Lost Files Of Sherlock Holmes

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zook1981
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Post by zook1981 » Sun Nov 18, 2012 6:35 am

Trev wrote:It's a top 10 for me! But I do love the genre.

There are plenty of reasons why I can see people not caring much for point n' click games. The thing is though, The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes avoids most if not all of these annoying traits ...

For instance, I hate pixel hunting. Having to painstakingly sweep over the screen repeatedly in hopes of lining up the cursor just right to trigger an item ... it drive me nuts! Even my favorite game in this genre, Broken Sword, was nearly ruined by this. I wasn't even looking to see which items I could interact with, I knew exactly what I needed and yet even with the cursor directly on the item I still couldn't trigger it! :evil:

But Sherlock bypasses this annoying trait w/o making the game too easy. Click the trigger buttons and it will cycle through the hot spots. Granted I don't use this much, but it's still great to have it as an option. :)
Another advantage to this game is that the rooms are small. In Sherlock Holmes for PS3 some of the areas were huge to search for clues and that can be frustrating when you are scanning every inch, I do not want to spend scanning every inch of a large area. I would rather spend time deducing if the clues I found were relevant.

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Post by Trev » Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:47 pm

zook1981 wrote: Another advantage to this game is that the rooms are small. In Sherlock Holmes for PS3 some of the areas were huge to search for clues and that can be frustrating when you are scanning every inch, I do not want to spend scanning every inch of a large area. I would rather spend time deducing if the clues I found were relevant.
Yeah, there is no empty filler or wasted scenery in this game to artificially lengthen it. Even the biggest locations aren't more than 1/2 dozen screens or so, and several are just 1 screen. Yet they still pack more details and content in them most other graphic adventure games! I'm glad that didn't stuff it with empty real estate to waste gamers time. Result of a well planned and thought out game.
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Post by Martin III » Sun Nov 18, 2012 4:27 pm

zook1981 wrote:I actually never played Night Trap, I have only seen the game play; therefore, I could not roast too hard, I probably should have left it out of the comparison. I thought about getting it but I just don't want to pay $40-$50 for it.
Actually, I got my copy for $21 shipped. Admittedly it didn't come with the box, but it did include the manual. ...Okay, yes, that is an unusually good deal for the game, but if you keep looking long enough those good deals do pop up. :)
Trev wrote:For instance, I hate pixel hunting. Having to painstakingly sweep over the screen repeatedly in hopes of lining up the cursor just right to trigger an item ... it drive me nuts! Even my favorite game in this genre, Broken Sword, was nearly ruined by this. I wasn't even looking to see which items I could interact with, I knew exactly what I needed and yet even with the cursor directly on the item I still couldn't trigger it! :evil:

But Sherlock bypasses this annoying trait w/o making the game too easy. Click the trigger buttons and it will cycle through the hot spots. Granted I don't use this much, but it's still great to have it as an option. :)
Nice! I absolutely loved that feature in Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller... never would have thought that there's another 3DO game which uses it! Now I'm starting to wonder why point-and-click games for other consoles seem to never use that feature. :wink: It really does make things less of a pain, and on top of that, it's a feature that you don't have to use if you don't want to. If you feel like pixel hunting today, you can go ahead and knock yourself out. If you suddenly feel like you just want to know what's there on the screen, just press a trigger button.

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Post by Trev » Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:01 pm

Martin III wrote:
Trev wrote:For instance, I hate pixel hunting. Having to painstakingly sweep over the screen repeatedly in hopes of lining up the cursor just right to trigger an item ... it drive me nuts! Even my favorite game in this genre, Broken Sword, was nearly ruined by this. I wasn't even looking to see which items I could interact with, I knew exactly what I needed and yet even with the cursor directly on the item I still couldn't trigger it! :evil:

