Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Silver Earring US demo for Windows

Unlike some detective games, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Silver Earring really rewards attention to detail. Is that a smudge on the door frame? You'd better examine it. Because the demo limits only the locations you visit, not total playing time, you can explore thoroughly. You can even save and load games. We appreciated the excellent notebook, which recorded all dialogue with the houseguests as you investigate the shooting death of a wealthy industrialist. Characters who are in the room, but out of sight, generally alert you to their presence by coughing or sobbing or sweeping.

The long installation pays off with detailed graphics and excellent voice work. In fact, the only graphical weak spot is poor lip-syncing. You can access (or hide) your collection of clues and tools through a right click. Navigating becomes tricky at points, notably in the bathroom of the manor house. The demo of Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Silver Earring provides hours of detection for mystery and adventure fans.