The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
Encyclopedia
The Testament Of Sherlock Holmes is an upcoming adventure game
in the Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes series
developed by Frogwares
and published by Focus Home Interactive
. It will be the first Holmes game specially made for the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
, and will be the first game in the series to appear on the PS3. Developers Frogwares have described release as their "biggest and most beautiful game". After being delayed from an original 2010 release, the game is due to be released worldwide early in 2012.
Trailers were shown at E3 2011, with further screenshots being released months later. More screenshots were also posted The game is being developed primarily for consoles, and features a new graphic engine and gameplay mechanics.
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is set in the London of 1898, with Holmes presented as the main suspect in a case in which he is unable to prove his innocence.
and raises further suspicion.
, the player faces an open investigation, and decides which leads to follow, and which to ignore. Players can handle and inspect clues, re-enact crimes and use the game’s deduction
system to make their own decisions about the innocence and guilt of suspects. Different questioning approaches can change the course of an interrogation by letting the player catch suspects off-guard, or gather valuable information.
The game uses a new graphics engine, especially developed to display complex scenes of the game's 19th century London environment, using hi-resolution textures. The full gore will be shown in its full glory, unlike the previous game where corpse are seen as drawings and portraits to hone respect to the real victims. Players have the option of using a gamepad
while playing, and the control system has been specially formatted for consoles.
The way 1898 London's visuals are rendered a leap over the locations seen in Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, and toggling between first- and third-person views on a console gamepad. There have been a few additions made to the title's puzzle-centric gameplay, most notably, optional "point of interest" indicators to help Holmes discover clues, as well as a "sixth sense" functional that can help Sherlock out when he's stumped. There are about 20 locations throughout the game, each with unique puzzles, that range from Baker Street, to London's slums, to a crimson-hued opium den, and roughly 12-15 hours of gameplay.
The gameplay generally progresses as you gather clues and evidence in every form you're able to discover, from written material and environmental cues to actual objects that you gather in your inventory. As you gather clues, you eventually piece together the evidence to come to a deduction.
Waël Amr explains that in the past, the team has always been limited in reaching the PC market by trying to aim for a middle ground with PC owners, so that the specs have been lowered to match the greater share of the market. With this latest game that is being developed with the current generation of consoles in mind, the development team has finally been able to really focus on polishing the graphics and creating the adventure game they've always wanted to.
The previous game in the series, Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jack the Ripper was ported to console, but was simply a conversion. Rather than being ported from a PC version of the title, the team are developing the new game specifically for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the first time.
Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper used drawings to depict its murder victims, hiding the full horror of the scenes out of respect for the real historical victims. Frogwares in the new title approaches on more mature and graphic moments. As the characters here are purely fictional, there is no restraint in showing the gory scene in its full glory.
With this, they first upgraded the graphics in the screenshots. These images were released by Frogwares to every gaming websites, most notably GameSpot
and IGN
. The first of these were posted on February 2011, and more surfaces the following months.
These upgrades were said to be a part of a broader move to attract more console players. This does, however, coincide with a change in Frogwares approach to difficulty. Previously, insanely difficult puzzles were once considered a good thing, and success was measured in how long it took people to finish the game. As of what Waël observed about, they were carefully watching the internet, counting the days until people started posting complete solutions. They now admit this was a “stupid” approach, and are now putting a lot of emphasis on accessibility and not getting stuck in the same place for too long.
With the trailer shown in the E3 2011. Wael confirms that the game will show Holmes' darker side where he now uses blackmail, forgery, and isolation in exile away from society. Saying that Holmes will now rely in his survival skills and street-smart paired in a cat-and-mouse style plot widely seen in other games such as Splinter Cell: Conviction and The Bourne Conspiracy.
April 2011, developer Frogwares announced plans to release the game earlier. At the time the game was supposed to come out in the fall of 2011. A recent post on Frogwares' Facebook page has a confirmations from the developer admitting the game was due for release at the end of 2011. But again it has been pushed back to being released in 2012.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
in the Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes series
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series is a series of adventure games, developed by the independent game development studio Frogwares, based on Arthur Conan Doyle's famous work The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, featuring the famous detective and his companion Dr. John H. Watson. To date, five...
developed by Frogwares
Frogwares
Frogwares is an independent adventure game development studio, having branches in Ukraine, Ireland and France. Its president is Waël Amr.It is best known for its ongoing Sherlock Holmes series of adventure computer games starring Sherlock Holmes and Dr...
and published by Focus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive is an independent publisher of computer games based near Paris, France. Founded in 1996, Focus has published and distributed original titles such as Blood Bowl, Sherlock Holmes, TrackMania and Runaway and sports games like Cycling Manager and Virtual Skipper.On June 25, 2010...
