Product Details
 | Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper |
| List Price: | $19.99 |
| Price: | $3.52 |
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Product Description
The year is 1888, and the setting is London's Whitechapel area, where a horrible series of crimes has taken place in this East End district. The bodies of several women who have suffered horrible mutilations have been found. The police have been having a hard time finding a serious lead as the murders continue, creating paranoia and terror in the streets. Sherlock Holmes sets out to find clues in the dark, gloomy streets of Whitechapel, following a macabre trail of the one that the press calls Jack the Ripper. During this terrifying adventure, Sherlock will attempt to shed some light on the mystery that shrouds the identity and motive of the one who hides behind this terrifying nickname.Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #2817 in Video Games
- Brand: Dreamcatcher
- Model: PCO73975AC
- Released on: 2009-05-15
- ESRB Rating: Teen
- Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Format: CD-ROM
- Dimensions: .40 pounds
Features
- 2 points-of-view available at all times: gameplay in third-person or classic first-person point-of-view, a favorite for the enthusiasts of the series.
- 2 mythic characters of 19th century England engage in a horrifying manhunt: the illustrious Sherlock Holmes and the terrifying Jack the Ripper.
- Discover the hidden side of London and the sinister streets of Whitechapel, all faithfully recreated (e.g. public work house, hospitals, brothels, etc.).
- The ability to switch between the role of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes or his trusted friend Doctor Watson with a progressive help system always at your fingertips when needed.
- Interact with more than 30 authentic characters that help you complete your investigation and use and combine more that 100 objects as you collect hundreds of clues.
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Product Description
Customer Reviews
Ripping good time
This installment is my new
favorite in the Holmes series. It's a dark, sometimes terrifying journey
into London's underbelly and the murders that plagued the area in 1888.
But for a game about Jack the Ripper, it's not overtly gory and is done
`tastefully.' However, the 2D renderings of some of the murder victims
are still disturbing.
There are numerous puzzles, from very easy to
more difficult number combination and sliding object tasks, but none are
computer destroying impossible and can be figured out with a little
logic. There are also many retrieve this-to make-that tasks and errands
that must be done before the next sequence is revealed, but all are
pertinent to the story line, are never MacGyver-level stupidity and are
not boring. The ability to switch between 1st and 3rd (annoying) person
is new to this game, but I mostly used first person (it makes the game
more engrossing). It is a fairly long game (about 20-40 hours gameplay),
but there are numerous prompts to avoid the what-do-I-do-now syndrome
and the item interaction search feature cuts down on the pixel hunting
that was rampant in the previous games. Slower machines may experience
long loading times at some of the cut screens (due to graphics
rendering) and if playing for more than 2 hours, the save feature may
stop working :)
This Holmes game is the first in the series to
actually let the player in on the action and deduce how Holmes actually
comes up with his solutions, instead of the 15 minute closing monologue
in other games where he explains the solution to poor oblivious Dr.
Watson using clues that you scarcely remember picking up during the
game. Gone are the annoying "answer the question, stupid Watson"
sequences seen in "Awakened" and "Nemesis" that required combing through
loads of barely legible papers and game crashing moments due to
Frogwares inability to spell raccoon or Horatio Nelson correctly. The
new `deduction' feature consists of a series of index cards that are
filled out as you examine each crime scene. Then the player, using the
facts, must choose the most likely scenario. Holmes and Watson even act
out some of the murders to determine how the killer produced some of the
wounds. The programmers of the game must also watch a lot of
Mythbusters based on a rather curious and ingenious way they came up
with to test knife patterns. Watson is also used more appropriately in
this game, actually proving he is a doctor instead of Holmes' run to the
bookshop errand boy.
Overall, I thought this was a great
addition to the series and it shows that the company is listening to
customer feedback. It's a definite must for lovers of the series (look
for a young Barnes pre-descent into Lovecraftian madness, Holmes in a
brothel, etc.) and for novice players. It's portrayal of the killings,
description of the victims and the resulting ethnic paranoia is also
historically accurate (all except for one mention of penicillin in 1888
for a syphilis treatment, hmmm 50 more years fellas). Some scenes show
2D gore, nothing like Awakened's 3D corpse parade, and the teen rating
is more appropriate than a mature rating. The ending is plausible and is
not tainted by conspiracy theory, well worth the price.
