Classic time: "The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel"

Replay!

After playing Casebook 1899: The Leipzig Murders, I was in the mood for some more sleuthing. Coincidence has it that in my list of classic playthroughs I had just come to an old friend from my youth again: The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel by Mythos Software. As is the case with many classic adventure games, I lost count of the amount of times I've played through this game. It's been a while now, so let's see how much of it I still remember during this replay!

Severe case of sciophobia...

London, 1888. A woman is attacked and killed in an alley behind the Regency Theatre. Inspector Lestrade requests Holmes's presence and so, accompanied by Dr. Watson, I make my way there. This point 'n click adventure uses a verb interface. Every piece of dialogue is recorded by Watson and can be read again under the Journal button. There are lots of hotspots and each one has an elaborate description. The game hails from a time when there weren't any voice-overs, though the cutscenes ARE voiced.

The scene of the crime...

After an hour of gaming, I've searched the crime scene and the victim's residence, conducted some chemical experiments on some pieces of evidence, sent Wiggins on an errand, and found a couple of leads which led me to several locations across London. Each time you think you're getting close, a new clue pops up taking you even deeper into the case.

This travel map taught me my way around London...

So far, only one thing bothered me a bit and that was an artificial lenghtening of the game by having you bump into some bureaucracy, forcing you into some back and forth between NPC's to get past some red tape before you can actually continue your investigation. All that stuff had nothing to do with the murder, but in hindsight perhaps it's an authentic and realistic obstacle to run into. It isn't fun, though.

Ugh... Sports...

My search led me to the Kensington rugby field. I found some evidence leading to one of the players, but the coach won't let me come near him unless I can tell him a name. I haven't found a name yet, though, but thankfully I've just found another lead that might prove fruitful in this regard. Back to late 19th century London it is! 

As far as I can tell, The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel isn't currently available for purchase anywhere, though you CAN vote to put it on GOG!