Sherlock Holmes Chapter One

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is gorgeous in graphics, with in-depth gameplay mechanics, and a deep, emotional story about mental health and trauma compile it into the masterpiece that it is.

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"Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One" is an open-world detective adventure where players step into the shoes of a young Sherlock, solving mysteries and building reputation. Utilize deception, violence, or deduction to tackle problems, and explore diverse locations for clues. The game offers a unique look at Sherlock's early years, showcasing his arrogance and naivety before he becomes the legendary detective.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,233 reviews

story269 positive mentions

optimization18 negative mentions

Engaging story with emotional depth, particularly regarding Sherlock's past and his relationship with Jon.
Beautifully crafted open world of Cordona, filled with unique districts and a vibrant atmosphere.
Interesting mechanics for investigation, allowing players to piece together clues and make moral choices.

Combat mechanics are clunky and feel unnecessary, detracting from the overall detective experience.
Many cases lack a definitive conclusion, leaving players unsure if their deductions were correct.
Some gameplay mechanics, like pinning evidence, can be tedious and lead to frustration.

story
845 mentions
32 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story in "Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One" is a blend of emotional depth and intriguing character development, focusing on a young Sherlock's return to his childhood home to uncover the mystery surrounding his mother's death. While the main storyline is relatively short and some players found it lacking in excitement, many appreciated the engaging side quests that add richness to the narrative. The game offers a unique take on Sherlock's character, incorporating imaginative elements and moral dilemmas, though some critiques highlight a lack of impactful choices and a somewhat scattered plot.
- “The open world is gorgeous, I enjoyed the vast number of cases, and Frogwares' take on Sherlock's backstory was super interesting (not to mention very emotional).”
- “The main story is beautifully executed, and I loved the idea of Jon.”
- “The story is gripping and it made me go through all kinds of emotions.”
- “The main storyline, [spoiler] with the fantasy of Jon being Sherlock's imaginary friend, [/spoiler] was completely unappealing to me.”
- “The countless side missions scattered across the city feel completely unnecessary, and there’s no compelling reason to engage with them.”
- “The story is not captivating, the designs are not good, the mysteries are boring and the combat system is really bad.”
gameplay
378 mentions
23 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the open-world exploration and detective mechanics, while others criticize the clunky controls and convoluted systems. The introduction of new mechanics, such as evidence pinning and the mind palace, adds depth but can also lead to confusion and frustration. Overall, while the game offers engaging storytelling and a rich atmosphere, its gameplay struggles with repetitiveness and poorly executed combat mechanics, leaving some fans of the series disappointed.
- “The gameplay is intuitive and the story is nice.”
- “Great story in an open-world gameplay mechanics that fit incredibly well with the Sherlock Holmes universe!”
- “I’m having a great time playing this one - once you get the hang of all the detective mechanics (especially when to 'pin'/focus on specific evidence pieces), it really makes you feel like you are solving cases in a fluent and natural way.”
- “As the graphical quality goes up, the gameplay goes down, and every logical step that made the original games great seems to be phased out.”
- “The puzzles and investigative mechanics failed to provide the challenge and satisfaction that one would expect from a detective game.”
- “The gameplay is tiresome and repetitive.”
graphics
195 mentions
46 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful environments and character designs, while others criticize optimization issues and occasional glitches. Some players find the visuals stunning and immersive, contributing positively to the overall experience, while others feel the graphics fall short of modern standards, describing them as average or outdated. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is noted, but technical performance and consistency remain points of contention.
- “The graphics are stunning when they work and the world is very nice.”
- “The graphics are fantastic, good attention to detail in architecture.”
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning and I love how NPCs have different personalities and quirks, making them respond differently if Sherlock would ask them regarding his investigation.”
- “The graphics are on this weird balance-beam between potato and requiring a 3080.”
- “The story is fine but the graphics are truly a nightmare.”
- “This game was somehow released in 2021, but you would never know that because it lags like a game from 1980 and graphic-wise looks like it's from the 1990s.”
emotional
66 mentions
98 % positive mentions
-3 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players noting its ability to evoke deep feelings through a compelling narrative that explores Sherlock's backstory and personal struggles. The story is described as heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, often leading to emotional investment in the characters and their journeys, particularly during the impactful ending. While some critiques mention rushed pacing and uneven emotional build-up, the overall sentiment highlights the game's success in delivering a touching and memorable experience.
- “This game's story emotionally wrecked me, so I will never play it properly again, but other people definitely should play it.”
- “The most heartfelt story by far – it’s genuinely touching, the puzzles are great, and the characters are treated like real people.”
- “Shaking and crying while writing this review, this game was absolutely phenomenal and my head started hurting because I cried so much at the ending; it's superb and played with every one of my feelings.”
- “The story is boring, and Jon in this game is so unlikable that nothing stands out.”
- “The emotional depth is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I felt no attachment to the storyline; it failed to evoke any real emotions.”
music
61 mentions
54 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as beautiful and fitting for the game's setting. While some noted minor issues with sound playback during menu navigation, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the immersive experience, making it a standout feature of the game. Many players expressed a desire to listen to the soundtrack outside of gameplay, highlighting its appeal and emotional resonance.
- “The music in this game is phenomenal and better than it has any right to be.”
- “The soundtrack is truly amazing (I spend some time just sitting in the main menu listening to it) and I like how every district of the island has its own sound design.”
- “The music is heart-wrenchingly beautiful, the graphics are stunning, and young Sherlock Holmes' character design is absolutely dashing.”
- “The musical accompaniment only emphasizes how different the areas seem to be on a small island, and the music also plays in emotional and tense moments, but not always properly.”
- “Music and other sound effects can just not play if you toy around with the menus too fast.”
- “It sounds like the kind of music you'd expect in a relaxing city-builder game, and not in a Sherlock Holmes game.”
optimization
