamers ranked it the 22nd-best adventure game in 2011. The game sold over 100,000 units.
More in Point-and-Click Adventure Games of the 1990s
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