Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (PC Games)

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 Review: Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened
This was a lot of fun ( and enough of a challenge )to play this game. It's not the type that you'd want to re-play - at least not for quite a while. There is no way you could play this game without a "walkthrough" which can be downloaded through some googling effort. The puzzles are far too obtuse to be solved intuitively. Even with the "walkthrough", a certain degree of intelligence is required. The main thing that the buyer should know, and be "OK" with, is that this version is the original version (not the RE-MASTERED version) and hence is not equipped with the built-in help and clue system. That is why, of course, this item was so cheap. Overall, well worth the money, and highly recommended.
Customer Review: 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.

Comic book and graphic novel criticism is rarely found outside of niche publications such as Wizard, or the many fan-driven sites that litter the web. Occasionally a mainstream newspaper will publish an article on the medium as a whole, or offer a retrospective on an under appreciated author, usually Alan Moore; but for the most part it is rare to come across comic reviews in any shape or form. I used to believe that this was simply down to media prejudice - and largely it probably is - but when I decided to dedicate my precious spare time to the joys of graphic novel criticism, I soon learnt that the "funny books" were far from the easiest medium to offer an objective evaluation of.

In the era of Stan Lee, comic plots rarely extended beyond an issue. The Fantastic Four would thwart Doctor Doom's plans for world domination and still be home in time to laugh at the Thing's working class idiosyncrasies. While this limited the writers somewhat, it did allow for episodic adventures that were entirely self-contained. Casual readers could pick up the occasional issue and never be far behind the soap opera antics of their favourite characters. Of course, pre-80s comics were considered an enjoyable but disposable pastime. Most were binned after being read, and forgotten soon after.

Naturally, things have changed. Sequential art is now accepted as an art form, though whether such an acceptance entails any benefits is another matter altogether. The contemporary comic book has become a far slower affair, with the sort of storyline that would have filled a single issue back in the sixties now stretched across several. While this makes for far superior graphic novel narratives, it does alienate the casual reader, and leaves the regular collector dangling on tenterhooks before the serial has had time to resume. More importantly, this approach to serial storytelling has rendered the reviewing of individuals comic issues a little pointless - who reviews the first half of a film, or a television drama only up to the first commercial break?

Of course, we could leave the reviews until our favourite series are collected in trade paperback format, but this approach is equally problematic. Many series have reached double digit number of volumes. Should each volume of The Sandman, The Walking Dead, or Y: The Last Man be reviewed individually, or should the series be critiqued as a whole? If comic book critics were to wait until a series had concluded before laying down their position, then very few new books would get the endorsement that quality appraisal offers.

Of course, there are no answers here. The comic medium will continue to suffer the prejudice of literary circles, and isolate those with only a passing interest. But I love the fact that any individual can have his say on the internet, and would rather be guided by the opinions of another comic enthusiast than the tepid, uninspired drivel from a mainstream film or videogame magazine that has temporarily jumped aboard the superhero zeitgeist. With or without mainstream attention, the comic book appears to be stuck comfortably in its niche. Is that such a bad thing?

Carl Doherty occasionally assumes the guise of a freelance writer specialising in cultural nonsense of the pop and junk varieties. For more of his pungent diatribes on the twisted world of comic books, including a daily graphic novels review, and his weekly webcomic The Scribe, visit holycr4p! Graphic Novel Reviews

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