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Games I Would Play…If Anyone Made Them #1
Someone should make a Sherlock Holmes game.
I don’t care who, but I think it could be awesome.
Why, you ask? Simple elementary, my dear. Here are just a few reasons.
It’d Make A Great Single Player Game – Not many games have tried to deliver a definitive detective game, but titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Indigo Prophecy, and even the truth from Assassin’s Creed II have had elements of sleuthing that were great. Maybe its time someone came along and shaped the ultimate detective experience.
It Would Have Built In Co-Op – Of course, what would a Sherlock Holmes game be without the good Dr. Watson? Watson is more than just a device for Holmes to explain all his revelations. Watson is smart, a skilled surgeon, and has been known to help crack a case or two. Watson also serves as an emotional ground for Holmes – the emotionally detached analytical machine. In several stories Holmes even asks Watson to bring his revolver along. How’s that for intrigue?
It Would Be A Great Detective Game – This could be the ultimate thinking man's game. Holmes' methods of deduction would make for a great puzzle/adventure game. What’s more, it has real word applications. The British military (MI5 and MI6) both train their agents in what they call Sherlockian Deduction.
It Wouldn’t Have To Be A Detective Game – Everyone thinks of Sherlock Holmes as this stoic thinker who sits around with a pipe and violin and solves riddles all day. While Holmes’ skill in problem solving is one of the things that makes him cool, he was also an action hero. A skilled bare-knuckles boxer, an expert fencer, and a student of the fictional martial art of baritsu, Holmes would be an interesting protagonist for any action game.
It’s Family Friendly – Not just family friendly; Holmes has worldwide appeal. Sherlock Holmes stories were so popular that, even in an area without computers, people wrote fan fiction about him. Today Holmes has influenced the creation of shows like House M.D., Monk, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He’s appeared in literature as broad as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and Dr. Who novels. Even games like Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright seem to pay homage to the great detective. Why not just get the real deal?
Sherlock Homes Is A *** – Sherlock Holmes is a layered character; he had lady problems and a drug habit. At least seven of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories talk about Holmes' cocaine addiction and his occasional use of morphine. Holmes was far from a drug addict, however. In late-19th-century England these drugs were legal and had a different social image, but the fact that Holmes had character flaws makes him all the more interesting.
In short, Sherlock Holmes is a rich character with broad appeal, and would be a versatile character for a variety of games. The time period and location of many of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories are virtually untapped. The question isn’t “would Sherlock Holmes make a good game?” The question is “why hasn’t it been done yet?”
Sherlock Holmes already has a solid collection of PC adventure titles, including this Sega CD game, but I think he deserves more
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