Good day everyone,

I hope you are all well and having an excellent day, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things gaming and literature. Following on from a post I did titled "Elementary my dear Watson" where I brought up the topic of the latest game which will be released in the Sherlock Holmes series by Frogwares, I have since decided to do a post on each of the individual games to give readers a better idea of one of my favourite gaming series ever created. Today I will be looking at the eight game in the series, called Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter.

The first post in the game series was Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Mummy

The second post in the game series was Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Silver Earring

The third post in the game series was Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened

The fourth post in the game series was Sherlock Holmes Versus Arsène Lupin (aka Nemesis)

The fifth post in the game series was Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack the Ripper

The sixth post in the game series was The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

The seventh post in the game series was Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishment

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter

The eight game in the series,  Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter, is set in 1896 and follows the events of The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is now taking care of Moriarty's daughter, Katelyn, while keeping her true origin as a secret. The game was released in 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

The game begins in 1896, and follows on from the events of The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. Professor James Moriarty is dead and Sherlock Holmes is now taking care of Moriarty's daughter, Katelyn, and in doing so is keeping her true origin as a secret. A new neighbour moves in next door to Holmes, a woman by the name of Alice De'Bouvier. She befriends Katelyn, and in doing so beings causing emotional issues between Holmes and Katelyn. As the game develops and Holmes solves different cases, he ensures to discover the true identify of Alice's origin along with her true intention, and in doing so he must fight not to reveal a secret, but to keep one.

The game features five individual cases which are all separate from each other. Each case is self-contained and any moral choices made in one case does not relate to another. 

Case 1: Prey Tell

The first case, Prey Tell, begins with Holmes in a frantic state running through a forest, clearly searching for something. The cutscene ends with a bullet being shot towards Sherlock from a distance. 

We go back 48 hours to Holmes and Watson at 221B Baker Street when Alice De'Bouvier, Holmes new neighbour, brings a young boy over who knocked on her door. His name was Tom Hurst and he is distraught because his father, George Hurst, disappeared after he left Tom to go and do a job. Holmes questions the boy and takes note that the boy is only eight years old and his well cared for clothes and his malnutrition. This indicates the boy is poor but his parents care for him and his father would not have abandoned him, while Holmes also learns the boys mother is deceased. 

Holmes goes to Tom Hursts home to search for clue regarding his missing father, at 12 Dorset Street, Room E. While the place is far from luxurious, Holmes does note how there are plenty of books for Tom to practice his reading by candlelight, while also noting that the ceiling is leaking. After searching the attic space, Holmes discovers a letter which informed George Hurst of a man with a 'special job' at the Old Tabard Pub. Off Holmes goes, and on the way he bumps into Wiggins. The lad is working selling newspapers but is always happy to help Sherlock if needed.

At the put on North Street, Holmes eavesdrops to discover information regarding the man with the special job, mainly that this man does not drink alcohol and has 'whiskers'. After scanning a couple of patrons, Holmes keeps his eye on a man who meets the profile. Eventually the man leaves and crumples up some paper on his way, which Holmes picks up to read about a missing Mr. Strowbridge. From here Holmes informs Wiggins to tail the man.

Wiggins ducks and sneaks through the winding alleyways to follow this man, until his route is blocked and he is left with no choice by to find an alternative way. Not deterred, Wiggins hastily takes a chimney sweep job and climb and chimney to the roof, giving him a vantage point onto the man walking below. After balancing his way across beams and planks, eventually using a crane to get back to street level and after following the man through some tunnels and yards, Wiggins takes the place of a shoe shine. After giving his shoes an unsuspicious clean, Wiggins tails him once more all the way to a carriage, which Wiggins leaps onto the back of to continue following the man. Once the carriage arrives at a house which the man goes into, Wiggins climbs the wall to discover what is going on. Peeking in the windows of the house, Wiggins sees a Coat of Arms, and two people in a discussion around bags of food.

Back at 221B Baker Street, Holmes and Watson discuss the information Wiggins acquired. After searching through his archives, Holmes discovers the Coat of Arms belongs to Lord Marsh. As the pair plan to visit the Lord, Mrs. Hudson knocks and exclaims that Holmes adopted daughter, Katelyn, is back as her boarding school has been flooded. She is going to unpack her things and take Watson's room while we pay a visit to the Lord. Outside the Lord's house Watson hints that Holmes should tell Katelyn the truth about her father, Moriarty, but Holmes refuses as he is afraid of loosing her.

The pair enter the house and meet Lord Marsh and his physician, Dr. Ruben Fisher. The doctor is the 'strange man' from the pub, and he explains how he disguises himself to offer 'special jobs' which involves their special education programme for the disadvantaged. Lord Marsh is clearly ill, as indicated by his strong painkillers, but the pair will not disclose what is wrong with the Lord to Holmes or Watson. Holmes looks around and spots a number of packages labelled for the local hospitals and poor districts, along with a photo of the Lord in his youth hunting. Holmes also spots a letter with a list of names, include that of the missing Mr. Strowbridge. After thanking the Lord and promising a donation, Holmes and Watson go to Hursts home once again.

