Customer Reviews

Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I was interested in the game as it received some positive reviews on Amazon.com, but I was very disappointed. I spent the first 30 minutes dragging through boring clips of the characters talking and reading long (not very well written) "newspaper articles". Then, I spent the next 20 minutes running errands for characters in the game until finally... a puzzle! However, the puzzle didn't have any directions or indicate what you were SUPPOSED to be doing. The character movement is tedious and it's hard to figure out how to control the camera (which can switch from 3rd to 1st person view). I'd recommend using 1st person view as it seems like the game was built for that view - sometimes I couldn't click on important items without switching to 1st person view. When I bought the game it was on "sale" for $5. It wasn't worth even that much. There are much better games out there. If you're interested in the casual adventure game category I'd recommend a Nancy Drew game; if you want a puzzle/hidden object game then go for Mystery Case Files.

I could not imagine a game that better captures the mood and feeling of 19th century London than "Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper". The ambiance is heightened of course as you play Holmes following the gruesome trail of Jack the Ripper. For the first time in the series I felt as though I was actually in the game.

The positives: 1.For the first time, the player has a choice between 1st and 3rd person views of the game.I much prefer the first person view because it engulfed me in the story and I was able to control how fast my character goes (unlike waiting for my character to run across the screen in 3rd person)2. The scenery is terrific and the music isn't overly repetitive as it was in "Nemesis" (if I heard the Flower Waltz from Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' one more time in that game, I would have muted it for the rest of the darn thing) 3. The puzzles aren't too hard and the deductions are in the style of A-implies-B-implies-C- therefore D. For what would seem to be an over-the-top blood-fest, the game compensates and handles the murders with dignity. The aforementioned 2D depictions of the slashed corpses in a cartoon like style is more dignified and manageable. I personally wouldn't have wanted to see Mary Kelly's corpse or be in that room. *Shiver's like an un-doctorly Watson*

Negatives: The characters you interact with on the streets of London (the not so major parts)are almost all repeats of characters in the series That translates to laziness by the makers of the game by my book. Although there are SOME new characters, they actually lack that thing called 'character' when they only say one line. 2. The only other thing that bothered me about this game were the occasional "black-out errors" of animated objects. I'm sure these can easily be fixed in the future, but for once, I'd like to install a game on my computer and have it run smoothly and without errors (Don't use this as a Mac selling point, because this GREAT game isn't yet available to you Mac-nuts :D)

Basically: Buy the game and enjoy its captivating story, proposed solutions and historically accurate(Minus Sherlock Holmes)tellings. If you were pleased with the concept of the elements in the previous games such as 'Silver Earring', pleased with the story in 'The Awakened' and awed by the beauty of 'Nemesis', then this game is almost a must-have.

Unlike the other games in the series, I plan on playing this game again and again. Bravo :)

This is the fourth game in the series. The Secret of the Silver Earring, Awakened, Nemessis and now Jack the Ripper. The music is satisfacotry, the plot is tightened and the game has fixed many of the complaints from the prior versions, evidence that the developers are paying attention to what their customers have to say. If only other, more well-funded companies, could learn from Frogwares example.

Music can make a game and Frogware's latest has some good mood music, but not nearly as much as they displayed in Nemesis. Familiar classical music, none of it overtly dramatic, plays in the background of most scenes. With no chase sequences, or any other portions of the game requiring speed, the music remained mostly flat and methodical. There were chances at building up 'horror' through music at the various murder scenes found throughout the game, but alas they were not taken.

The plot is probably their best yet! (However, I do praise Cthulu so Awakened is a close second) In the prior games the plot could become difficult to follow, bogged down in poorly written notes and snippets of conversation. In this game the plot is well constructed with an evidence board for players to put together the pieces and determine time, place, method, motive and so on, of the various murders. The developers did a stellar job taking the real events and working them into the game to follow a plausible solution to one of the most famous unsolved murders in history. From a historical perspective the developers were able to blend reality and gameplay seamlessly together.

The investigation of the murder scenes were horrible. And I mean that in a good way. As Holmes and Watson you get to see first hand how Jack the Ripper evolved from murder to murder and its quite dreadful. The culmination is referenced, but left mostly hidden from the eyes of the player. The game was attempting to make something horrific by not showing it, but the entire sequence is choppy, both in visuals and with stilted dialogue.

The end of the game suffers from some of the same issues as Awakened. When the game needs to be at its best, and smoothest, it gets choppy and uneven. I will not reveal the end, but only say that it DOES satisfy, but at the same time is poorly executed with jumpy animations and unspoken dialogue that will make players think their computer or the game is misbehaving.

Frogwares, like Jack the Ripper, have evolved from game to game and are on a winning track. Their puzzles were challenging, but not inane, their plot was tightly executed and the game wasn't too short or too long and is priced just right. I hope they follow the model of Jack the Ripper and develop new cases for Holmes and Watson to solve and perhaps clean up any end sequences and pay more attention to how music can set a scene. As a company they appear to be very responsive to the desires of their customers. Overall, the game is a 5 star, especially for the price!

If you're a fan of Holmes, or just some gold old Jack the Ripper history, this game is fairly satisfying. I love how the Holmes PC games can mesh things like the earlier Ctchulu and now the Ripper, and keep you wondering who Holmes is going to encounter next.
On the con side, I found the question and answer sessions with Holmes to be somewhat annoying. I had to use a walkthrough a couple of times. As for the puzzles, some are easy, but some are too hard and require more deft skill that and coordination I didn't possess. Another thing that grated on my nerves was the deduction boards. Might be fun for Holmes, but for me, it was a slow form of mental torture. You do feel really satisfied when you solve them though, especially if you don't cave for the million on line walkthroughs.
As a pro,the atmosphere in this game feels authentic. I do wish Holmes had traveled to more places though. Sadly, no asylums, or battles against elder gods in this one. Also, Holmes is his typical genius self.
All this being said, the game has one of my favorite lines...I need cats...lots and lots of cats. You won't get that unless you've played it. I laughed...so hard.

i think that for anyone who is NOT a Jack the ripper buff this would be a superb game, alas i am because of that i was a bit unahappy at first, that aside i will say that this game is pretty good if you like a mystery & some great puzzles, (though some can be pretty daunting) there is not much seek & find to speak of which some games are so over the top with, the graphics are good & the story line is not bad at all. i have not finished it yet as it does not hold my attention that well & you do need to pay attention.
it can get a bit annoying when you get stuck because there is not real help to speak of, your best bet is to read the dialogue bits or if you are really in a jam look up a walk through (which usually does not give you all the answers but will point you in the right direction)

i purchased this for about $20 and it was well worth it!

cheers- B

Frogwares`Sherlock Holmes game series have improved with each release and we must say Ripper, the latest installment, is almost a perfect modern adventure game. The story is gripping, graphics are crisp, the dialogue is very well written, and the puzzles make sense. We said almost just because a walkthrough is needed in several occasions when pathfinding is an issue. The biggest improvement is in the puzzle area: they are all relevant and some (such as the yiddish language vault) are truly exciting to solve.
Bravo to Frogwares - here is waiting for a new story from them

The game captures the atmosphere of the era.
Graphics were very good - excellent to deteail.
Actor voice overs and sound were good,except for voice synchronization.
I rate it an 80 of a possible 100.