Secret of the Silver Earring

Rating:
Summary: Totally Enjoyable
Review: I enjoyed this beautiful game. The graphics are a delight, the story mysterious until Sherlock's final explanation. Do not be dismayed by having to avoid a watchman and dog in one part and the timed puzzle later on. I used a walkthrough to help with these sequences and after a few tries, succeeded with a lot less frustration than I expected. All games have some flaws that you would like to improve on. But this game is just so beautiful with appropriate music and lots of characters and locations. I thoroughly enjoyed and will probably play again some day.

Rating:
Summary: Not the funnest game I imagined!
Review: I guess if all you are looking for is to find clues and solve the mystery, this game is definitely for you but it does lack imagination. I would love to see a whodunit game that involves some fantacy and some creative problem solving as well as clue finding and mystery solving. The best game I have ever played thus far and have yet to find a game to match it is "The Longest Journey". If anyone knows this game and a game that comes close, please email me at [e-mail].

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I have always loved Sherlock Holmes games and have played them on crappy days. I got Silver Earring -- and I couldn't stop playing it. Some parts are very challenging but it is all rewarding in the end.

The graphics are absolutely amazing and the dialogue is also just awesome. I reccomend this game to anybody who enjoys a challenge and most of all, Loves Sherlock Holmes and Watson.

Rating:
Summary: Frustrating and boring in many places
Review: I really looked forward to this game. Boy, was I disappointed. The look of the game is beautiful and very detailed, but the character movement is poor. The characters' voices were above average, considering some of the awful voices in lots of games out there. The game is divided into parts, with a quiz at the end of each part. You have to get all the answers correct and show why with documentation and witnesses to proceed to the next part of the story. These quizzes were very tedious to me. If just one part of one question is wrong, you are stuck until you correct it. And all Holmes will tell you is something is incorrect, not which answer(s). The last half of the story has several timed puzzles, which I hate. A couple of them take place in very dark places with very tiny characters to move around at precisely the right time and place or the game ends and you lose. So save your game often. There is a lot of reading of documents and that really slows things down. By the time the inevitable gathering of the suspects and naming of the culprit(s) comes around I was bored out of my mind. The last scene goes on so long that I started straightening my desk and going through some paperwork I had. What a shame. I love Conan Doyle's Holmes so much. This should have been exciting and thought-provoking, but instead it was just a waste of time.

Rating:
Summary: I was Sherlock Holmes!!
Review: I'm a girl, I just finish the game and I recommend it really! It's so great to play a story so breathtaking: sets, characters, music, voices and plot (oh man what a story!) are perfect. I don't understand how some could have the feeling of poverty because all is so structured, logic, profound, surprising and fun!
Let me develop my point of view:
- each detail has a reason to exist because it has its importance for the investigation
- the atmosphere of the manor, the forest, the theatre or the cemetery for example suits exactly to the situation thanks to the gorgeous graphics, sounds and musics
- every character has someone to reproach for something and you have a lot of suspects so it's a real investigation
- the puzzles are various and funny; yes, you have to save like in every good adventure games! It's not so easy, but the interest is always keeping.
- The cinematic are gorgeous (I loved the dominos one and the Chinese pursuit) and the outcome (20 fine min!) is so inspired!
- Step by step, thanks to the quiz, I guessed the suspects to eliminate; I loved also the documents and the dialogs so attractive.

Well I felt like in a real Sherlock Holmes story with mystery and new developments. I hope there will be other adventure games like that: not "only" beautiful, but intelligent: brilliant.


Rating:
Summary: I fell asleep at the end...seriously!
Review: It took me about a week to get through this and there were two defining moments in this time that can sum up this game.

1. I almost threw my laptop across the room during the last timed scene because the mouse pointer wouldn't register where to go.

2. When I finally got to the end, I started to watch the movie and he talked and talked and talked and then I felt my eyes get heavy and I FELL ASLEEP! I woke up about 2 minutes later and what was he doing... STILL TALKING!! I hit the escape key and quit the game.

If you have trouble sleeping - THIS GAMES FOR YOU! If you have anger management issues, STAY AWAY!

Rating:
Summary: Poor Character Movement
Review: Most of the puzzles are fairly easy...However, the attempt to enter the office at the Cement Works displays the lack of control
one has over Sherlock's movements resulting in a very tedious
and time consuming snag in a relatively interesting game....

Rating:
Summary: A great game if mysteries interest you!
Review: The world of Sherlock Holmes pulls you in as you uncover clue after clue in this fascinating and ever-unfolding adventure game!

Secret of the Silver Earring was a truly enjoyable game. The graphics were amazing (looking VERY realistic at times!) and the storyline was intriguing. The puzzles were cleverly done and fun to figure out. But I have to say, my favorite aspects of the game were being able to "examine evidence," and having all your notes with you throughout the game, so you can go back and reference them. There were many features to this game such as playing as Watson, dressing in disguise, and taking little quizzes that I also enjoyed and that set the game apart from the rest.

The reason I gave it four stars instead of 5 was the gameplay is a bit difficult at times. For example, when you're navigating Holmes around an area where you're trying to not be detected by a guard and a dog, I found it quite complicated. Although I wouldn't let this stop you from buying the game.

Overall, I recommend Secret of the Silver Earring if you like mystery/adventure games that take patience and time. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Rating:
Summary: the best Sherlock Holmes game ever.
Review: this game is the best Sherlock Holmes game ever. the story is fantastic, complex and purely in ACD style. the graphics are wonderful and I felt like I was in England at the end of the 19th century. the music is superb. the dialogs are perfect, funny and ironic just like in the books.
the gameplay is the best I have seen for a long time, you really feel like being Sherlock Hommes, it might be too intellectual for some players, but for one who got brains you won't be disapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Read the technical specs!
Review: This is a caution, not really a review: Read the technical specs before you buy! This game requires a specific chip set and WILL NOT RUN without it, a surprisingly advanced requirement for such a low-level game. Check out the technical requirements before you buy!