Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis

Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis is the fourth title in the series developed by Frogwares Studios. I hadn't heard of the series until recently, however the story is self-contained so previous knowledge isn't required.

The game places you in the shoes of one of three characters: Holmes, Dr. Watson and Scotland Yard Detective, Inspector Lestrade. The plot revolves around a challenge issued to Holmes by French thief Arsène Lupin (a popular character with his own serious of books in France). He threatens to humiliate England by perpetrating five audacious thefts taking items of English pride.

Gameplay consists of classic point and click adventuring, with a nice twist. The environments are fully 3D and movement uses the "WASD" system usually found in first-person shooters. The mouse is then used to select items and perform various actions in the environment in first person, solving puzzles in order to progress. I liked this touch and it makes you feel more involved than just pointing and clicking and seeing your character move into position.

The graphics also impressed me for a point and click game with some respectable textures and environments. The game takes place in a variety of famous London landmarks and all of them look impressive and appear to be recreated authentically which adds a nice touch. Characters also look sharp and the art design captures the traditional Victorian era well.

Sound for the game is generally good. The voice acting is ok with some characters being much better than others, yet often people descend into stereotypical "Mockney" London accents which is frustrating. This isn't too bad, but it can grate after some time especially alongside other stereotypical English qualities many of the other characters possess.

The music in the game is a good mix of familiar classical pieces, in particular the Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns. Most of the time this plays in the background in a rather subtle manner, but if you have been trying fruitlessly to solve a puzzle for over an hour with the same song looped over and over, it can become irritating. When I was playing the game, in certain important dialogue scenes, the accompanying music often became dramatic at the wrong moments, usually after an important revelation.

Yet, the main element of the game is the puzzles, which is what will attract people to the title. Many of them are fairly traditional for the genre, but are well executed. These include rearranging puzzles to open locked chests, putting together jigsaws and the inevitable combining items.

Having played a fair share of point and click games, these puzzles were actually surprisingly fresh and well handled and in the first hour or so, I was enjoying overcoming the problems I was faced with. Another nice touch, is the ability to use your magnifying glass (hardly amazing, but fits in nicely with the tone of the game).

However, as the game progresses the difficulty of some puzzles goes haywire. I often found myself spending large amounts of time scouring every area for an item I had missed, which is no small feat considering the size of some of the buildings. I normally enjoy this in adventure games, but at times it was really infuriating. Yet, this extended the lifespan of the game and certainly provides people with a significant challenge, yet prepare to be frustrated.

Some of the puzzles are particularly strange and the logic behind them is certainly interesting. In one I was forced to buy a second hand racing turtle in order to lure a vulture down from a window after getting a prostitute her opium fix. Bear in mind, that even in context, it doesn't make much more sense.

At times the game can get repetitive, in particular during the second chapter of the game. In it you have to follow a huge trail of clues which leads you between three rooms over and over again. Many of the puzzles are very taxing and as soon as you solve them you are straight onto another one, in virtually the same location. If there was more of a break between them, or a little more variety in the locations then it would be much better.

The gameplay is also very slow and methodical, which may well put off people searching for something more exciting and fast paced. Whilst this will appeal to fans of the genre, for others they could well be bored by the experience.

Watson accompanies you virtually all the time throughout the game, yet at times he seems to possess a creepy ability. If you move away from him whilst looking at him, he stays still, yet the minute you look away he suddenly appears next to you. At times I have walked over 20 metres with him in the distance, then turned around to see him suddenly standing there. In one occasion he even managed to move through a door before I had even opened it. At times this has scared me more than some survival horror titles.

All in all, Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis provides a solid point and click adventure with an entertaining and well thought out story (with one or two small plot holes and anachronisms). At times it can be frustrating with a lot of wandering around and some bizarre puzzles but if you are a big point and click fan, then this could well appeal to you.

Barring some slight sound troubles, it is well made and thought through. The game retails at £30, which is perhaps a little too much for what you are getting. If you are a big fan of point and click adventure games, then Nemesis will certainly provide you with a good game with some complex and clever puzzles. However, if you are new to the genre then this might not be the best place to start, especially with the high asking price.