Copyright © 1997 Balmoral Software (http://www.balmoralsoftware.com). All rights reserved. Republication, redistribution or conversion is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Balmoral Software. Contents subject to change! For the latest information, see http://www.balmoralsoftware.com.
Case of the Rose Tattoo is the second Sherlock Holmes game from Electronic Arts, the first being The Case of the Serrated Scalpel. In the sequel, the game designers have made good use of the dramatic advances in gaming capabilities that have become available in the last few years. The clearest indication of this is the crisp and detailed backgrounds, combined with high-quality video-captured characters and superior sound effects. At the same time, Rose Tattoo integrates some of the locations and characters from the earlier game, using updated graphics. Overall, the visual experience of the game is very reminiscent of The Riddle of Master Lu, one of our favorites. However, when you look at objects in Rose Tattoo, text-only descriptions, rather than spoken dialogue, are provided. As a result, the game seems less immersive than it might otherwise have been.
For the most part, Rose Tattoo's gameplay depends on uncovering sequences of clues that advance the plot by opening up new locations or altering the behavior of characters. There's a fair bit of inventory collection and manipulation, but little in the way of puzzle-solving, other than the occasional simple chemistry experiment at Holmes's lab bench. Well into the game, there is one difficult and annoying arcade sequence involving a game of darts with a skillful opponent; luckily, his aim deteriorates over time. The plot tends to be extremely linear, with many elements dependent on a single triggering event that is sometimes obscure; for example, getting a new response from a character or being able to use an inventory item only after stepping on a staircase, looking at a sign, exhausting dialog with Watson, etc. Consequently, it may be difficult to play this game without the aid of a walkthrough. Fortunately, one is provided with the game in the form of an after-the-fact summary authored by Dr. Watson. However, even with Watson's walkthrough, the game's plot is quite convoluted and feels overly-long, and in those respects is similar to Serrated Scalpel.
Moving between the game's various locations in Victorian London is simplified by means of a central map. When transferring to a location, a very detailed black-and-white period photograph (complete with horse dung added) is displayed for a few seconds, adding to the realism and atmosphere of the game. Only one obvious error was noticed - the photo for the Ministry of Defence shows the monogram of Queen Elizabeth II, but she wasn't born until 1926.
The game's interface is adequate, with all functions other than looking and moving handled by the right mouse button and a pull-down menu. Some functions, however, seemed unnecessarily redundant; for example, having to manually specify "Open" in order to open a closed door. Plot triggers often required that you examine characters as well as talk to them. Cursor responsiveness and character motion seemed rather slow, so getting to the map through a few rooms was sometimes tedious. One notable example of this is a complicated Mister Rogers dressing routine Holmes and Watson go through every time you want to leave 221B Baker Street.
Overall, however, Rose Tattoo was not an unpleasant gaming experience, and probably would be of particular appeal to Sherlock Holmes fans that enjoy a leisurely-paced exploration of a mystery.
Copyright © 1997 Balmoral Software (http://www.balmoralsoftware.com). All rights reserved. Republication, redistribution or conversion is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Balmoral Software. Contents subject to change! For the latest information, see http://www.balmoralsoftware.com.