Absolutely fantastic
This game is the best so far
of all the Sherlock Holmes series. Not only is it much more interactive,
in that you are able to make deductions and conclusions yourself, but
it is also quite historically accurate! After completing the game, I
begana to research the truth behind Jack the Ripper and was shocked at
how accurate even the smallest details in the game came to the
historical account of what's known of Jack the Ripper's canonical five.
Great game - I'm so glad I purchased it!
Both
Holmes and Ripper Fans Will be Pleased ... New Fans Will Be Created
The creators of the previous
Sherlock Holmes installmenet, The Awakened, have done nothing short of
impressing me with this current title. I enjoyed The Awakened mainly for
its Lovecraftian-themed storyline, but also because the puzzles were
challenging and there was a great amount of viscera for horror fans like
myself. Of course, I'm no genius, so many of the later puzzles in that
title became frustrating, and I was forced on numerous occasions to
consult an online walkthrough (something I HATE having to do).
Now
comes Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper! What an ingenious idea!
Already being a fan of the previous game, and harboring a deep interest
in the Jack the Ripper murders, I didn't think twice about shelling out
the twenty bucks for this title, resigning my ego to the fact that I
would probably have to use online walkthroughs to get through it as
well.
Well, nearly a week has gone by since I've bought the game,
and I just finished it last night. Perhaps a bit of bragging is in
order? I didn't need to use a single walkthrough this time around. Now,
that's not to say that they aren't challenging puzzles (I'm not a dummy;
I play chess frequently and got a B.A. with honors in English), my
brain was definitely grinding to get through a few of the later ones.
But, the system built into this game -- when a correct combination of
clues are automatically hi-lighted in green, for instance -- really
helps for those times when we're unsure of our solutions.
Most
impressive about the game, once again, is the storyline. These guys have
really done their research regarding Jack the Ripper. I was delighted
to see actual evidence (testimonies, letters from the Ripper, newspaper
reports, photographs of the victims, etc.) from the Ripper casebook
appear in the game, and being able to investigate many of the crime
scenes with your magnifying glass was a relief, particularly since the
last point-and-click Ripper game I played never took you to any of the
crime scenes ... ever! The writers here have put together a very
plausible and believable case for the identity of the Ripper based on
real evidence and real people. At the end of the game, you have to
wonder if Holmes, indeed, has gotten it right!
As a Ripper
enthusiast, perhaps the greatest selling point on this game for me was
the recreation of London's Whitechapel district in the Fall of 1888.
There's something darkly romantic about the foggy, gas-lit streets and
alleyways that strikes a chord with all Ripper-buffs. But being able to
virtually walk them yourself? Euphoric. Unfortunately, in this respect,
the game doesn't live up to my expectations. For one, to keep the player
on track, your characters usually won't go anywhere they have no
pressing business ... so, there's almost no free-exploration of the
area. And there's no fog. And there are very little ambient sounds other
than people's footsteps while you're wandering the streets going from
one building to the next. But, what can I expect for 20 bucks? Hanging
out in Mitre Square where Katherine Eddowes was killed was really cool
(and kind of eerie), and the moment when Mary Jane Kelly's body is
discovered is perfectly done (I looked through the window before opening
the door, and couldn't sit still for the chills!) Although, I do wish I
had been able to investigate that particular murder like I had the
others.
Speaking of investigating crime scenes -- I loved being
able to examine the bodies and piece together clues in a strand of
logical deductions. That was a great addition to this title.
Unfortunately, Holmes and Watson never really inspect the actual bodies
of these ladies. They merely "imagine" the corpse and inspect that, and
apparently Holmes and Watson imagine in cartoons. I guess the creators
were trying to avoid the "M" rating they got for The Awakened? But, even
though I wanted more, I was satisfied with what I got -- except for the
Mary Kelly murder ... I wanted to be IN THAT ROOM, not at my desk on
Baker Street inspecting a clay replica.
Ah well. I hear they are
coming out with an XBox 360 version of this game. Perhaps it will be
juiced up a bit for that (I want fog and the freedom to go where I want
when I want, dad-gummit!) But, for now, this version is definitely worth
the money and will satisfy anyone who likes Holmes, the Ripper, or both
... or neither! Because, I am sure after one plays this game, both of
these characters will pique the interest of even non-fans.
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