Although there’s a long lineage of Sherlock Holmes games under developer Frogwares belt, I’ve only dabbled in the past. The developer recently took some time away from the character for a different detective game with The Sinking City in 2019. They’re now returning to their bread-and-butter to combine what they learnt, making their biggest Sherlock game to date with Sherlock Holmes Chapter One.

I recently went hands-on with a preview build and came away very excited to play more. I was impressed with what I played and came away wishing nothing more than to continue to unravel the secrets and mysteries presented to me within the ninety minutes I spent with the game.

Looking for trouble at the bar – image supplied by the publisher.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is, as you’d have guessed, the origin story — well, at least Frogwares version — of Sherlock Holmes. That’s not to say he isn’t as intelligent and witty as he is in any other adaptations; he certainly can still solve a murder mystery in an afternoon, which is very impressive as Sherlock is only 21 in Chapter One.

The game begins with Sherlock and his friend Jon (not Watson) arriving at a lavish hotel on the Mediterranean island Cordona. However, this isn’t some holiday getaway as this is where Sherlock grew up, and he’s returned to the island to bury his mother. Before he can check into the hotel, things get a little weird, but they always do around Sherlock. Quickly he’s sniffed out an intriguing case and discovers the scene of a séance that has gone horribly wrong. There’s missing jewels, a dead body, distraught maids, and it all connects somehow, which is, of course, where Sherlock comes in.

Exploring the hotel, you can gather clues and help Sherlock build a case by exploring the crime scene and talking to the witnesses and potential culprits. Building a case is both literally and figuratively as Sherlock can connect the dots between clues to discover new pieces of information in his ‘Mind Palace.’ Gathering clues isn’t a tedious process either, as you can press a button to highlight objects of interest in a room, and you’re often led toward critical pieces of evidence. You can also scan people to gather details from three keywords: their job, personality type, and any discerning visual aspects.

After gathering all the clues, I had concluded who I thought was the murderer in the hotel case and took my findings directly to them. But Sherlock Chapter One doesn’t give you a blunt black-and-white decision regarding who to accuse. Even after accusing the correct person of the crime, the game laid out two very different options for dealing with the murderer. Send for the police, or let them go. And there were legit reasons to do either given the circumstances of the case. I sent this person off with the police, and the person swore sweet revenge on me. Will that come back to bite poor young Sherlock and me in the future? Let’s hope not.

Detective vision in the 1800s looks better than what Batman had in Arkham City – image supplied by the publisher.

As the first case wraps up, the bigger mystery is laid out as a tantalizing tease for the full game. Sherlock wanders through the beautiful Cordona city with its wildly varied people and makes his way to the cemetery. It’s here where he discovers a clue that leads him to believe that his mother’s death isn’t as cut-and-dry as he may have thought initially — making Chapter One one of Sherlock’s most personal cases.

A key focal point of Sherlock Chapter One is the character of Jon. This character isn’t the John Watson that we all know and love who is beside Sherlock in all manner of cases in the future; this is a brand new character created by Frogwares. He’s always around to give you some tips or mostly drop quips to annoy you. There’s certainly more to him than meets the eye, and Frogwares is building an exciting, different kind of relationship between Sherlock and Jon that I look forward to discussing in more detail in the future.

Looking forward to exploring this beautiful island – image supplied by the publisher.

Sherlock Chapter One is shaping up to be an exciting new foray for Frogwares and indeed their most ambitious Sherlock game to date. Cordona is a stunning island; it feels alive and brimming with secrets and people to meet, each hiding something, I’m sure. If all the elements come together, this could easily be Frogwares best game and a refresh for the Sherlock franchise to birth several more sequels.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is releasing on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC later in 2021.

A PC code was provided to us for preview coverage by the publisher.