Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One Review

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is the first game to be self-published by Frogwares. Described as an “origin story”, the game follows a young Sherlock Holmes.

Release date: November 15, 2021

Developer: Frogwares

Series: Sherlock Holmes

Publisher: Frogwares

Mode: Single-player video game

Genre: Action-adventure game

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows

Some reviewer says it offers nearly everything you could want from a game about the detective. It veers between greatness and absurdity, but if you’ve got an itch to solve Victorian mysteries, there isn’t a better salve.

In The Devil’s Daughter, Frogwares transformed Sherlock Holmes into a brooding Jon Hamm look-alike.

Chapter One takes bold, surprising, and, yes, silly turns. There’s no fog, no army of urchins, and no Watson; all of which is actually a good thing. The adventure still feels true to the game series and the broader fiction.

Sherlock’s companion, Jon, is a sort of proto-Watson and exemplifies how Chapter One adapts Arthur Conan Doyle’s ancient character. Jon is a bit of a rogue, with a playful, cheeky streak and a fraternal relationship with Sherlock.

Jon’s been with Sherlock since childhood, filling gaps in his past with sketches superimposed onto the present. The tools you use to solve crimes are the same ones you used to illuminate the past.

Now that Sherlock has joined the ranks of open-world protagonists, the Dark Knight and Sherlock have even more in common. Cordona is far away from Arkham’s Gotham or Assassin’s Creed’s colossal environments. Instead, it’s reminiscent of films like LA Noire and Mafia, in which the cities are merely elaborate sets. The lively island simply allows you to get on with the important business of solving cases.

Even chapter one is set in a picturesque Mediterranean city that’s filled to the brim with thefts, murders and conspiracies. Case after case, cold for years or so hot the blood is still warm, it’s a detective’s paradise. As a treat, there are shops full of disguises for you to try on.

Despite the fact that Chapter One is imperfect and occasionally clunky, gamers found themself dangling on its hook, hungry for more atrocities. It’s impressive that, as dense as it is, it still manages to stay focused on the important stuff. You’re here to sleuth, and that’s exactly what you’ll get to do, nearly uninterrupted, for 40 hours.

Below is the official game play trailer so, have a look: