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Sherlock Holmes is a detection game. Visit people listed in the directory and hear their evidence. Form a case and take it to the courts.

Evening descends upon Victorian London, as the sky lies flat, like a patient etherised upon a table. Above the cobbled thoroughfare of Baker Street a man sits in the restrained luxury of his drawing room, smoking his pipe and watching intently as carriages pass by and the lamp-lighter carefully kindles the gas of each iron standard. It is Sherlock Holmes, meditating in the half-light, waiting.

A flurry comes from the landing and presently his dear friend Dr Watson bursts in clutching the late edition of The Times, concern and excitement etched on his podgy face. Like an eager child he approaches the reclined figure of the World's greatest living detective. "There's something in The Times I think you should read, Holmes."

"Murder, Watson?" inquires Holmes.

Once again, he is delving into London's murky underworld, his genius alone capable of solving three macabre crimes.

Each of the three cases starts with a brief video introduction that gives you some starting clue to the case. Use this section to pick up vital names and locations that may be listed elsewhere.

London's most respected journal, The Times is a vital source of clues. A selection of dates are available, holding stacks of data. Only a fraction of this is any use, so you'll need to scan through the editions with a sharp eye.

Anyone with vital information offers it in a dramatised reconstruction, using real actors shown in Full Motion Video. Diagrams and illustrations also appear.

Beneath the window is a range of controls, allowing you to repeat the sequences, end it, rewind and forward it.

You assemble a case by visiting locations in London. These are listed in two different tomes:

1. Notebook
   The Notebook is a list of friends and professionals who provide information for each case. Most specialise in an area. For example, Henry Ellis is a foreign journalist, H. R. Murray is a Chemist. Known as the Baker St. regulars, their expertise has an important bearing on your investigations.
2. London Directory
   All of the important people and places of the capital are listed alphabetically. Only a fraction are relevant to the case. Check out names you hear mentioned in here. You may move prominent contacts from the Directory to your Notebook.

After picking the location from either book, click on the carriage icon to go there.

Alternatively, send the 'Baker St. Irregulars' (friendly urchins) to case the joint, or check your files for additional information.

Playing Sherlock Holmes means watching a cavalcade of actors getting into their parts (and listening to their appalling cockney accents). From the case of the two Lions, here's a selection of eccentrics:

1. Drake
   "They sure was mightly fine lions, them there," drawls the circus owner.
2. Mrs. O'Neill
   "Begorrah, I wish me boy would just settle down," cackles the old Irish fishwife.
3. Strumpet
   "I never did him in nor nuffick, wotcha cock," intones the lady of ill fame.

When you have unravelled the case, click on the hammer icon to reveal the Judge. He tests your knowledge with a series of questions that convince him you've solved the mystery. You are then awarded a score depending on how many sources you consulted.

The lower your score, the sharper your intuitive powers.

Sherlock Holmes Volume II is very similar to the first - an original and absorbing detection game featuring brilliant presentation. If you bought the first one and liked it, you're sure to enjoy this.

There are some extra functions on the Full Motion Video and the filing cabinet. The game also spreads onto a second disc, which is extra value.

There's no action as such, so this is for firm strategy fans, but there's nothing funnier than watching the camp performances of the hopeless American actors. Dead good.

The presentation is excellent and creates an authentic atmosphere and there's always a bit of a laugh on offer by watching the utterly sad performances of the actors! As Gus has said, there's loads to see here with longer cases than the original Holmes game. Like Night Trap, this is a two CD game, bumpinmg up the value considerably.

If you're into some cerebral action with your Mega-CD, I highly recommend this game.

Presentation 92%
P. Save Game option, an extended tutorial, and fast disc access. The options screens are sensibly laid out.

Graphics 88%
P. The FMV is excellent and the icons and backgrounds are sharp and well designed.
N. The FMV occupies a very small area of the screen, and the other screens rarely vary.

Sound 94%
P. The speech is CD-quality clear and now incidental music has been added.
N. However, there's not much of it and the accents are atrocious!

Playability 86%
P. Listening for clues and raking through The Times is absorbing.
N. As in real life, detective work is routine.

Lastability 85%
P. Two discs and three cases, and you're bound to get stuck on the more complex cases.
N. There's absolutely no point in playing a case again after it's solved.

Overall 87%
More of the same, but building slightly on Sherlock Holmes I, this is a hugely enjoyable, highly polished thinking game for the Mega-CD.