~8 minute readScorpion's Tale
Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels
WARNING! This article contains spoilers. Avert your eyes!
This month, Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels takes center stage as adventuredom's four-star rated innkeeper weaves her regular tale of mystery and suspense.
Spring is with us once again (poor Fred, he misses those long winter nights already); time to put away the snow shovels and get out the lawn mowers. While you're waiting for the grass to grow high enough to cut, have a seat and we'll talk about the good old days: hansom cabs, gaslight, fog-shrouded streets, and Sherlock Holmes.
Right off, let me say that if you're a dyed-in-the-wool Sherlock Holmes fan, you may not like this game very Watson solves the case, while Holmes spends most of the game trailing around after him, doing very little of anything. In this respect, Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels is a misleading title. Holmes might almost not be in it at all, considering the small part that he plays.
Sherlockians may also be unhappy over the portrayal of Professor Moriarty (no relation to Brian) as a taunting, teasing opponent, leaving cutesy clues for Holmes to find throughout London. The real Moriarty was a serious criminal, who never went in for cute tricks; he went straight for the jugular in a no-nonsense manner.
On the other hand, those who do not take their Holmes quite so seriously may enjoy this game, which is almost pure puzzle-solving. It is not a mystery along the lines of, say, a Witness or Suspect. There is no evidence as such to collect for a prosecution and few people that you need to speak to.
"Crown Jewels" itself is not a particularly hard adventure, and no one should have much difficulty in solving it, especially as the game comes with built-in answers (as did "Border Zone" and "Nord and Bert"). A couple of puzzles may tempt you to look at the hints, but overall it's pretty straightforward going.
It all begins during Jubilee Week, celebrating the fiftieth year of Queen Victoria's reign. While most of Britain is caught up in the celebrations and good times, Dr. Watson is summoned to 221B by Mrs. Hudson, who has become increasingly alarmed over Holmes° growing inactivity and moodiness.
Watson finds his old friend in a very black mood indeed and it will take more than mere conversation to rouse Holmes from his lethargy. An important client is waiting downstairs, so there is no time to lose. What is needed here is something unusual and out of the ordinary, to capture Holmes' attention.
Once Holmes has snapped out of it, the client is brought up by the landlady and relates shocking news: the Crown Jewels have been stolen! Unless they are found and returned by Monday morning, a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions will befall the Empire!
Naturally, Holmes and Watson aren't about to let that happen. There are no clues to the thieves, but left at the scene of the crime was a paper with some poetic verses written on it. These verses are pointers as to where to go next, and also contain a warning for Holmes not to take on the case.
This is the time to get out the partial map of London that comes with the game. Holmes and Watson can only visit those places which are on or near the dark brown band that runs along some of the streets; all the rest are inaccessible. That still leaves a fair number of places to visit including Scotland Yard, Trafalgar Square. Parliament, the Tower of London, and Madame Tussaud's, among others (all the tourist traps! grin).
While it is possible to walk around the streets, most travelling should be done in a cab, which is generally faster. Read the sample transcript in the manual so you know how to call a cab, and which one to call (Watson, by the way, is never asked for payment by the cabbie; perhaps Holmes forks over the charge).
The first stop on the London tour is indicated by the first verse on the paper. This is Westminster Abbey, the burial site of British royalty for many centuries (I didn't like to say that right out, but there was really no way around this one, and like most of the verses, it's rather blatantly obvious).
You may want to make a map as you walk through the Abbey, as, rather surprisingly, many of the room descriptions do not give the exits. You will have to try going in different directions from the rooms to see if there are any other ways out. Fortunately, it isn't too large a place.
Since tombs are the main feature here, it's a logical assumption that the next three verses have something to do with them, although finding out what may be a puzzle. A careful survey of all the rooms will definitely help, at least to some extent. Still, Watson will be needing some outside assistance (not from Holmes, however), and a little research is in order here.
