The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes

Mythos Software

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United States
Products	The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes series

The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes—officially known as The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel'—is an adventure game created by Mythos Software and distributed by Electronic Arts for MS-DOS in 1992, followed by a release on 3DO in 1994. The same developer and publisher issued a follow-up titled The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo in 1996.

Plot

Set in November 1888, the narrative begins when Inspector Lestrade from Scotland Yard enlists Sherlock Holmes to probe the murder of Sarah Carroway, an actress found dead outside a theatre in Mayfair. Although Lestrade suspects the infamous Jack the Ripper, Holmes theorizes that the crime was committed by someone wielding a unique serrated scalpel.

Together with Dr. Watson, Holmes investigates multiple sites across London such as a perfume establishment, the zoological gardens, the morgue, a tavern, Scotland Yard, Surrey Commercial Docks, Savoy Street Pier, St Pancras railway station, and their residence at 221B Baker Street. Throughout their inquiry, they encounter significant figures and receive assistance from Inspector Gregson, the leader of the Baker Street Irregulars Wiggins, and the tracking dog Toby.

Gameplay

The gameplay involves traversing London via a city map, unlocking additional destinations as new clues emerge. At each location, players can choose from nine dialogue options to interact with characters and objects. The inventory system supports three verbal commands to manipulate items. Dialogue selections facilitate gathering information or securing cooperation; meanwhile, Dr. Watson offers hints and can perform tasks beyond Holmes’ capabilities. Watson’s journal logs important developments during play.

Equipped with VGA graphics and MIDI soundtracks, the game features limited digitized speech during its introduction, conclusion, and a cutscene at St Pancras Station; other scenes include sound effects but no voiceovers. The interface employs a command menu with verb icons recognizable to adventure gamers of that period. For the 3DO edition, full voice acting was incorporated along with filmed sequences replacing static character portraits, although Watson’s journal was omitted.

In these 3DO video segments, David Ian Davies portrays Sherlock Holmes, while Dr. Watson is played by Laurie Main.

Reception

Charles Ardai of Computer Gaming World lauded The Case of the Serrated Scalpel for its compelling narrative and audiovisual presentation but criticized its gameplay mechanics, pointing out that players have limited agency over essential investigative actions such as selecting chemicals or tools. He concluded that despite aspiring to emulate a Sherlock Holmes film experience, it ultimately disappoints as an interactive game.

Conversely, Computer Games Strategy Plus awarded it the top adventure game title for 1992, with reviewer Theo Clarke praising its refined control scheme and expansive content that blends numerous locations and characters into a unified adventure.

The 3DO version received a score of 6.6/10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly, which complimented its graphics and sound design as effective demonstrations of the hardware’s capabilities.

In 2011, Adventure Gamers ranked Case of the Serrated Scalpel as the 22nd greatest adventure game ever produced.

External links

• The Case of the Serrated Scalpel on Game Nostalgia, including concept illustrations, diary entries, and playable demos