Sherlock Holmes Chapter One Reviews
Despite some rough edges, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One has its heart in the right place. Frogwares is taking the classic Sherlock mythos and spinning off some impressive original work here. The story is well-presented, with the partnership between Sherlock and Jon particularly pleasant. Other cases show some interesting new puzzle types that I have not yet seen before. Whilst the two strengths of this title are separate, which annoys me somewhat, it’s the annoyance I feel when a game is a few decisions short of me showering it in unqualified praise. As it stands, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a standard-setter for open-world mystery games.
The strength of Frogwares previous works is retained within more ambitious, freeform packaging. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One can be abrasive, both in gameplay terms and in its depiction of an iconic character, but it offers such rich and rewarding depth to its detective drama that it's much easier to accept.
There are a few rough edges to Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One; the odd duff texture here and there, and lip syncing that never quite looks right. But none of that ever gets in the way of just how engaging a game this is to play. Stepping into the shoes of the young Sherlock Holmes is a real treat, and Frogwares continues to excel at doing what it does best: delivering an immersive experience that really makes the player feel like they’re actually a detective. This is by far the developer’s best yet.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a memorable game, maybe the best produced so far by Frogwares. It is not a classical adventure game, rather an open world Victorian tour de force in the early days of the most famous detective. As such it is not easy, mainly because the developers decided to let players figure out how a detective’s mind works.
Great career start of well-known detective with some new elements and deduction.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
It's one of the best games in the Sherlock Holmes franchise. Don't let him kidnap the lovers.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
I strongly recommend Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One to those seeking to sharpen their minds. It isn’t a perfect experience with its noticeable flaws but it is a great game for those who want to put themselves in the shoes of the legendary detective.
I will admit that were some truly frustrating times when I needed to do something that wasn’t explained well, but for the most part, that wasn’t an issue for too long. What kept me going was just how enthralling the cases and characters were. It’s been a while since I’ve been this engrossed by a detective series and its world, but Frogwares took notes from their other games and righted a lot of wrongs. It might not be a perfect game, but Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is a great time in a rich world.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is one of Frogwares' best games to date. Captivating characters and stories set against a beautiful backdrop are held back by a smattering of technical issues and repetitive combat encounters.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a title that comes excruciatingly close to achieving greatness. When you are in the midst of one of the many mysteries that Cordona Island holds, cracking cases and soaking in Frogwares’ fantastic writing, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is up there with the best the series has to offer. Unfortunately, performance issues hold back the open-world exploration to an extent that drags the overall experience down. Nevertheless, even with the technical drawbacks, the main gameplay loop of cracking cases and solving puzzles is stronger than ever and well worth the price of admission.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a very competent adventure game that offers a great experience of varied gameplay, very well elaborated, charming characters and a plot that seduces from the first moment. Undoubtedly a highly recommended title for fans of the saga and adventure games or deduction games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Unashamedly developed for fans of the series, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a unique and deftly crafted take on a well-trodden character. Retaining its detail oriented, mystery solving core while moving to an open world design with a heavier inclusion of combat, this game retains the charm of its predecessors while pushing the series in an exciting new direction. It’s not perfect, but an excellent story and a plethora of ‘eureka’ moments make up for many of its flaws. If you loved Crimes & Punishments and The Devil’s Daughter, you’ll love this.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is not a perfect game; the action gameplay is dated and repetitive; the open-world seems overly ambitious at times, especially with consistent frame drops on PS5 and the learning curve to become the great detective may dissuade some players, but at its core it has a truly remarkable and insightful narrative about a young man trying to come to terms with the troubles of his youth, solving a number of grizzly murders along the way.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One has promise and definitely can serve as an edifice for a grand detective franchise but definitely needs some refinement.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a very good action adventure game. The main plot may not be the longest, but the whole thing is connected in a specific, addictive adventure of the most famous detective in the world.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is an enjoyable romp and pleasant change of approach compared to more restrictive offerings of the past. Open-world works well here but could do with some additional oomph to make it feel more interesting. Sleuths will enjoy the varied investigations here and if you desire an even greater challenge, then we suggest setting the game to it’s more cryptic highest difficulty for a first play through.
Thanks to its great storyline and intriguing cases, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is another great investigative title based on the popular character.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is just the ideal detective game. The story has a meaning and even though the story feels a little bit extravagant due to its original way of narration you can’t simply leave the story untold. Characters including Sherlock and Jon are well-written and even though some character acts strangely or you just don’t like them, there is always some reason behind the behavior. The open-world is the game’s general pride, but it mostly feels empty despite having something to offer. On the other hand, the absence of map and navigation gives a gentle touch to its detective gameplay. Luckily, everything bad is suppressed by everything great the game has to offer. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is an example of how detective titles should be done.
Review in Czech | Read full review
The idea of Sherlock Holmes essentially investigating his own origins is an intriguing conceit, though that’s really only a small element of Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. The invented island of Cordona is a great backdrop for commentary on the late Victorian British Empire in all its excessive and tone-deaf glory, though again, those considerations are secondary. Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is, at heart, a collection of large and small mysteries to be solved, the chance to inhabit the mind of a legendary polymath and play detective with a wide and deep arsenal of tools and toys. Although the series is still bogged down by its fiddly mechanics and the pace can move too slowly for us fidgety gamers, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is far more ambitious in scope than its series predecessors and may represent a new, high bar for the franchise.
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a good (re)starting point for the famous detective's video game saga. The mysteries this time are a bit easier, but there are many more contents than usual thanks to the new open-world approach even if the new features would have used a little more development. All in all, the new direction of Sherlock Holmes is definitely the right one and we're eager to see where it will lead in the future.
Review in Italian | Read full review