The fruit of a collaboration between movie studio Warner Brothers and developer IGT, Sherlock Holmes: The Search for Blackwood is a glossy looking treat - the visuals include the central characters from the hit 2009 movie including Jude Law as Dr Watson and Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock as well as assorted magnifying glasses, dogs, violins and pipes. It all looks great set against a stained glass background.
If you're looking for a multitude of features, then Sherlock Holmes certainly doesn't disappoint. First up is the Mystery Multiplier which is triggered at random following any spin that doesn't trigger a bonus round and can boost your win by a multiplier which can top 10x.
The great detective sometimes needs some help from sidekick Dr Watson and when this happens in the slot you'll get the Teamwork feature. Once again triggered at random, this one turns all the individual Holmes and Watson symbols into combined symbols which can offer payouts of up to 300 times your line bet. It's possible to hit the Mystery Multiplier and Teamwork features on the same spin which can send the cashier spinning.
Find 3 bonus symbols on reels 1, 3 and 5 and you'll activate the Picker Puzzle - you'll be transported to Sherlock's quarters where you'll have to pick a selection of the sleuth's objects. You'll start with 5 picks which will reveal cash prizes (which can top 10x) or trigger the 2 remaining bonus features.
Pick 3 wheels and you'll trigger the Blackwood Wheel Bonus feature (four wheels and you'll spin a richer wheel, complete with Sherlock himself). Spin the wheel, try and avoid Blackwood and win some chunky cash prizes in the process. The wheel changes after the 4th and 8th spins, adding more Blackwood symbols but also bigger prizes. One of your 3 spinners is de-activated whenever it lands on a Blackwood.
If you're lucky enough to land on a Sherlock, you'll win a prize as well as re-activating all of your pointers. You'll have 10 spins of the wheel. If one of your pointers is still active at this stage, you'll be rewarded with a 2x multiplier with all prizes doubled.
Finally, there's the Hunt Bonus feature which awards 10 or 15 free spins depending on how many maps you collected in the Picker Puzzle. The free spins play out on a new set of reels which is based on a map and includes 5 special locations marking the scenes of Blackwood's crimes. If Holmes or Watson land on that location, they'll become wild and remain locked in that position for the remainder of the feature.
If you manage to lock Holmes and Watson in all 5 positions by the time the free spins have played out, you'll receive the Bonus Doubler which doubles all your wins from the feature and the triggering Picker Puzzle round.
There's plenty to keep you occupied in Sherlock Holmes: The Search for Blackwood thanks to the impressive raft of feature rounds. That, combined with the top notch visuals, makes it a very playable and entertaining slot. The variance is in the medium range offering a balance range of payouts. If you're a Sherlock fan (even Cumberbatch over Downey Jr) or just loves slots with plenty of action, you'll find plenty to enjoy in this crime-solving caper. There are plenty of movie-themed slots available by the way with recommended ones being Terminator 2 (by Microgaming) and The Incredible Hulk (by Playtech).