But Sherlock bypasses this annoying trait w/o making the game too easy. Click the trigger buttons and it will cycle through the hot spots. Granted I don't use this much, but it's still great to have it as an option. :)
Nice! I absolutely loved that feature in Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller... never would have thought that there's another 3DO game which uses it! Now I'm starting to wonder why point-and-click games for other consoles seem to never use that feature. :wink: It really does make things less of a pain, and on top of that, it's a feature that you don't have to use if you don't want to. If you feel like pixel hunting today, you can go ahead and knock yourself out. If you suddenly feel like you just want to know what's there on the screen, just press a trigger button.
Exactly ... I think it's great that they give you the option. I would have been annoyed if pixel hunting was neccesary, but at the same time I wouldn't care if they forced the hot spots to be easily found (Secret Files of Tunguska kinda does that w/the hot spots actually lighting up when your over them, and there's no way to shut it off!) Choices like that show me they had gamer's in mind.
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Post by zook1981 » Sun Nov 18, 2012 9:57 pm

Martin III wrote:
zook1981 wrote:I actually never played Night Trap, I have only seen the game play; therefore, I could not roast too hard, I probably should have left it out of the comparison. I thought about getting it but I just don't want to pay $40-$50 for it.
Actually, I got my copy for $21 shipped. Admittedly it didn't come with the box, but it did include the manual. ...Okay, yes, that is an unusually good deal for the game, but if you keep looking long enough those good deals do pop up. :)
Trev wrote:For instance, I hate pixel hunting. Having to painstakingly sweep over the screen repeatedly in hopes of lining up the cursor just right to trigger an item ... it drive me nuts! Even my favorite game in this genre, Broken Sword, was nearly ruined by this. I wasn't even looking to see which items I could interact with, I knew exactly what I needed and yet even with the cursor directly on the item I still couldn't trigger it! :evil:

But Sherlock bypasses this annoying trait w/o making the game too easy. Click the trigger buttons and it will cycle through the hot spots. Granted I don't use this much, but it's still great to have it as an option. :)
Nice! I absolutely loved that feature in Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller... never would have thought that there's another 3DO game which uses it! Now I'm starting to wonder why point-and-click games for other consoles seem to never use that feature. :wink: It really does make things less of a pain, and on top of that, it's a feature that you don't have to use if you don't want to. If you feel like pixel hunting today, you can go ahead and knock yourself out. If you suddenly feel like you just want to know what's there on the screen, just press a trigger button.
Hmmm that is pretty cheap, but I think if I was to break down and buy it (may happen someday) I would want it with the long box just because it is such a significant game.

I have also considered picking up HELL: A Cyberpunk Thriller but I am not sure if it would be my type of game. :?

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Post by Trev » Tue Nov 20, 2012 7:38 pm

Posted a new survey about Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes ....

http://3do.cdinteractive.co.uk/viewtopi ... 0993#30993

In my honest opinion, I think this 'confusing the game w/the earlier fmv titles' is the biggest handicap it has had in attracting a larger 3DO audience.

The game is considered a classic on the pc ... shouldn't this even better version be considered a 3DO classic? :?
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Post by Martin III » Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:19 pm

zook1981 wrote:I have also considered picking up HELL: A Cyberpunk Thriller but I am not sure if it would be my type of game. :?
I am not sure either. It's hard for me to compare without having played Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes yet, but one major difference I can already tell exists is that Hell doesn't have any dialogue choices. I do really like Hell and its unique qualities, though.

By the way... Though I'm guessing that if this game was compatible with the 3DO mouse it would have already been mentioned in one of the mouse threads, just to confirm: No mouse support in Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes?

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Post by Trev » Wed Nov 21, 2012 4:29 pm

Martin III wrote: By the way... Though I'm guessing that if this game was compatible with the 3DO mouse it would have already been mentioned in one of the mouse threads, just to confirm: No mouse support in Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes?
Nope.

It plays well with a regular controller though. The cursor speed is just right. If it does seem to slow, you can use the shuolder buttons to cycle through the hot spots, and a quick button press can take you from anywhere on the screen to the menu. It's designed well.
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Post by zook1981 » Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:39 am

Also, do not get the PC Lost files because it does not use actors just cartoon images that talk. It makes for a lesser version.

