Developer Frogwares (Adventure of Sherlock Holmes series, The Sinking CIty) has just announced Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, an upcoming open-world detective adventure title that is set to release for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via multiple storefronts.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One already seems to be aiming well above its predecessors from the Adventure of Sherlock Holmes series. Set in the Mediterranean, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One follows the story of the young detective, like an origin story of sorts. It’s also notable to mention that a two-minute cinematic trailer that sort of lays down the foundation of what players should be expecting story-wise has also been released. It opens with a visibly baby-faced Sherlock staring at the tombstone of Violet Holmes. There are no written Violet Holmes characters in Sherlock’s lore, so if we’re to be guessing that this is sort of an origin story as to why he began using his intelligence to fight crime, I’m assuming that Violet may be a sister/mother that ultimately ignites Sherlock’s sense of justice.
In the trailer and the description, Sherlock’s sidekick is also mentioned. No longer is the sharply dressed Dr. John Watson joining in the hunt, but the rugged looking “Jon”. Other features include a planned open world that will contain multitudes of clues, rumors, disguises, evidence, and more that will lead players closer to the truth. This may mean that the Adventure of Sherlock Holmes series will be deviating from the usual formula of cutscenes, dialogues, and crime scene investigations to a much more vast world with more room to explore. Combat has also been given importance as environment advantages, approaching enemies through brute force, or stealth have been mentioned. Whether these will still be quick-time events or not is still in question.
Recreating the world of Sherlock Holmes in a video game is no easy feat as you have to focus not on puzzle-solving, which is the essence of the character, but also on how to build fun gameplay mechanics around it. We’ll soon find out if Frogwares can tackle the challenge once Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One releases on current and next-gen consoles in 2021.
