The Devil's Daughter Review: The Devil is in the Details

The eleventh installment in Frogwares long running Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series of detective games. The Devil's Daughter features five independent cases of murders, disappearances and thefts. Each case features an over-arching story-line involving Sherlock, his adopted daughter, and a nosy woman who insists on meddling in his personal life. A very different version of Sherlock Holmes is present in this game compared to Frogwares previous titles. So much so, that during one case Holmes can conclude that a Mayan curse is real and nothing can be done about it (technically a joke ending... I think).

 

The core gameplay involves exploring crime scenes and examining clues. Your progress may be hindered if you do not inspect every footprint, picture frame or broken statue at the crime scene. Unlike it's predecessor, most clues are gathered without the need for chemical testing or further investigation, although the archives are still utilized a fair bit. Toby is back but utilized only once. Watson's role in this installment of the series was so trivial that I started to miss his presence - Holmes needs his wingman.

Each clue will lead to one of several possible deductions which are recorded in a tree chart. Depending on how the clues are interpreted, they will lead to different conclusions. Cases will be solved or failed based on whether or not the player can identify the correct culprit. Each case has 3-4 possible solutions and 6-8 different endings, depending on the player's moral choice.

Once a culprit is chosen, the player must make the moral decision to either absolve or condemn the guilty party. Absolving is the "emotional" option that will shorten their sentence or offer them an escape route. Condemning is the "lawful" option that will hand them off to Scotland Yard, resulting in the harshest of sentences. The moral choice does not impact the other cases, but it does offer a nice dilemma for the player.

The plethora of one-off mini games from the previous installment is back with few to no improvements. In fact they have gotten worse. Most of them are never properly explained, leaving you guessing at how to go about solving them. Most of the mini-games are throw-away events that, fortunately, can be skipped; something I did often.

 

My biggest issue is with the new reflex based mechanics and action scenes. They always felt forced and out of place in a Sherlock Holmes game. At one point I was even fleeing from a giant rolling boulder Indiana Jones style. These unnecessary action segments were hindered a great deal by the clunky movement, which led to me getting stuck on branches and rubble far too often. Other times I failed a scene because I either didn't react fast enough, or didn't react in the way the game wanted. For example, there was a bar fight that I had to repeat over 20 times because despite grabbing the right items, I failed to see white text on a yellow highlighted object that required me to choose one of two actions to perform with that item. The lack of feedback and some questionable design decisions were a huge drawback.

New action and stealth segments.

 

When I got to do detective work I had a blast. Investigating crime scenes, donning disguises, scrutinizing evidence and drawing conclusions were the most fun and solid elements of the Devil's Daughter. The set dressing was also spectacular this time around. Rooms were densely packed with interesting items unrelated to your case, the various mementos, books, and clutter helping to indirectly inform the player of an inhabitants personality. The cases themselves were engaging, but as soon as the new action sequences started, or Holmes had to have an awkward talk with his daughter, the experience soured.

 

First posted to videogamegeek.com on March 10, 2020.

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