I guess I was a bit more impressed with this game than the majority of reviewers. It took me a long time to finish and I had to refer to a walkthrough. The game does provide clues on one of the menu screens, but I rarely used it because I forgot it was there. It would have been helpful. The walkthrough I used was for the PC game and the DS version is very close in terms of the items you need to find but it does not have what seems to be very difficult timed puzzles that are in the PC game. Here's my breakdown of the game (no spoilers, I promise).
Mission: You are Sherlock Holmes. You are contacted by Elisabeth Montcalfe who is going to marry your distant cousin. As your future cousin, Elisabeth wishes you to investigate the disappearance of her father, the archeologist Lord Montcalfe. This investigation takes place in Lord Montcalfe's manor which is full of Egyptian artifacts making it look more like a museum. Elisabeth warns you that there are traps throughout the manor set by her father who was in an unstable mental state months before his disappearance. Your task is to explore the rooms of fascinating ancient relics and find items to help you gain access to secret passageways in order to find pieces of evidence (lots of notes and letters) to ascertain what happened to Lord Montcalfe. All I'll say is that the Montcalfe family has some major issues.
Graphics and Music: Graphically, this game is very impressive. There are many rooms to visit with excellent details. There are also several movie cut scenes that are very well-done. Sherlock is a bit stilted in his movements but, for a DS game, they are pretty realistic. The music is nice, too. It is repetitive but not irritating. It seems to complement the game play rather than overpower it. I found I did not need to turn the volume off as I sometimes do with games like this. Another plus, there are voices! You hear Sherlock talk! Some reviewers do not like this feature, but I think it is cool. He sounds like Don Adams of Get Smart. There is also text when he talks and, sometimes the wording of the text does not exactly match what Sherlock says, but this detail is insignificant when it comes to the gameplay.
Gameplay: There is a lot to explore with many rooms, secret passages, and plenty of stuff everywhere, so it does take some time. It must be easier than the PC game with its difficult timed puzzles. There are a few segments of this game where there is a time glass on the side, but you are given plenty of time (except one room where breathing is difficult) and the glass will probably not be close to emptying by the time you finish the task. I found the puzzles, for the most part, to be very challenging. I had to use the walkthrough to get through most of it although there were a few I was able to figure out or stumbled upon the answer. Some puzzles, like the rotating room, I think would drive me nuts without the walkthrough. When you get close to solving a puzzle or find something that requires an action, Sherlock will let you know by saying: "I need something else," or "I must have made a mistake, let's see from the beginning" (strange wording, but you get the idea).
Summary: The storyline is a bit convoluted and there are lots of letters and notes to read, but you will discover that the Montcalfe family is pretty messed up. I found the game intriguing enough that I wanted to keep playing even when I got stuck. The ending was a bit disappointing as once Sherlock reveals what he discovered, that was it. The game just ends after the lengthy final cut scene. I dropped a star for this reason and that some of the puzzles were a bit frustrating. There are no mini games and no reason to play the game again for different results, etc., so I dropped another star. Still, anyone interested in mysteries, Ancient Egyptian themes or Sherlock Holmes should definitely check this game out.
Get more detail about Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery Of The Mummy.
