Binding: DVD-ROM Brand: CDV Software Entertainment EAN: 0852898000903 ESRB Age Rating: Mature Format: CD Label: CDV Software Entertainment Manufacturer: CDV Software Entertainment Platform: Windows Publisher: CDV Software Entertainment Release Date: September 12, 2007 Sales Rank: 2031 Studio: CDV Software Entertainment
Features:
User-Friendly Interface - Scour stunning environments and interrogate suspects with a click of the mouse
Total Immersion - Striking audiovisuals and gripping encounters will send shivers up your spine.
Intuitive Puzzles - From physics-based mindbenders to logical conundrums, solutions are elementary
Living World - Interact with over 60 mysterious characters and hundreds of clues and objects
Live the Legend - From Deerstalker cap to magnifying glass, become the world's most sought-after detective
Product Description: The adventures of Sherlock Holmes continue. This time around, you are taking on the role of the famous detective. Are you up for it? 19th century England: Following a string of shocking disappearances on London's fog-choked streets, an entire nation trembles in fear. As history's most famed detective, loosen terror's grip by tailing the perpetrators to the ends of the earth in epic 3D adventure Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened. Inspired by the works of author H.P. Lovecraft, this globe-spanning saga of suspense and horror pits the master sleuth against his most dangerous foe yet - a fanatical cult seemingly devoted to ancient, evil god Cthulhu. From Baker Street to Bale, Louisiana to Scotland, hunt for hidden clues with the help of faithful companion Dr. Watson, solve fiendish puzzles and thwart the forces of darkness. But beware - behind the façade of everyday life lurk terrifying places and truths best forgotten. There are some secrets man was never meant to know: Dare you uncover them? Either way, the clock's ticking. So what are you waiting for? The game is afoot!
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Eh.
The title describes my reaction to this game. I enjoyed playing it, BUT I also could have done without it. It was a little too dark and sinister for me with gory scenes, and cultish themes. Of course, I expected that with the M raiting.
The graphics are not too great, but they do. The story line is interesting and most of the puzzles are challenging, except that (as other reviewers have mentioned) the game is way too linear. The most annoying part about that was that I could not pick up certain items I needed later until I recieved a certain clue. And the linear play made the puzzles less challenging because the cursor basically guided you in what to do next.
Rating: - Betrayed by poor finale
I was ready to award 4 or even 5 stars to awakened half way through but the horrendous finale which doesnt tie up things at all forced me to cut the game`s rating. Too bad, its first half has an excellent atmosphere and overall the puzzles make sense 80% of the time. The story was good, ambiences obviously well thought. Died the death of a 100 adventure games I guess...
Rating: - Good Story with abysmal delivery
If you like Doyle and Lovecraft, than this nice mix will definitely suit you, assuming you don't put an ax through your computer first. The story starts out simply enough, with the servant of a nearby neighbor disappearing. This sets Holmes off on a quest that takes him from London to Switzerland to the US, on the trail of a sect of Cthulu worshippers.
The gameplay is where this nice startoff falls flat on its face. While the mystery parts of it are tolerable, the mini puzzles and mix-n-match inventory is where it truly enrages a player. You can pick locks, but only some, the guards can see through walls and doors, and finding the right piece of inventory to advance the story is a familiar hated enemy for any adventure game fan.
Simply put, you'll need a walkthrough, no if ands or buts, to spot the one piece of data or overlooked interactive piece of environment. either that, or you'll need microscopic eyes and an ability to see the spirites you can actaully interface with.
Enough soapboxing for one review. The voices are great, though some of the extras were awful. When you hear groaning thats more pornographic than painful, you'll know what I mean. The atmoshpere is just right, a median between too creepy and too cartoonish. The graphics are barely passable, but the group, being fairly new, can be forgiven for some start off stumbles. Assuming they learn from their mistakes, their next release could be a 4-5 star.
Rating: - Favorite Mystery Adventure Game
I love this game! I loved the face-off combination of Sherlock Holmes and the supernatural forces of Cthulu, it's very original. Also, I personally enjoyed the dark subject matter, the gore, and the scenery...it emphasized the pure evil of the enemy and made the story that much spookier. The voice acting was great, the adventure was fun to unravel, and I think the graphics were awesome; the use of an all 3D landscape makes it even more engaging.
There are a few cons, but not enough to turn me off to playing the game again in the future. The background music isn't too great...it's just a bit of ambiance between chapters and during dialog scenes, and nothing much other than that. Also, if you don't really pay attention to all the clues, it's hard to figure out exactly what to do next, especially when you are asked a question by one of the characters and you need to type an answer. I had to use walkthrough websites just to figure out the answers, and it doesn't allow you to opt out and answer later. If you don't answer it at the moment, you're SOL. Another problem is that the controls are a bit hard to figure out -- the best idea would be to customize them as you see fit and really try to get a feel for everything before heading out on the adventure. Lastly, if you don't play it on a computer with 1 gig of ram, it is SLOOOOOOWWW. But most if not all computers come standard with 1 gig of ram now, so it's all good.
Anyway, I highly recommend this game, especially if you're into period games (as this is set in the late 19th c.) and are morbidly curious about the occult. Most gaming website have given it an 8 out of 10 and I would give this a 9. It's a great game for adults and definitely worth the money.
Rating: - Sherlock Holmes Puzzler with Great Atmosphere
I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened and recommend it to adventure/puzzle game fans, particularly if you enjoy the Sherlock Holmes world, and moreso if you enjoy the Call of Cthulhu mythos of HP Lovecraft.
The atmosphere of the game blends these two themes very well, though ultimately it is a Holmesian quest and not a race against madness that takes you across London, Switzerland, New Orleans, and up the Scottish coast for the finale.
The puzzles range from easy to very difficult, sometimes the latter because of the arcane nature of Holmes and Watson uncovering all the clues at your feet with the magnifying glass so that they can continue, even if you've already figured things out. In this case, I had to refer to a walkthrough online to get unstuck. Otherwise, the most challenging puzzles did a good job of keep me engaged and trying everything I could think of to solve the next move.
The game world is 1st person 3-D with inventory management, in which you pick up items to use later, often combining them to new items in MacGyver-esque innovation.
The voice acting is not Shakespearean but I did like the feel of the Holmes and Watson personas and you meet a diversity of other characters along the way.
I'll be picking up the next adventure, Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis because the feel of the game and a majority of puzzles were well done.
- Favorite Mystery Adventure Game
- Sherlock Holmes Puzzler with Great Atmosphere