From talking to Tom the pair learn that his father never mentioned the special education programme, just a job. Tom also found a wooden box, within which Holmes finds a military badge and key. The badge states 'Wolfjack, Je suis prest.' After looking around a bit more Holmes notices a piece of cloth with oil, indicating a rifle, however young Tom knows nothing about any gun his father might own. Holmes heads back to 221B Baker Street briefly to get Toby, and also discovers in his archives that the military badge stands for the British Army marksmen. Watson informs Holmes he will go back to Lord Marsh as he is worried by the mans illness.

In control of Toby, we follow the scent of the oil to find the rifle and it leads outside, down the street, and into a mysterious garden. Within the garden is a staircase leading into a basement, where Holmes enters and discovers it to be a storage space. After snooping around, Holmes notices a picture of Tom through the keyhole of a locked door. After gaining entry, Holmes searches through the secret lair of Tom's father, and discovers newspaper clippings regarding Lord Marsh and the special education programme. Holmes also discovers a list of names, the same from the list he got from Lord Marsh's home for the special education programme. All those from the list with marks beside their name are missing. There are also letters regarding George Hurst being discharged from the army due to injuries, and a letter from George to Tom stating if Tom is reading this then George is dead. Finally, there is an empty rifle holder on the wall, and a map of Epping Forest. After piecing together some of his clues, Holmes decides he needs to sneak into Lord Marsh's home and look around. Something about the special education programme and Lord Marsh's special jobs do not add up, and Holmes needs to find out before its too late.

At Lord Marsh's home, Holmes instructs Watson to create a distraction while the detective sneaks to the back of the home to gain entry. Once past the door Holmes is nearly caught by Dr. Fisher, although some quick thinking by Watson to knock over a vase keeps the detective safe. at the Lord's office, Holmes searches though his items including photographs of the Lord and his hunting friends, and some letters outlining the good the special education programme has done. After noticing a crooked photo, Holmes uncovers a safe, but before he can interact with it he must hide from Dr. Fisher who has just entered the office. Once the doctor is gone, Holmes cracks the safe and discovers a part of a map of Ebbing Forest, along with some more letters which point to a secret meeting in the forest. Meanwhile Watson, seeing his opportunity while Lord Marsh is distracted by a noise outside, manages to pocket a handkerchief with some blood on it, knowing it could be useful later.

Back at 221B baker Street Holmes uses his analysis table to study the blood from Lord Marsh, and Watson exclaims the Lord has Tuberculosis, but for some reason is keeping it hidden. Katelyn arrives to show Holmes the book about Dracula she got from Alice De'Bouvier, while Watson decides to head off for awhile. Holmes investigates Ebbing Forest and between his encyclopaedia's and map he deduces that Grunston's Oak lines up with his map fragment. After a brief chat with Katelyn, Holmes makes his way to the forest.

We are taken back to the opening scene, of Sherlock running through the forest. He is bring hunted. Holmes has to duck and dive, hide for cover, and avoid gunfire as he races through the forest and swamps. Along his horrific route to escape Holmes discovers bodies of poor men and even that of Lord Harrington, a fired of Lord Marsh. Having sustained a bullet would in his abdomen, Holmes manages to put some distance between himself and his hunter before finding an abandoned cabin where he can dress the wound. Within the cabin Holmes sees a picture of Lord Marsh, concluding the cabin belongs to him. Grabbing a bandage, Holmes hears a noise outside and quickly hides in a cabinet. Looking through a peep hole, Holmes sees George Hurst with a nasty facial would attacking Lord Marsh. The Lord exclaims he hunted plenty in the forest, but never expected to become the prey as Hurst admits he was not accepted for the special education programme but was going to stop the killings. George Hurst is either a vigilante and determined to stop the Lords killing the paupers, or a madman set on revenge for being rejected.

Holmes has a decision to make here, either that the Lord or George are in the wrong.

If Holmes chooses that Lord Marsh is in the wrong Holmes can either condemn the Lord to prison for his crimes of hunting poor people in Ebbing Forest, or absolve the Lord as he will die soon from his tuberculosis.

If Holmes chooses that George is killing the Lords out of revenge and being a psychopath, George can be sent to the asylum for his crimes, or the sanitorium in the hopes he can be healed.

Holmes emerges from his hiding place to plead with George not to shoot Lord Marsh, either using the prison or painful death at home from tuberculosis as his reasoning, or accusing Hurst of the crimes. George shows Holmes crates in the cabin filled with body parts, and Holmes realises the Lord not only cut apart his victims bodies, but that was also how he fell ill. George pulls out a knife and claims he will kill the Lord in a manner befitting of his crimes, and Holmes can either shoot Lord Marsh to put him out of his misery, shoot George Hurst to stop him, or walk away and do nothing.

System Requirements

To run this game on your PC it will require a minimum of the following as per Steam:

As a little piece of trivia, the original name for Watson was meant to be Ormond Sacker. It was shown as such in early drafts for plot outlines by Doyle, who referred to Holmes’s friend and sidekick named as ‘Ormond Sacker’ rather than John Watson.

Have a great day.

Peace. CryptoGod-1.

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