Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter – Review

A few days ago Bigben Interactive launched Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The same day we received a review copy of the game and started playing. The result? Well … we have a First Impressions / Review ready for you!

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter – Review

Gameplay

Being a big fan of the BBC series Sherlock, I was quite excited when I heard about the release of Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter. I really wanted to know if the game had the same elements as the TV Series. The way the series shows you how Sherlock does a character profile and uses deduction to solve a case is what drove me to the game. After all, that should be what Sherlock Holmes is all about … searching for clues and using deduction to solve cases nobody else would be able to solve.

I have to admit … Forgwares, the team behind Sherlock Holmes did an excellent job at that. The first case really draws you into the game. Proof? Well, the video we published on our YouTube channel is actually a complete play through of the first case “Prey Tell”. We were so drawn into the atmosphere of the game that we just kept playing until we solved the case.

Your main goal is of course to collect clues. You will be traveling all across London to find some clues and pieces of evidence and interrogating people. Collecting that evidence is just a matter of paying attention to detail and looking closely at certain objects and places. And no worries … the game will show you that certain areas require additional investigation by changing the looks of your cursor.

Making a character profile in this game is also something you will be doing a few times. The first time you meet a certain character, you will have the opportunity to analyse that character and make a profile. Gathering necessary information based on little details you see on that person will help you later on to solve the case. Oh, and no worries … using deduction you can combine all the necessary clues together. So, if you made a mistake when profiling someone, you should still be able to solve the case by using deduction and combining different pieces of information together.

The game also has quite a few little mini-games. At some points in the game, you might need to follow a subject without being detected, or balance on the roofs of London to chase someone, or even use lock picks to open specific locks. Those mini-games are pretty easy, but still hard enough that you just might need to give it a few tries. I know I had to try a few times during the first Case.

Audio

The audio in the game is quite nicely done. I remember a part where I just stopped to listen to the Finches singing their song in the trees. On the other hand, I was somehow expecting Sherlock Holmes to sound a bit … well different. No idea how I should explain it, but the voice acting could have been better. But then again, I think I have been too spoiled by the way Benedict Cumberbatch in the TV Series.

Graphics

The game graphics look quite nice and the game runs smoothly even on my machine. Just as with the sound, the graphics really help with the immersion in this game. I remember I stopped in a few spots jus to look around and see how the sunlight shines through the leaves of a tree. Of course the global atmosphere is a little dark, but that actually fits quite nicely with the theme of the Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter game!

Our Verdict

I have never played the previous Sherlock Holmes games, so it’s impossible for me to compare it to the previous ones. What I do know is that Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter really drew me into the atmosphere of the game. Searching for clues and trying to combine those together to solve the game is quite enjoyable. The little mini games are a nice addition and are sometimes tougher than they look. I started the game and I got hooked, played through the first chapter in one go, even though it required my more than 2 hours to finish (see video).