52 mentions
21 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
35 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players experiencing significant stuttering, frame rate drops, and performance issues even on high-end PCs. Despite some improvements noted after patches, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, particularly in open-world areas, detracting from the otherwise appealing graphics and gameplay experience. Players recommend waiting for further updates to address these technical shortcomings.
- “While performance is largely good for how the game looks, it still is somewhat prone to dip or intermittently stutter.”
- “Cordona was beautiful and fun to admire when it wasn't stuttering despite my best attempts to alleviate via ini tweaks and settings with a rig well above recommended specs.”
- “The story line is really good, the graphics are good, phenomenal optimization and a decent amount of brain needed to play.”
- “The game is good but very poorly optimized; it runs like crap on a high-end PC.”
- “I've tried every resolution setting and I still average about 15 fps at 1600 x 1200, and I'm playing with a pretty beefy dedicated gaming setup... it's like this code was never optimized.”
- “This is the best-looking Sherlock game ever, but it is riddled with performance issues, especially while traversing through the open world.”
atmosphere
43 mentions
56 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and richly detailed world, enhanced by excellent sound design and music. While some players appreciate the vibrant setting of Cordona and its departure from the traditional dark and gritty tone of previous Sherlock Holmes games, others miss the classic Victorian atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating environment that complements its intriguing narrative, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of its open-world design and the depth of interaction within it.
- “Immersive atmosphere: richly detailed world and excellent sound design.”
- “The open world is beautiful and a pleasure to explore, with a lovely atmosphere throughout and an intriguing narrative.”
- “The city of Cordona has a very believable, rich atmosphere and the tacked-on mechanics could elevate the overall game if they had more substance.”
- “The atmosphere of the city felt really off to me - one of my favorite parts of any Sherlock Holmes media is the dark and gritty atmosphere, as well as the intriguing and foul cases.”
- “The game's atmosphere is a total divergence from that - being set on a sunny Mediterranean island - and ends up looking like something out of the Adventures of Tintin.”
- “I didn't enjoy the music very much either, as it suffered from the same fate as the world atmosphere.”
grinding
35 mentions
3 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, with many expressing frustration over the combat mechanics, investigation processes, and navigation. The need for constant backtracking, limited fast travel options, and cumbersome UI interactions contribute to a sense of monotony, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some appreciate the story and character elements, the grind-heavy design often overshadows these positives.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The previous titles are infinitely better than this, and this had no reason to be this tedious, given the franchise has been increasing in quality. I bought the bundle back before Testament was released, and the series peaked with Devil's Daughter.”
- “The problem with 'Chapter One' is not that the cases are hard to solve (they are rather easy), it is just very difficult and tedious to make progress.”
- “You just have to buy back all the things in the old house to be able to unlock the story, and I find it so grindy and tedious that it made me quit playing.”
humor
32 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying the comedic relief provided by John, whose snarky remarks and antics often lighten the mood. While some found the humor to be childish or overly light-hearted compared to previous entries in the series, others appreciated the clever easter eggs and funny moments that arise during gameplay. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm to the experience, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and execution.
- “It's fun, challenging, well rendered, hilarious, full of easter eggs, and better continue in this format!”
- “John's sass, oh dear lord John's sass, please never change, I am laughing so hard with your sass xd”
- “The humor in this is fantastic and I hope to see more of this down the road.”
stability
24 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting various glitches and bugs, particularly related to graphics and NPC interactions. While some users experienced minimal issues and found the game enjoyable, others noted that the frequent technical problems detracted from the overall experience. Overall, stability appears to vary significantly depending on individual setups and play styles.
- “Very nicely done! If you liked all the previous SH games, you will find a lot of the mechanics in this game familiar. The game runs great, with very little to no bugs, and the story is really great in this one.”
- “Don't waste your time on a buggy game.”
- “Buggy as hell.”
- “Visual glitches in some places (flicker, ghosting) and bugs (walking in air, inability to interact, etc).”
character development
11 mentions
45 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the depth and evolution of characters, particularly in emotional scenes, others find it lacking and feel that character designs can be confusing due to their similarities. The visuals and overall storytelling are praised, but inconsistencies in character design and development detract from the experience for some players.
- “A mother’s love: super interesting for the character development.”
- “Great graphics, beautiful story, and good character development.”
- “His character development was amazing and the other characters as well.”
- “The reason I stated that is in the scenes with more than two people involved, the character designs are vaguely hard to distinguish due to their similarities.”
- “My main issue is that the character design is so jarringly different from the other games or the original books, and not different in a way that helps the story.”
- “Character development is the most lackluster thing in the game.”
replayability
9 mentions
44 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed among users. While some appreciate the new mechanics and open-world elements that enhance replay value, others find the linear story and lack of varied outcomes to be limiting, resulting in minimal incentive to replay. The consensus suggests that while certain aspects may encourage multiple playthroughs, many players feel the game lacks significant replayability compared to previous titles in the genre.
- “Maybe if they make another game they'll learn not to do that again :) but honestly I don't think there needs to be another game, Crimes & Punishments and The Devil's Daughter were great games and are totally replayable!!”
- “🔲 infinitely replayable”
- “The mind palace was always great, but holy crap I love the new game mechanics they came up with. Reading any and all characters by their environment now plays a bit like the old classic L.A. Noire, and the open world makes the cases non-linear, so things like pinning the proper evidence and exploring on a hunch to track the connections is completely epic. I can see cases having a high replay value even through several rounds of DLC.”
- “I'm not sure about the replayability; the whole fighting aspect just leaves me cold.”
- “I was actually saddened by the linear story, which resulted in minimal replay value compared to their previous games.”
- “There doesn't seem to be any replay value to the game at all.”