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Post by Trev » Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:45 am

zook1981 wrote:Also, do not get the PC Lost files because it does not use actors just cartoon images that talk. It makes for a lesser version.
Much lesser. No fmv, no speech, even the music takes a big hit. Besides being of lesser quality, in the pc game the music only plays at the start of each location. It will play for a minute or two, and then nothing but silence. :? The 3DO game has cd quality tunes, and they play continuously. Far superior to the pc original.
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Post by zook1981 » Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:22 am

Trev wrote:
zook1981 wrote:Also, do not get the PC Lost files because it does not use actors just cartoon images that talk. It makes for a lesser version.
Much lesser. No fmv, no speech, even the music takes a big hit. Besides being of lesser quality, in the pc game the music only plays at the start of each location. It will play for a minute or two, and then nothing but silence. :? The 3DO game has cd quality tunes, and they play continuously. Far superior to the pc original.
I don't know about you Trev but I think we may have qualified as certified fan boys of this game :lol:

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Post by Martin III » Thu Nov 22, 2012 3:31 pm

Trev wrote:
Martin III wrote: By the way... Though I'm guessing that if this game was compatible with the 3DO mouse it would have already been mentioned in one of the mouse threads, just to confirm: No mouse support in Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes?
Nope.

It plays well with a regular controller though. The cursor speed is just right. If it does seem to slow, you can use the shuolder buttons to cycle through the hot spots, and a quick button press can take you from anywhere on the screen to the menu. It's designed well.
Yeah, I know, I just thought it would be nice if a point-and-click other than (ugh) Myst supported the 3DO mouse. And given all the attention-to-detail in the game that's been mentioned in this thread, it's almost surprising that they didn't include mouse support. I suppose one possibility is that the mouse wasn't released until after Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes.

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Post by Trev » Thu Nov 22, 2012 7:07 pm

Martin III wrote:
Trev wrote:
Martin III wrote: By the way... Though I'm guessing that if this game was compatible with the 3DO mouse it would have already been mentioned in one of the mouse threads, just to confirm: No mouse support in Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes?
Nope.

It plays well with a regular controller though. The cursor speed is just right. If it does seem to slow, you can use the shuolder buttons to cycle through the hot spots, and a quick button press can take you from anywhere on the screen to the menu. It's designed well.
Yeah, I know, I just thought it would be nice if a point-and-click other than (ugh) Myst supported the 3DO mouse. And given all the attention-to-detail in the game that's been mentioned in this thread, it's almost surprising that they didn't include mouse support. I suppose one possibility is that the mouse wasn't released until after Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes.
Probably. I'm not sure the exact release date of the mouse, but Sherlock was a launch window release. It came out in Dec 1993, so the mouse probably wasn't ready yet.
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Post by Calavera3DO » Fri Nov 23, 2012 12:01 pm

As big SH fans we just started playing the game before some days! Liked it very much and was searching for it a long time for the PC but couldn´t get it by its rarity! So I was very happy to see its availible for the 3DO. But one thing disturbing me a lot is the fuzzy script if investigating any objects - would be interesting if its clearer in the PC version?

On the other hand its great to see the 3DO version was enhanced with the nice video-clips and talkie.

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Post by Trev » Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:45 pm

Calavera3DO wrote:As big SH fans we just started playing the game before some days! Liked it very much and was searching for it a long time for the PC but couldn´t get it by its rarity! So I was very happy to see its availible for the 3DO. But one thing disturbing me a lot is the fuzzy script if investigating any objects - would be interesting if its clearer in the PC version?

On the other hand its great to see the 3DO version was enhanced with the nice video-clips and talkie.
The pc version does use a diiferent font (and it's also colored differently) but I'm not sure if it is any clearer. I've actually never had trouble reading any of the text in the 3DO version, and never thought it appeared fuzzy either. Might depend on the tv though (I have an older one)
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Post by Trev » Sat Nov 24, 2012 9:27 pm

Here is a picture of some of the descriptive text used in the original pc version of the game. The words are written in yellow against a blue background, verses the white words/black background style found in the 3DO. I'm not sure why it was changed. In terms of clearness though, I think the edge the pc version might have is just by virtue of people sitting closer and viewing it on a monitor, rather than the distance viewing of a tv set ...

Image

I would've been cool if the object descriptions were narrated too. That was one of the things i really liked about Willy Beamish ... click on anything, and have a description read to you. Of course I'd hate to see The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes burdened by load times. Thankfully, as it it, there are none to really speak of. :)
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