An ambitious next step for Frogwares who have made clear by now that they’re not content with simply putting out the same game with new cases, in favour of releasing Sherlock games so vastly different they’re barely connected, if at all.

In the latest entry to date, they push the boat even further by taking us back to a younger Sherlock, revisiting his childhood home on the islands. No London, no 221B, almost none of the iconic characters we know and love, and he’s even sporting a new “hot” almost gothic look. Admittedly, I was initially worried that this might fall into a similar trap as DmC did, what with the whole “reimagining” of the protagonist resulting in such a heavy attempt to make them cool and likable that they became anything but, so I’m really glad to say that this isn’t the case!
Sherlock Chapter One takes some chances for sure, implementing an open world of sorts, with cases that can be tackled whenever you so choose. The map isn’t littered with collectables or an abundance of menial cases, so while it may seem unnecessary or even overwhelming at first, it very quickly just, works. This game feels much more like I am going around investigating rather than simply fast traveling between key locations (although you can do that ofc) and the fact there are NPCs outside of the cases just makes the city feel more alive I suppose.

There are a few other things that you mightn’t expect from a Sherlock game: Bandit Lairs which can be completed, consisting of a combat minigame in which you can arrest (or kill) enemies – these reward money used for the next thing I’ll mention, but are completely optional and better still - Limited to only 5 across the whole map 😌

There’s also some customisation which is always fun, and the money you earn can be used to buy a pretty decent selection of clothes and accessories, the citizens around you will even treat you differently based on what you’re wearing, being more or less cooperative depending on how they feel about your drip. Due to this, dressing the part before asking around is something you’ll have to think about, and I just think that’s neat. (Also you can wear women's clothing so brownie points for that)

As for the real meat of the game, the investigations are as fun as ever, and the interrogations/dialogue in general remain my favourite part. There’s just something about picking holes in someone’s story or sassing them to their face that they’ve been ‘ad that this game really hits on the head. The overarching story has been an interesting one as well, not sure I’m completely in love with everything they did but it provided a throughline that didn’t feel unnatural and allowed for a dynamic that would’ve otherwise felt lacking.

Overall, if you’re into investigation games or you’ve played the earlier entries, this one is definitely worth a look. I can assure you right now that it’s not just “hot gothic Sherlock thinks he’s so cool” lol

Looking forward to the new one set to release this year! :)