As I’ve stated before, the Frogware Sherlock games are my gaming comfort food. They are fun, old school, low budget, puzzle games. If it would make sense, I would describe them as cozy. For me, the Testament of Sherlock Holmes was the last one of the original series. Crimes & Punishment was next and it felt a little different, then it was the reboot with Devil’s Daughter. This also feels like the end of the loose story arc that’s ran through the previous three games.
The gameplay is much the same of the other Holmes games. You explore a location, collecting items that help you advance through the area, examining clues, and solving puzzle locks. The puzzles have gotten a little more refined since the Awakened days. They give you some basic instructions of what you are expected to do and the puzzles are easy to understand, but challenging to complete. I resorted to a walkthrough on a few occasions. You can play the game from a 3rd person perspective, a fixed point and click mode, or how I played it, the 1st person perspective. Admittedly, a motion blur slider would’ve been a nice option. This was one of the few games that gave me a headache from looking around.
The graphics are some of the best looking for the Sherlock games. They are the best for a AA budget game, reminds me of The Movies level graphics. And while there aren’t a lot of animations, mostly fade to blacks when advance actions are performed, the few character animations do look rather smooth. There is an odd thing where characters over exaggerate when they speak. Watson can’t stand still while talking. The music is also great again, mostly a mix of classical scores. There was no Baker Street theme, which I always look forward to seeing.
The story of Testament is probably the most ambitious and engaging one Frogware has done. While most of the Sherlock games have existed in their own world, with only little easter eggs referencing the other entries, this one brings all of them together. The main reason for this is the story involves Sherlock Holmes being the center of an investigation. A gutter press reporter is diving into Sherlock’s history, looking into the cases of Jack the Ripper, Cthullu, and Arnes Lupin. A portion of the game takes place in Whitechapel, so you meet a few familiar faces from the Ripper case there. The story of Testament still stands on its own. The story really dives into the bond of Holmes and Watson and how far it can bend before it breaks. Sherlock is behaving like a complete jerk through most of this game, more than he’s usually portrayed in these games. He’s doing some downright criminal acts, like freeing serial killers and shooting at thugs. Even Toby, his loveable dog, racks up a body count. Watson pleas with him for an explanation, but Holmes just blows him off. We all know Holmes is up to something, playing the long con, but still seeing that dynamic between the two break down is interesting. Throughout the game, Holmes finds some evidence that we aren’t privy to, again hinting he’s up to something. There’s also a new Scotland Yard inspector that is an ally of Holmes, Inspector Baynes. I was curious why Lestrade wasn’t in that role, but it is explained later on.
So here’s the spoilers, through the game, you learn there’s some big criminal conspiracy afoot. That and given Holmes’ actions, I figured Moriarty would factor into this. It does turn out at the end, Moriarty has regained his sanity since we last saw him in Switzerland in Awakened. He is trying to use a mind control poison to make the poor rise up against the rich, dethrone Queen Victoria, and take over England. We learn that Moriarty wanted to brand Holmes a criminal, and Holmes decided to play along. Inspector Baynes is a henchman of Moriarty’s and that’s why Holmes kills him. This makes Holmes a wanted man and he fakes his own death to disappear and get the time to finally foil Moriarty’s plan. For the most part, this is a pretty neat twist that is well paced out, but there are a few moments where the story takes leaps of logic and wants you to follow along. And had I played this game first before Devil’s Daughter, the twist in that one wouldn’t’ve been the twist it was for me.
All in all, this may be my favorite Sherlock Holmes game, up there with Jack the Ripper which I liked for the historical connection. Testament of Sherlock Holmes is a love letter to the previous games and gives us a more personal story that sees Holmes and Watson as active members in an investigation and not just outside observers. While Holmes can be a bit insufferable, and I sided with Watson, it was all part of the plan. Frogware saved Moriarty for when they had a good story and it is one of the best stories I’ve seen him used in.