When this part has been properly unraveled, several more verses will come to light, and these are the heart of the game. All of them refer to various places around London where Watson will find something. Obtaining these somethings and figuring out their purpose is the major activity. Fortunately, there is no specific sequence required. Watson can go after the objects in any order, although the one in the Tower of London will have to come last.
Most of the verses in this second set are so obvious (and in the case of London Bridge and the Tower, explicit), that determining the locations to visit will take hardly any effort at all; the only one that may give people some pause for thought is the "candle/chopper" verse, but that one can be figured out simply by looking in on places not previously visited.
While Watson will be doing a lot of cabbing around, it's a good idea if he also takes a stroll down the streets and byways of London. There are some interesting people to meet, and items to be obtained, which he'll never see unless he does some moving around on his own two feet.
There is plenty of time for this, however. Watson has forty-eight hours to recover the jewels, which is more than enough (especially since he won't have the chance to sleep). The only thing to be careful about is that many of the buildings have definite hours when they are open; so don't expect to be able to get into them in the middle of the night.
It's rather difficult to give clues to the game here, since (a) the game comes with clues and answers in it, and (b) almost any clue would give away the locations to search in (although as I said before, the verses are simple to solve).
The puzzles themselves are also fairly simple, provided that (in most cases) you have the proper item or items with you. Even if you do get stuck, it's likely that the first online hint will set you on the road to the solution (try to avoid the temptation to keep hitting N for the next one). Sometimes just looking at the list of hint categories may be enough to get you moving again.
Somewhere along the line, Holmes will be kidnapped. This is built-in and cannot be avoided, so don't let it bother you (besides, he hasn't been much help in the game, anyway). This doesn't mean Watson will be alone, however, since he'll acquire a new companion in the person of Wiggins, head of the Baker Street Irregulars (and there's even a cameo appearance later by Mycroft, Sherlock's brother).
Wiggins will trail along much as Holmes did, but there are a couple of places where he will provide invaluable assistance (both before and after he becomes Watson's shadow), actually doing something for you. However, at the end game portion, Wiggins will slay behind, and Watson must go it alone into Moriarty's Lair.
So, at last, Watson comes face to face with the nefarious Napoleon of Crime. The Crown Jewels are spread out on a table in front of him, glittering in the gaslight. Holmes is nearby, securely tied to a chair, and Moriarty's accomplice is at hand, to make sure that Watson doesn't try anything.
Time is very short here. Watson has no more than a few moves to subdue the criminals and save the day for the British Empire. He will really need his thinking cap for this one, and timing is critical (it's a good idea to save the game soon after entering the Lair, just in case).
Unfortunately, there is no way to bring Moriarty & Co. to justice. They will escape to plot further underhanded doings. The main thing is to get the jewels to the palace on time, of which by now there is very little. A quick cab ride should just make it with scant minutes to spare and a very nasty situation will have been averted. The Queen, of course, will be properly thankful.
The major problem with this adventure is the loose plotting. If the purpose of the verses is to lead Holmes into a trap (as Holmes surmises very early on), there is no real point to his kidnapping later in the game, since Watson is following up on the clues very nicely.
On the other hand, if Moriarty fears that Holmes won't fall for it, the kidnapping makes sense, but in that case, why is Watson (who is on the scene) not taken as well? The kidnappers actually have him and then let him go. Of course, it is necessary (in game terms) for Watson to remain at liberty, but this part really ought to have been better handled. It is best to play this game for the puzzles, and not think too much about the story line.
Well, it's about that time again, as I see by the invisible clock on the wall. Remember if you need help with an adventure game, you can reach me in the following ways: On Delphi, stop in at the GameSIG (under the Groups and Clubs menu). On GEnie, visit the Games RoundTable (type Scorpia to reach the Games RT). On The Source, send SMail to ST1030. By US Mail (enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you live in the US): Scorpia, PO Box 338, Gracie Station, NY NY 10028.
Until next time, happy adventuring!
This article appeared in
Computer Gaming World
Apr 1988
These historical, out-of-print articles and literary works have been GNUSTOed onto InvisiClues.org for academic and research purposes.