. It will be the first Holmes game specially made for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and will be the first game in the series to appear on the PS3. Developers Frogwares have described release as their "biggest and most beautiful game". After being delayed from an original 2010 release, the game is due to be released worldwide early in 2012.
Trailers were shown at E3 2011, with further screenshots being released months later. More screenshots were also posted The game is being developed primarily for consoles, and features a new graphic engine and gameplay mechanics.
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is set in the London of 1898, with Holmes presented as the main suspect in a case in which he is unable to prove his innocence.
Plot
All the evidence of police investigation points to Sherlock Holmes as the main suspect in a case involving theft, fraud and double-crossings. Unable to prove his own innocence, Holmes is rapidly losing London’s trust as doubt spreads through the city. Even Doctor Watson’s faith in his friend begins to waver, as the famous detective flees Scotland YardScotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
and raises further suspicion.
Gameplay
As Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
, the player faces an open investigation, and decides which leads to follow, and which to ignore. Players can handle and inspect clues, re-enact crimes and use the game’s deduction
Deduction
Deduction may refer to:in logic:* Deductive reasoning, inference in which the conclusion is of no greater generality than the premises...
system to make their own decisions about the innocence and guilt of suspects. Different questioning approaches can change the course of an interrogation by letting the player catch suspects off-guard, or gather valuable information.
The game uses a new graphics engine, especially developed to display complex scenes of the game's 19th century London environment, using hi-resolution textures. The full gore will be shown in its full glory, unlike the previous game where corpse are seen as drawings and portraits to hone respect to the real victims. Players have the option of using a gamepad
Gamepad
A gamepad , is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the digits are used to provide input. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left...
while playing, and the control system has been specially formatted for consoles.
The way 1898 London's visuals are rendered a leap over the locations seen in Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, and toggling between first- and third-person views on a console gamepad. There have been a few additions made to the title's puzzle-centric gameplay, most notably, optional "point of interest" indicators to help Holmes discover clues, as well as a "sixth sense" functional that can help Sherlock out when he's stumped. There are about 20 locations throughout the game, each with unique puzzles, that range from Baker Street, to London's slums, to a crimson-hued opium den, and roughly 12-15 hours of gameplay.
The gameplay generally progresses as you gather clues and evidence in every form you're able to discover, from written material and environmental cues to actual objects that you gather in your inventory. As you gather clues, you eventually piece together the evidence to come to a deduction.
Development
After the release of the ported Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper, Frogwares and French publisher Focus Home Interactive got feedback from consoles players in particular that they wanted more adventure games with 3D graphics and production values to match what other genres are offering. And Frogwares admitted to be eager in delivering one. Though Waël Amr, the CEO, insists this does not mean forgetting about PC players, as some already speculate.Waël Amr explains that in the past, the team has always been limited in reaching the PC market by trying to aim for a middle ground with PC owners, so that the specs have been lowered to match the greater share of the market. With this latest game that is being developed with the current generation of consoles in mind, the development team has finally been able to really focus on polishing the graphics and creating the adventure game they've always wanted to.
The previous game in the series, Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jack the Ripper was ported to console, but was simply a conversion. Rather than being ported from a PC version of the title, the team are developing the new game specifically for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the first time.
Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper used drawings to depict its murder victims, hiding the full horror of the scenes out of respect for the real historical victims. Frogwares in the new title approaches on more mature and graphic moments. As the characters here are purely fictional, there is no restraint in showing the gory scene in its full glory.
With this, they first upgraded the graphics in the screenshots. These images were released by Frogwares to every gaming websites, most notably GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. The first of these were posted on February 2011, and more surfaces the following months.
These upgrades were said to be a part of a broader move to attract more console players. This does, however, coincide with a change in Frogwares approach to difficulty. Previously, insanely difficult puzzles were once considered a good thing, and success was measured in how long it took people to finish the game. As of what Waël observed about, they were carefully watching the internet, counting the days until people started posting complete solutions. They now admit this was a “stupid” approach, and are now putting a lot of emphasis on accessibility and not getting stuck in the same place for too long.
With the trailer shown in the E3 2011. Wael confirms that the game will show Holmes' darker side where he now uses blackmail, forgery, and isolation in exile away from society. Saying that Holmes will now rely in his survival skills and street-smart paired in a cat-and-mouse style plot widely seen in other games such as Splinter Cell: Conviction and The Bourne Conspiracy.
April 2011, developer Frogwares announced plans to release the game earlier. At the time the game was supposed to come out in the fall of 2011. A recent post on Frogwares' Facebook page has a confirmations from the developer admitting the game was due for release at the end of 2011. But again it has been pushed back to being released in 2012.